By Matt Nielsen

The men’s hockey team gained a valuable resource for the second half of its 2006-07 season last month when head coach Greg Cronin announced the hire of assistant coach Shawn McEachern.

McEachern, a Waltham native, was hired Dec. 8 in place of Brendan Walsh, who resigned mid-season to join the police academy.

McEachern is best known for playing 14 years in the NHL, where he compiled 256 goals and 323 assists for 579 points. In the 2000-01 season, while playing for the Ottawa Senators, he set a career high in points with 72 (30 goals, 42 assists).

He spent six years with Ottawa, and also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, Atlanta Thrashers and Boston Bruins. McEachern debuted in March 1992 for the Penguins, who acquired McEachern in the 1987 NHL draft as the 110th overall pick. He went on to help the team win that season’s Stanley Cup.

McEachern, who played college hockey at Boston University from 1988-1991, was twice named a Hockey East All-Star and was a first-team All-American in 1991. His 82 points (34 goals, 48 assists) in 41 games helped the Terriers to the NCAA Championship game, where they lost 8-7 to Northern Michigan.

While at BU, McEachern played with NHL greats Keith Tkachuk and Tony Amonte. McEachern left the Terriers as their sixth leading all-time scorer with 186 points (79 goals, 107 assists) in 120 career games.

After graduating from BU, McEachern joined the U.S. National Team, scoring 49 points in 57 exhibition games. He played for team USA in the 1992 Olympic Games.

During the NHL lockout in 2004-2005, McEachern began his coaching career as an assistant at Division III Salem State College. McEachern also spent some time in the Swedish Elitserien league before returning to Boston in 2005 to play his final year in the NHL with the Bruins.

McEachern made his Husky debut in Northeastern’s 7-1 loss at Matthews Arena Dec. 9 against Maine.

Though with the Huskies for just under a month, McEachern has made his presence felt. Since he joined Northeastern, the Huskies have gone 2-2-1, picking up valuable Hockey East points in a win against Boston College and a scoreless tie with BU.

After Northeastern’s victory over rival BC Friday night, head coach Greg Cronin was quick to name McEachern as a reason the team had begun to play better.

“Shawn brings a lot of experience here, and with the coaches he’s played for