Wednesday, April 05, 2023

Terriers in Tampa--UPDATED

Check back on Thursday for Game Day information and BU's line-up

#5 Terriers traveled to Tampa on Tuesday and are on the ice at Amalie Arena today, preparing for Thursday's match-up with top-ranked Minnesota. BU is participating in the Frozen Four for the 23rd time and the first time since 2015. They'll be seeking their sixth national championship.

    

Drew Commesso Nick Zabaneh and Domenick Fensore sit in front of a Welcome to Tampa sign 

Nick Zabaneh (center), who was injured during the Hockey East championship game win against Merrimack, has been skating in practices at BU and in Tampa. Head Coach Jay Pandolfo is hopeful that the junior center, who had been one of the Terriers' most effective forwards in recent games, will be in the line-up tomorrow.  Before flying South, BU had been practicing at Walter Brown Arena which has the same 200 x 85 ice dimension as Amalie Arena.  


Frozen Four Watch Parties for BU Alums and Fan are set for 10 cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York Metro, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa and Washington, D.C.  Click here for details.

 

►On Tuesday, WBZ-TV in Boston aired a news story about Pandolfo's college and pro career that also featured his parents.   

● WBZ-TV Videos Part 1 and Part 2 

 

ESPN's  John Buccigross caught up with Pandolfo after practice. Bucci will be calling the Frozen Four games on ESPN2 along with Barry Melrose and Colby Cohen, the Most Outstanding Player in BU's overtime win in the 2009 national championship win.

            How Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson is dominating with his brain, feet and hands - The Athletic

FloHocke's Chris Peters has a comprehensive look at Lane Hutson's recording-setting season with videos and comparisons to some of best defenseman in college hockey over the years.

● FloHockey.TV Canadiens Prospect Lane Hutson's Historic Freshman Season At BU In Context

 

BHB's Caroline Fernandez, on the scene in Tampa, provides a game preview.

● Boston Hockey Blog “A lot of guys from Minnesota and Boston:” scouting the Gophers

● College Hockey News Semi-final preview: Minnesota vs. Boston University     

► SB Nation Gophers and Terriers have a long NCAA history

Looking ahead

The Athletic's Scott Wheeler has taken an early look at the top prospects for the 2024 NHL draft. He's tabbed 2023 recruit Macklin Celebrini as the #1 pick and 2024 recruit Cole Hutson at #15. Another 2024 recruit, Kamil Bednarik earned honorable mention. A few excerpts from Wheeler's very strong reviews of  Chicago Steel center Celebrini and NTDP defenseman Hutson.

Celebrini:

His profile has it all, too. The Steel are now listing him at six feet and 199 pounds. He’s a natural center. He plays with confidence and presence that is rare in a player his age, consistently looking to attack and dictate with the puck. He’s also an intelligent off-puck player who understands timing, routes, and how to get open and make himself available without the puck in his hands. He’s a plus-level skater. He’s a hard-working player defensively and into battles and races for pucks. He’s got dynamic puck skill that allows him to break down opponents and coverage at speed. He’s also a tactile shooter and finisher who can get pucks off in a variety of ways, from a variety of stances, and without needing to tunnel vision for it. And though his stats skewed towards goals this year, that had more to do with his linemates and role than with his style (he’s a natural scorer, but he doesn’t tunnel vision for it and also play-makes at an advanced level).

       ►Video: Celebrini's 40th goal

Hutson (who who set a new NTDP points record for a U17 season):

A lot has been made of the three 2006-born towers (6-foot-5 top 2025 prospect Logan Hensler, 6-foot-4 2024 prospect Will Skahan, and 6-foot-3 2024 prospect EJ Emery) on the U17 team’s blue line at the program, and yet here I am ready to make an early bet that Cole Hutson will grow a couple of inches and emerge as the best of the bunch from the 2024 class (Hensler’s a different animal), just like I did with his older brother Lane. Cole’s point-per-game U17 year at the program has actually been more prolific than Lane’s was, and he has done it while four and a half months younger than Lane was at the same age. He’s not just the most talented defenseman on that team, but he has shown of late while up with the U18s that he’s the most skilled defenseman currently at the program. He’s also got more of a physical element to his game than Lane does and plays opponents really hard so that his size is less noticeable, gluing himself to them in order to be as disruptive as possible. It’s clear watching the program this year that both the U17s and U18 are so much better with him out there than without.

 

In The Hockey Writers' spring NHL draft rankings, 2023 recruit Tom Willander, a Swedish defenseman, has been moved up to the first round at #29. 

Another rising defenseman on this list, Willander has been extremely consistent all season to be considered as a first-round selection. A complete two-way defender, Willander has been productive at the J20 level, showcasing his puck-moving abilities, mobility and creativity. He’s quick in transition, can make strong outlet passes and has the confidence to lead an attack. While he has potential offensively, defensively he’s just as effective. He’s great in one-on-one coverage and has the awareness to close gaps quickly. He’s a player that should be talked about more.

 

Women's Program

New Head Coach Tara Watchorn introduced to the Terriers.

 

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