Another Amonte headed to Agganis Way

Tristan Amonte, younger brother of Ty Amonte and son of Terrier and NHL standout Tony Amonte, has committed to BU for 2021-22. A right-shot forward like his brother, Tristan will skate a second season with BCHL Penticton next year. Last season he scored 34 points (15G,19A) for the Vees as a teammate of Jay O’Brien, who will join the Terriers next season. 

The younger Amonte played four seasons for his father at Thayer Academy and one season for Youngstown in USHL before joining Penticton. 

A shoulder injury kept Ty off the ice the entire 2019-20 season. He’ll return next season as a red-shirt junior and could join his brother on the ice in 2021-22. 
● PentictonVees.ca report 
● Elite Prospects page 

Looking ahead

A pair of 2020 recruits, goalie Drew Commesso and 6'4" right-shot forward Dylan Peterson (photo), were each the subject of a 2020 draft interview by Dobber Prospects' Tony Drew. The Q&A interviews include video clips from last season with the players commenting on how they approached the situations. Both played for the NTDP U18s last season. Commesso (2.05, .920) was ranked #2 among N.American goalies for the draft, while Peterson (8G, 17A) was ranked #43 among N. American skaters.

● DobberProspects.com: Commesso; Peterson

● Elite Prospects pages: Commesso; Peterson

2022 recruit Doug Grimes, a 6’3” power forward from Brookline, was selected #15 overall in the Phase II USHL draft this week. A right-shot, Grimes had a breakout junior season at Dexter Southfield, where he is coached by Dan Donato, leading the team with 23 goals and tripling his previous year’s point total with 48. Donato recently told New England Hockey Journal:

“Doug is a kid that went from just making our team as a freshman — he had to play D just to make our team, we had a shortage — to now he’s 6-3 and shoots the puck a ton. He’s still got a lot of developing to do. He’s a little raw, but when he plays heavy … There’s a lot of NHL interest on the kid too, so watching his development has been incredible."

Two other skaters with BU family connections were selected in the USHL draft. In Phase 1, defenseman Shaun McEwen was selected #30 overall by Tri-City. The grandson of former BU standout, assistant Terrier coach and UMass head coach Don “Toot” Cahoon, McEwen played for the Selects Academy 15Us last season. In Phase II,  Tabor Academy left wing Shane Lachance was selected #128, also by Tri-City. A power forward, he is the son of former Terrier defenseman and NHLer Scott Lachance and the grandson of legendary Terrier head coach Jack Parker.

Terriers add goalie Duplessis for 2020-21; Davis selected #1 overall in NWHL draft

BU has received a commitment for 2020-21 from 21-year-old goalie Vincent Duplessis. The 6’1” netminder from Quebec City has spent the past two seasons in Western Canada Junior A leagues, this past season with AJHL Whitecourt and the previous year with BCHL Merritt. 

Playing 40 regular season games for the Wolverines, he recorded a 2.72 GAA and a .912 save percentage and was a finalist for the Friends of AJHL Top Goalie Trophy. In one round of playoffs, before the season was cancelled, Duplessis led Whitecourt to a 4-2 series win against Ft. McMurray, fashioning a 1.99 GAA and a .932 save percentage.

He faced off once against fellow AJHL goalie Ashton Abel one time, with Abel’s Okotoks Oilers winning, 5-3. Abel joined BU midway through last season  Duplessis earned AJHL Defensive Player of the Week honors for Jan. 20-26, backstopping three Wolverine wins with a 1.99 GAA.

BU’s goaltending corps for next season will feature Duplessis and Abel, along with freshman Drew Commesso, a Massachusetts native who played for the NTDP U18s this past season.

● Elite Prospects page

Sean Pickett has added more full Terrier games to his google drive. It now includes more than 225 games.

Looking ahead

NHL.com’s draft profilers turned the spotlight on 2020 recruit Luke Tuch. A 6’2”, power forward, whose brother Alex played for BC before signing with NHL Las Vegas, Tuch was ranked #40 among North American skaters for the draft after putting up 30 points (15G, 15A) in 47 games for the NTDP U18s.

Director of NHL Central Scouting Dan Marr says Luke has a knack for knowing how to use his size to his advantage in most situations on the ice, adding:

"Luke plays a physical power-forward game blended with smarts, skills and competitiveness. He plays a similar style as older brother Alex in that they both get results by utilizing size, strength and skating. He plays an effective forecheck game and offers good offensive smarts in the offensive zone to generate chances."

● NHL.com report

Looking back

Former Terrier skater and longtime Vermont head coach Jim Cross died on Saturday from complications from the Covid-19 virus. He was 82.

Cross, a 1960 BU graduate, played both hockey and baseball as a Terrier and skated on BU’s 1960 Frozen Four team. He became the Catamounts’ head coach in 1966. In 19 seasons, he had a 280-251-9 record. Before UVM moved up to Division 1 in 1974, Cross led the team to back-to-back ECAC D2 titles. In 1975, BU honored Cross with the Harry Cleverly Alumni Award, presented to an alum who has distinguished themselves in the field of coaching.

● Burlington Free Press report

● College Hockey News report

► Boston Globe: Hockey bloodlines intersected that magic day at the Garden 50 years ago

Women’s Team

Sammy Davis, selected first overall in the 2020 NWHL draft, has signed a contract for 2021 with the Boston Pride. Davis, the sixth BU player to be drafted to the NWHL, will join fellow Terriers Kaleigh Fratkin (2014), Jordan Juron (2016), Victoria Hanson (2017), and Mary Parker (2017) on the Pride, who reached the Isobel Cup final before it was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

● BU Women's Hockey Twitter video

● Boston.com report 

After an outstanding senior season, Ali will be heading home to pursue a graduate degree at @jmsbconcordia and continue her playing career with join @juliechu13 and @The_Stingers! pic.twitter.com/FUiscYpuqa

— BU Women's Hockey (@TerrierWHockey) May 1, 2020