01:00 AM EDT on Sunday, July 17, 2005

BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer

Brendan Walsh has dropped his gloves for good.

The Providence Bruins' tough guy for the last two seasons, and a five-year pro, has retired to join the coaching fraternity.

Walsh called it quits from pro hockey in May after the P-Bruins lost in the Eastern Conference championship series to the Philadelphia Phantoms, and was quickly hired as an assistant coach at Northeastern University under Greg Cronin.

During Providence's second-round playoff series against Lowell, Walsh interviewed for the Huskies' job, and as the P-Bruins battled for conference supremacy against Philadelphia, he made the decision that it was time for a change.

Walsh, 30, a Dorchester, Mass., native finished with 1,383 penalty minutes in 244 career games and is known around the hockey world for his relentless style of play and high-pitched banter.

Like one of his many fights, he is tackling his new job with the same kind of intensity. He took only one week off after the P-Bruins' season ended, and has been working feverishly at the new position.

He says he has no regrets with his career-changing decision.

"You can't look back," said Walsh, who will be responsible for recruiting for the Huskies. "You have to go with it, and right now I love it."

He didn't get much playing time during the P-Bruins' stretch run last season and was a healthy scratch in the postseason, but was still an integral part of the club. His ability to keep teammates loose was crucial. Despite the lack of playing time, he didn't make the decision to retire in haste.

Walsh spoke with Providence coach Scott Gordon; Bill Hanson, the coach of his alma mater Catholic Memorial High School; Bruins director of player development Sean Coady, and family members about joining the coaching ranks.

"I'm thrilled that Brendan Walsh has joined the Northeastern hockey staff," said Cronin. "He made a tremendous sacrifice to retire from a professional hockey career in the Boston Bruins organization. His sacrifice is a reflection of his commitment to contribute to the rebuilding process at Northeastern. He personifies the identity we will create at Northeastern: competitiveness, tenacity, character and courage."

Those qualities helped Walsh win a national championship at the University of Maine in 1999, and he was held in high regard during his professional career because of them. Now, he'll attempt to instill those same traits into college players.

The transition for a former player to the coaching ranks is not always an easy one, and not every player has the ability to make it.

Gordon, a former player himself, knows firsthand how difficult the transition can be and feels Walsh has the proper attitude and work ethic for college hockey.

"You never really know for sure when it is time to hang it up," said Gordon. "Like I explained to him 'sometimes you play until you fall into something, and once you're into coaching, you'll forget all about playing.' It might take a month, it might take three months. But, eventually you become consumed with what you're doing and you forget about playing. It is the second best job there is, outside of playing. I think he'll do a great job."

Walsh calls himself the quintessential Boston guy. He feels that there's no other coach in the Hockey East who is so deep-rooted in the city that will appeal to younger players as he will.

"I love to show it [Boston] off," he said. "I'm proud to be where I'm from and there's no other coach out there who can sell Boston better than me."

He'll still get to fight, only this time he doesn't have to use his hands.

"My goal is to go out there and throw my hat in the ring with every top recruit and every top school in the country," he said. "I believe I can."