This past week the sports community lost longtime Northeastern Sports Information Director Jack Grinold at the age of 81.

Mr. Grinold was inducted into the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.

During his more than 50 years on Huntington Avenue, Grinold developed a wide-ranging, innovative athletic communications office. Often called "the innovator of innovators," he shaped the careers of countless sports information professionals—including many whose careers were launched by an internship program he established.

“Jack was an icon on the Boston sports scene who mentored so many, myself included,” said Hockey East commissioner Joe Bertagna. “He was an original, a man of many interests and talents. And a real friend to legions. His contributions will be difficult to replace.”

“He was as adept going into Matthews Arena, Boston Garden, or Fenway Park as he was he was going into the Museum of Fine Arts or Symphony Hall,” said Jim Madigan, men’s hockey coach at Northeastern. “Not many people had that level of depth.”

Honored repeatedly by many organizations during his career, Mr. Grinold was inducted into the Beanpot Hockey Hall of Fame (2012), the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame (2009), and the New England Basketball Hall of Fame (2003). The College Sports Information Directors of America added him to its Hall of Fame in 1994, and five years later gave him the organization’s Community Service Award.

From the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference, Mr. Grinold received the Service Bureau Award in 1979 and the Commissioner’s Award in 2009. The following year, the conference and sports information directors’ organization honored him with its Award for Distinguished Achievement.

Last year, he became the first sports information director to receive the James Lynah Distinguished Achievement Award, which the ECAC gives annually to former conference athletic administrators who achieve outstanding success and make unusual contributions to intercollegiate athletics.

A service will be announced for Mr. Grinold. In addition to his wife, Cathy, whom he married in 1967, he leaves a brother, Richard of California.

For more information, please follow the links below to various stories written about Mr. Grinold.