Rumors have circulated since the transfer portal went live that Northeastern forward Jack Hughes was headed cross-town to Agganis Way. That transfer has been confirmed by Hughes’ NHL draft team in a podcast interview (begins at 46:30) with Los Angeles Kings scouting director Mark Yannetti.
LA drafted the 6’0” left-shot center from Westwood, Mass., in the second round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, #51 overall, following his first season at NU. He’ll have two years of eligibility at BU after two seasons with the Huskies.
Yannetti explained, “BU is a helluva place to be right now…the kid wanted to go somewhere different. He thought he could develop better there. He liked their style. He liked some of their players and the coach.”
Hughes had back-to-back 16-point seasons for Northeastern: 7-9-16 as a freshman, earning Hockey East All-Rookie honors, followed by 5-11-16 as a sophomore.
Hughes, who played prep at St. Sebastian’s before being selected for the USA Hockey’s NTDP program, will find several familiar faces at BU. Jeremy Wilmer and Ty Gallagher were his teammates on the U18s as was Lane Hutson for the tail end of that season.
Hughes had 34 points for the U18s after a 38-point campaign with 17s.
Considered a strong playmaker, Hughes' profile in the 2022 Elite Prospects Draft Guide underscored that strength:
He one-touches passes, can saucer and hook pucks through layers, uses the middle lane, and baits pressure in the slot so he can distribute to open wings. Efficient handler on-puck; likes to deke to the backhand to beat F1s and other forecheckers. Hughes scans transitionally constantly and harasses neutral zone puck carriers. He shadows on activations and his pressure forces errors like bad passes.
Hughes brother, Riley, just completed four seasons at Northeastern. Their father, Kent Hughes, is general manager of the Montreal Canadians, who hold the draft rights to Luke Tuch and Lane Hutson.
● USA Hockey “Other” Jack Hughes Carving his own Path in Hockey
WJSS
Photo credit Matt Woolverton
Hutson and fellow rising-sophomore Devin Kaplan have been named to the Team USA camp roster for the World Junior Summer Showcase beginning in late July in Plymouth Michigan. The tournament, which also includes teams from Finland and Sweden, is a first step for selecting the U.S. Junior National Team that will play in the World Junior Championships in December. Hutson played for US’s bronze-medal team in the 2023 WJCs with a 1-3-4 line in seven games.
● USA Hockey U.S. Roster For World Junior Summer Showcase Announced
● GoTerriers.com Hutson, Kaplan invited to World Junior Summer Showcase
► BU’s 2023 season schedule won’t be announced for a while, but we now know the campaign will begin on Oct. 7 on the road at Bentley, the team that opened last season at Agganis Arena, an 8-2 Terrier win.
Looking back
Wilmer Skoog joined the Terriers midway through the 2019-20 season from the NAHL. His overtime goal vs. Brown and his first lacrosse goal vs. Dartmouth quickly made him a fan favorite. Skoog scored 76 points as a Terrier with 30 in his junior year and 31 (16G,15A) this past season. NAHL.com compiled a reel of his lacrosse goals including one from his pre-BU days.
tw-align-centerSkoog (noun) : “sk-ooo-g” — to scoop, score and celly #LeagueofOpportunity pic.twitter.com/UcPQaaTLFj
— NAHL (@NAHLHockey) June 22, 2023
tw-align-centerCongrats to our program-record 1️⃣5️⃣ Hockey East All-Academic Team honorees!#ProudToBU https://t.co/tODMBLIFnY pic.twitter.com/HAEdADGWQP
— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) June 20, 2023
Senior Jamie Armstrong earned Distinguished Scholar status, having qualified for the All-Academic Team in each of his four seasons.
● GoTerriers.com report
Looking ahead
Incoming freshman Tom Willander continues to command attention from scouts and hockey media as the NHL draft approaches. For an NHL.com article, chief European scout Janne Vuorinen, who says Willander reminds him of Adam Fox, responded to a question about the Swedish defenseman.
Q. Tom Willander (6-1, 180), a right-handed defenseman with Rogle in Sweden's junior league, is headed to Boston University next season. How much can that move help him in maybe getting more ice time than he would have had he stayed in the SHL?
A. "Willander is a great skater and very mature player, has a good hockey sense and likes to join the rush and make the plays on the point. He's a competitive guy but I think he can still develop physically, and going the NCAA route I think will help him because he'll have time to practice and become a stronger player compared to playing in the SHL with Rogle, which is a really good team and would be tough to break into the lineup. I think the role will be bigger at BU, so I think that's a good route for him."
Recruit Scouting's Tait Borst adds:
“I have extensively considered whether to rank Willander or Reinbacher as my top defenseman. I have been thoroughly impressed with Willander’s progress throughout this season, as well as comparing his performance to the previous year. One standout aspect of his game is his remarkably smooth skating ability, particularly notable given his size, which enables him to elude pressure and generate offensive opportunities. While he demonstrates competence in getting shots through traffic, he could improve by capitalizing on the space he creates for himself and directing his attacks towards the net. Defensively, Willander has made significant strides this season. He exhibits enhanced composure with the puck, displays improved gap control, and effectively employs his body to disrupt opposing plays. I anticipate that his decision to join Boston University next year will prove to be highly beneficial for his development, with the program fostering his growth into a dynamic two-way defenseman with exceptional offensive capabilities”.
● Willander highlight reel (he's #60 for Rogle, #5 for Team Sweden).
● RecruitScouting.com draft profile (with videos)
● NHL.com Top International Prospect Discussed Ahead of the Draft
● NHL.com 2023 NHL Draft--Top 10 defensemen
● TheHockeyWriters.com Top 10 defensemen
●The Hockey News Pros and Cons of Taking the Top Defenders
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