gotchanewsdaily.com 
BOSTON — Joe Bertagna may not be the most famous name in Boston hockey, but it’s no exaggeration to say he’s a legend in the goaltending game. He’s mastered another craft as well, which will also be featured in the New England Sports Museum later this year.
One of the awards given out annually at the Beanpot is the Joe Bertagna Award, which is given to the top women’s goaltender. It’s named after the Arlington native who has an impressive 50-plus year hockey résumé, which includes stops at Harvard as a player, coach, and the founder of the women’s program.
Bertagna was a goaltending coach for the Bruins in the late 1970s and 1980s, and for the 1994 Men’s Olympic team. He’s written books on the subject, while his goalie school has trained over 10,000 netminders.
Even today, the 73-year-old serves as the goalie coach for the Gloucester High School girl’s team.
Goaltending, requires a strong worth ethic, and life can be stressful. But years ago, Bertagna found an outlet to ease his mind.
Bertagna’s embroidery to be displayed at New England Sports Museum
“When I was busier, when I was working, I juggled a lot of jobs. So at the end of the day, I liked doing something that was somewhat mindless,” Bertagna said.
That avenue to relief came through needlework, but even that has a sports theme. Bertagna’s first embroidery was done 50 years ago when he crafted a Harvard cushion for his mother’s favorite rocking chair.
He makes frequent stops at the Coveted Yarn store in Gloucester, and he’s become a master crafter of the canvas. Bertagna is now working on an embroidery of David Ortiz’s series-saving, game-tying grand slam from Game 2 of the 2013 ALCS against the Detroit Tigers.
“There’s probably a dozen people behind in the bullpen — six or eight of them well defined. I’ve got to represent them without trying to be Norman Rockwell,” Bertagna said with a laugh.
“I have to find a photo composition, which has a lot of colors. You know, it’s an iconic moment that people will recognize,” he continued. “But since I’m going to be spending so much time with every piece, I want it to be something I’m going to enjoy doing.”
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That image of Big Papi is just one piece in Bertagna’s Boston sports collection. He has Russell, Orr, and Flutie. They’ll all be inside the New England Sports Museum at TD Garden by September. That collection will then be auctioned off to raise money for the museum.
