Skating a circle: Boston villain Samuelsson's son playing for BC When he was playing against the Bruins back in the late 1980s and particularly the early '90s, Ulf Samuelsson was viewed by the Boston fans as Public Enemy No. 1. He was the player everyone loved to hate and he was one of several villains - such as Dale Hunter and Claude Lemieux - who drew the passionate ire of those devoted to the Black and Gold. Given his history with former Bruins star Cam Neely, whose life and career forever were changed during a knee-on-knee check in Game 3 of the 1991 Wales Conference finals, Samuelsson knew when he came to town - no matter what the uniform - he was going to hear it from the Garden crowd. Neely is a vice president in the Bruins' front office and Samuelsson is associate coach with the Phoenix Coyotes and there is a new generation of fans as well as a new Garden. But there is a certain irony to the fact that tonight, in the championship game of the 58th annual Beanpot tournament, there will be a Samuelsson on TD Garden ice playing for a Boston school. The eldest of Samuelsson's four children, Philip, is a freshman defenseman for Boston College, which will square off against Boston University for city bragging rights. He was 9 when his father retired from the NHL in 2000. What he remembers most was horsing around with other players' children in the family rooms at NHL rinks rather than the hockey. He said he first came to realize his father's reputation for getting under the skin of his opponents when he was in his early teens. 'But I'd been living in cities where they obviously loved him,' said Philip, 18. 'In New York and in Pittsburgh, they're not really going to vilify him there where he's playing.' Samuelsson played in the Metropolitan Boston Hockey League for the Connecticut Lazers in AAA Tier 1 for a couple of years, 'and I sort of got some jabs and stuff then, but it's nothing you can't handle. I knew he wasn't the most liked guy here in Boston. I knew that coming in, so really nothing has bothered me from it. But he played the game the way he played it and obviously, you're going to ((tick)) some people off if you play that kind of style. But he backed it up, too.' Ulf Samuelsson said the irony of his son choosing a Boston school was not lost on him. 'It is kind of funny in many ways, the history with the Hartford Whalers and then with Pittsburgh, playing all those games in Boston,' he said. 'It was kind of funny when that was brought up. He went ((to visit BC)) and he said, 'Dad, if I can get in there, this is where I want to go.' He made up his mind right when he went there and met the people and saw the campus. For him, it was an easy decision.' Ulf Samuelsson said he felt he should explain to his children that there were some hockey fans who didn't appreciate his ability to aggravate other teams' best players. 'We talked about many things with our kids growing up about hockey and my style of play,' he said. 'So they've seen it and heard it many times. It's kind of an unusual situation for a father-son conversation, to try to convince your son that you're a good guy, and other people are saying you're an ((expletive)), so you've got to find a balance there somewhere.' During the upcoming Olympic break, Samuelsson will be in Boston to speak to the Eagles about his long NHL career and what it was like to win Stanley Cups in 1991 and '92 with the Penguins. Philip, too, has ties to the Penguins. He was selected by Pittsburgh in the second round (No. 61 overall) in the 2009 draft. His father said it was an unforgettable experience even though he came up empty when trying to get information on when his son would be picked. 'It was awesome,' said Ulf Samuelsson. 'But I couldn't get an answer from one single person. This scouting business, as I understand now, is very private. Everyone has their own lists. When he got picked in the second round, it was probably a little earlier than we all anticipated, but it was a great feeling. I was very proud.' He is also proud of the contributions his son has made to his college team in his first season. When Philip was looking at schools, he narrowed it down to BC, Notre Dame, and the University of New Hampshire, but he liked the urban campus and felt BC was the best fit. 'I thought here I would have more of an opportunity to make an impact right from the start,' said Philip, who has a 1-8-9 line so far. 'After I committed, I was learning from the people I was talking to what a world-class education it was here, and that was something I sort of undervalued at the time, but now I'm really thankful for the decision that I made.' Coach Jerry York is, too. He said there is a 'like father, like son' element to Philip - but only in the best way. 'One of the things we've stressed a couple of different times was that no matter where Ulf was playing, winning Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh or playing with the Rangers, he was such a great teammate,' said York. 'Everybody I've talked to has said that, so you get a broader perspective on Ulf. Philip inherited that. He's been an outstanding teammate even though he's just a freshman.' 