Friday, April 04, 2025

Pre-Frozen Four Linkorama

 

2025 NCAA Men's Frozen Four - St. Louis ...   

It's less than a week until the Terriers begin their third consecutive Frozen Four. 

The NCAA Frozen Four Media Information page is here.  Click on the press conferences folder to find the coaches' media call from earlier in the week. Coach Jay Pandolfo's segment is the last of the four. There also are NCAA Frozen Four Records and, under Team Materials, a full Frozen Four Media Kit.

Previously, BU had two runs of five consecutive Frozen Fours: '93-'94 through '96-'97 when the Terriers won the championship in 1995 and two second place finishes, 1994 and 1997; and, '73-'74 through '77-'78--the first five seasons under Coach Jack Parker--with the 1995 winning the national title. You can find video highlights of those two championships in the Video Highlights section of the sidebar.

Terriers had back-to-back trips to the Frozen Four in 1950 and 1951; 1966 and 1967; 1971 and 1972 (both national title wins); and 1990 and 1991.   

►Going into the Frozen Four, Cole Hutson is the leader among D1 defenseman in points per game. He trails Denver’s Zeev Buium by two for most points by a blueliner, though he has played 3 fewer games. Both are expected to earn ACHA All-American honors next week.

► Of the three other St. Louis-bound teams, BU has only previously played Denver in the Frozen Four. In four contests, the Pioneers lead, 3-1. They defeated BU in the 1960 semifinal, in the 1966 consolation game and last season in the semifinal in St. Paul, 2-1 in overtime. BU's win came in the 1971 semifinal, 4-2, with Toot Cahoon scoring a hat trick.

 

                   Photo credit Annika Morris

BHB's Mitch Fink examines how Cole Hutson overcame an uneven start to his freshman season to became one of D1's most dynamic and effective performers.

“He can control a game, he can take over a game,” Pandolfo said after Saturday’s win. “Until you play against him, you don’t know what to expect. And then once you get out there, he’s special.”

● Boston Hockey Blog ‘I’d like to think I’m doing decent:’ How Cole Hutson’s second-half surge helped BU men’s hockey to the Frozen Four


BU and St. Louis 

Terriers edged the Badgers, 4-3, behind two goals from Joe Pereira, including the game-winner in the third period. Two nights later BU defeated the Fighting Irish, 5-4, coming from behind on goals by Kevin Gilroy and Sean Escobedo, while Pereira notched his third of the tournament. 

BU's first trip to "The Lou" was a pair of games in 1970 with the St. Louis University Billikens to help them launch their new Division 1 program. Terriers won the first game 9-0 with Jake Danby netting a hat trick and Steve Dolloff scoring twice. The next night, the Terriers rang up nine more in a 9-1 win with Wayne Gowing and Ron Anderson each with a pair of goals. 

►BU's last victory in a Frozen Four game was ten seasons ago this coming week, a 5-3 victory over North Dakota with Jack Eichel scoring the Terriers first and last goal. Here is a full-game video. 

 

 

More Awards

Action photos of Cole Hutson, Quinn Hutson and Tom Willander

Three Terriers--Quinn Hutson, Cole Hutson and Tom Willander--were named New England Division I All-Stars, selected by the New England Hockey Writers Association. Cole also claimed the George Carens Rookie of the Year and the Bob Monahan Best Defenseman Award. He's the third consecutive Terrier to win the Rookie award, following Lane Hutson in 2023 and Macklin Celebrini in 2024.  

The all-star and individual awards will be made at the NEHWA banquet on April 22. Also to be honored is Bernie Corbett, now in his 40th season as the voice of Terrier Hockey. With more than 1,500 BU games called, he'll receive the Parker-York Award for Contribution to New England Hockey.

● GoTerriers.com Terrier Trio Tabbed as New England All-Stars

► Gavin McCarthy is the top shot blocker in Hockey East with 74, nine ahead of UConn’s John Spetz.  


Transfer Portal

More than 230 players have entered the Transfer Portal with 25 having made commitments. So far, BU has received a commitment from former UND Fighting Hawk Sascha Boisvert. A good link to follow is College Hockey Insider's Transfer Portal Tracker. We'll report on any BU-related moves.

Looking ahead

2025 recruit Jack Pridham sniped his third post-season goal as Kitchener defeated Flint, 6-1. The 6'2" right wing, drafted by the Blackhawks, has a 3-2-5 line in four playoff games. Pridham rang up 27 goals and 27 assists in 48 regular season games. Video (begins at 0:14).

2026 recruit Tyan Lawrence scored his 24th goal in Muskegon's 3-2 win over the NTDP U18s. The 16-year-old from Fredericton, New Brunswick, has 50 points in 53 games. 

2026 recruit Egor Shilov scored his 11th goal in Green Bay's 4-2 win against Sioux Falls.

2026 recruit Rian Chudzinski is playing in the Tier 1 18U Youth Nations with Boston Junior Eagles.  During the prep season, he led Dexter Southfield in goals (27) and points (52), guiding the team to the Elite 8 Championship game. 

 Looking back

Jake Oettinger stopped 28 of 29 shots to lead Dallas to a 5-1 win over Nashville. It was his sixth consecutive win and improved his record to 36-15-0 and lowered his GAA to 2.45.

Lane Hutson continues to lead the Rookie scoring race with 62 points. He was scoreless in Wednesday's 4-1 Montreal win over the Bruins, but did have a game-high five blocked shots.

Former BU netminder Jason Tapp reportedly is a finalist for the vacant RPI head coaching position. He is currently associate head coach at Dartmouth and previously was associate head coach at Union College. Tapp played 50 games as a Terrier between 1998 and 2002.  

Women's Team

Colgate defenseman Ella Belfry entered the transfer portal and committed to BU.  

BU forward Alex Law has entered the portal.


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Wednesday, April 02, 2025

Terriers mine a gem from the portal; Hutson sets Canadians' mark

UND freshman forward Sacha Boisvert ... 
                     Photo Credit Grand Forks Herald

Freshman center Sasha Boisvert, who led North Dakota in scoring with 32 points (18G,14A), has committed to BU a day after entering the transfer portal, according to reports in College Hockey News and on the College Hockey Insider Transfer Portal Tracker, where he is the top-rated forward.

A 6’2”, 180 lb., left-shot from Trois-Rivières, Quebec, he was the Blackhawks’ first round draft pick—#18 overall—in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. After a moderate start to his freshman season with five goals and 14 points first semester, he became North Dakota’s best weapon with 13 goals the rest of the way. While a physical player, he had just 20 penalty minutes.
With fellow Blackhawks draft pick Ryan Greene having graduated and expected to turn pro, Boisvert is likely to step into Greene’s spot as BU's top line center. Like Greene, he wore #9 last season.

Boisvert was dominant against league opponents, leading all NCHC rookies with 11 goals and ranked fourth with 17 points. He was named NCHC Rookie of the Month in both November and December while garnering the league's top rookie of the week award four times. 
 
Last month, Boisvert was named the conference’s Rookie of the Year.He also was named to the College Hockey News All-Rookie Team, joining Terriers Cole Eiserman and Cole Hutson.

McKeen’s ranked him as the Blackhawks #5 prospect. Drew Commesso is #6 and Greene is #10. Incoming recruit Jack Pridham also is a Chicago draft pick.
 
The Athletic also has him as Chicago's fifth best prospect:
Boisvert’s got the desired height and position on his side, room to fill out his once-wiry frame (which he already added a bunch of muscle to the last two summers; he still looks lean with further growth to come) and NHL skill and competitiveness. Intangibles come up a lot when you speak to people about him (he even dropped the gloves a few times last year, including in the playoffs). The skill includes a quick and accurate NHL-level release, good instincts on and off the puck, above-average feet (he’s a decent skater, even if a little upright in his stance), a developing power game and great feel with the puck on his stick both at speed and in slowing the game down. 

Elite Prospects Draft Profile:
Boisvert is a goal scorer. A deceptive wrister and powerful one-timer make him a threat from distance, while his net-front skills and off-puck timing drive his in-tight finishing. He can also make just about every pass in the book, easily navigating layers of sticks with slip and saucer passes, even off the backhand. The passing skills appear mostly off the rush, finding cross-ice targets for high-value entries and faking the shot to prepare the cross-slot lane.

Sam Cosentino, Sportsnet
“This player is tougher than rawhide. His frame is such that there’s plenty of room for growth, but he’s already wiry strong. Boisvert is a great skater who shoots the puck a ton. At his best, he can impact a game in a variety of ways. He projects as a skilled power forward and can play both centre and wing.”
Boisvert spent the previous two seasons in the USHL with Muskegon, producing 68 points (36G,32A) in 2023-24 and 45 points (17G,28A) in 2022-23 where he was a teammate of Gavin McCarthy and earned a spot on the league’s second all-rookie team.

Before going to the USHL he played at Mount St. Charles Academy where he rang up 94 points for the 15U AAA team. 2025 recruit Callum Hughes was a teammate on that squad.

An article in The Athletic--How boxing helped turn Blackhawks pick Sacha Boisvert into a top NHL Draft prospect (subscription)--relates that Boisvert’s father owns a taekwondo and boxing gym in Trois-Rivières where combat sports and martial arts “played a major role” in Sascha’s life.  By age 10, Boisvert had entered four boxing competitions. He fought kids who were two or three years older than him.
When people talk about him, they talk about his commitment, his intangibles, his mental toughness and his competitiveness as much as they talk about his skill and his potential. They’re a byproduct of his shared passion with his dad and a unique upbringing and training that has shaped him into the player and young man he is.
 
Looking back
 
Lane Hutson recorded his second consecutive three-assist game as Montreal edged Florida  in overtime, 3-2. Hutson assisted on the tying goal and the game-winner. 

The trio of helpers set a new franchise record for assists (57) by first-year blueliners, eclipsing the 56 tallied by Chris Chelios. Hutson is second to only Larry Murphy's 60 assists among all NHL defensemen. He has six regular-season games left.

Hutson, who remains the overall rookie scoring leader with 62 points, was againi named Rookie of the Month.  

Dante Fabbro scored his seventh goal as Columbus routed Nashville, 8-4.  

Trevor Zegras scored his 10th goal and added an assist as the Ducks defeated the Sharks, 4-3, in a shootout.   

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Monday, March 31, 2025

UPDATED AGAIN: Frozen Four Field Set; Terriers to face Penn State; Pandolfo on Morning Cuppa Coffee; defkit's Terrier Takeaway

 

► Cole Hutson led all scorers in the NCAA regionals with six points (2-4-6). Ryan Greene fourth with 0-0-4. 

► Nearly 200 players have entered the transfer portal since their seasons have ended. Here's the list compiled by College Hockey Insider with rankings included.

 

Graphic showcasing the four teams that qualified for the NCAA Men's Frozen Four: Boston University, Denver, Penn State, and Western Michigan. 

#8 Terriers will head to St. Louis for their 25th Frozen Four appearance and take on #12 Penn State on April 10. The semifinal game will air on ESPN2 at 8:30 p.m.

● USCHO.com A first look at the 2025 NCAA Frozen Four

● BU Hockey Stats Holy Toledo!

Jay Pandolfo has been a Penrose Award finalist each of his three seasons behind the Terrier bench. The full list of semifinalists:

David Carle, Denver, NCAA Semifinalist
Mike Cavanaugh, UConn, Hockey East Coach of the Year
Pat Ferschweiler, Western Michigan, NCHC Coach of the Year, NCAA Semifinalist
Guy Gadowsky, Penn State, NCAA Semifinalist
JF Houle, Clarkson, ECAC Coach of the Year
Jay Pandolfo, Boston University, NCAA Semifinalist
Bill Riga, Holy Cross, AHA Coach of the Year
Brett Riley, Long Island University, Independent Coach of the Year
Steve Rohlik, Ohio State, Big Ten Coach of the Year
Luke Strand, Minnesota State University, CCHA Coach of the Year

 

defkit's Terrier Takeaway

- After never having won a Western regional (at least since moving to the 16 team, no bye format), BU has now accomplished the feat in two successive seasons. That doesn't happen without strong coaching and experience in big games. Congrats to Jay and the staff. It has been a bumpy season but reaching the Frozen Four for a third straight year cements us back into the "Elite" club of programs in my opinion.

- Of the BU teams the past three years, this team may be the least skilled, definitely has the least depth on defense, and played the most inconsistent throughout the year. But I feel better about their chances to win it all than the teams from the past two years based on our forward depth, strong goaltending, and how the rest of the field looks. At first, Penn State scared me given how easily they dispatched Maine. But UConn showed how to compete with them. I think Denver now is the team to beat, as they are clicking on all cylinders.
 
- Speaking of defensive depth, Cole Hutson, Tom Willander, and Sascha Boumedienne may need new skate blades before St. Louis. I haven't looked for the stats, but they are clearly all logging significant minutes. Kudos to the strength and conditioning staff.
 
- Putting up 40 shots against Cornell was feat unto itself. It was great to see the team "start on time" for the first time in a while. If they can do so against Penn State, that will help their chances a ton. Scoring eight goals against Ohio State may have been the confidence boost some of the forwards needed to kick things into a higher gear and start the game with good energy.
 
- Jack Hughes has shown his best efforts all season lately. Matt Copponi, while perhaps not as strong a two-way player, is creating scoring opportunities again. And Kamil Bednarik, while not flashy, continues to play very important minutes for this team due to his two-way play.
 
- Big Mike made a couple huge stops early in overtime against Cornell. Then we got our legs going again, and had a great cycle game going for a few shifts leading up to the game-winner. Kudos to Shane Lachance for keeping it alive in the O-zone twice.
 
- Cole Hutson's goal may be the most accurate shot I've ever seen. I can't imagine there was room for more than 2 pucks to make it into the net from that angle.

►Kudos to the sharp-eyed Terrier fans who noticed former BU standout Alex Chiasson standing next to Kim Branvold on the far left in the photo below. Chiasson, who is one of 12 Terriers to win the Stanley Cup, retired last fall after a long NHL career and has been a volunteer assisting the staff this season. His Cup win came in 2018 with Washington.

NCAA Toledo Regional Team Photo Celebration

 

 

Morning Cuppa Hockey ☕ Hosts ...

► Coach Jay Pandolfo joined today's episode of Morning Cuppa Hockey to talk with Colby Cohen and Jonny Lazurus about the Regionals and Frozen Four. Among other things, he explains how the team watched film of Cornell's penalty kill between the second and third periods and that Cole Hutson spotted "an opening," which he exploited to give BU a 2-1 lead. You can listen to the podcast on Spotify or Apple.

 

►One more look at Quinn Hutson's overtime goal that punched the Terriers' ticket to St. Louis:         

►College Hockey News has announced is first and second national all-star teams and national all-rookie team. Cole Hutson was named a second-team all-star and all-rookie while Cole Eiserman joined him on the all-rookie team. 

 

Looking back

Lest one thinks that Quinn and Cole were the only Hutsons making their presence felt in a big way on the ice this weekend, Lane Hutson assisted on three goals, including the primary (see below) on the game-winner, in Montreal's 4-2 win against Florida.  Evan Rodrigues had a helper for the Panthers.

Hutson now has 59 points and his 54 assists are tied for second most by a defenseman with Quinn Hughes and is just three behind Cale Makar.

 

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