WJSS Begins Friday; GIlroy to join Harvard staff

Hosted by USA Hockey, The World Junior Summer Showcase--the first step in selecting Junior National Teams for next Winter's World Junior Championships--begins Friday in Plymouth, Michigan. Two U.S. teams--blue and white--will face off against squads from Canada, Sweden and Finland at USA Arena with a total of five Terriers rostered.

                                  Photo credit Matt Woolverton

Brandon Svoboda will play for the U.S. blue team, while Gavin McCarthy, Cole Eiserman and Cole Hutson will skate for the white squad. Tom Willander, who represented Sweden in last year's WJC-20 tournament, is on the Swedish roster once again. 

Kamil Bednarik had initially been named to the combined US roster but is unable to attend due to personal reasons, according to NHL.com's Mike Morreale. 

All nine tournament games will be live-streamed on USAHockey.com, beginning Sunday. 

The 2025 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship is set for Dec. 26, 2024, through Jan. 5, 2025 in Ottawa, Ontario.

● USA Hockey Team Preview

Willander shines at Canucks' camp

"We've been really impressed with Tom," said Mike Komisarek, who joined Canucks player development in 2022 after 11 seasons as an NHL defenseman and visited with Willander every other week last season. "Extremely competitive kid, moves so well. The stuff with the puck is world class."

Willander (6-foot-1, 180 pounds) is focused on continuing to get stronger. There also remains room to grow offensively after Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin projected him as a potential "perfect fit" with Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes because of his defensive acumen and intelligence.

●  NHL.com Willander showing growth spurt with Canucks

●  NHL.com Willander speaks with Vancouver media

►Journalist Jon Paul Morosi wrote about incoming freshman Bednarik's family experience at last month's NHL draft and their support of his career. A 6'0" center who had a 46-65-109 scoring line in his two NTDP seasons, Bednarik was drafted in the second round by the Islanders, who had previously selected Cole Eiserman.

● Medium.com For Kamil Bednarik’s parents, the drive from Chicago to Vegas one of resilience and love

Name a defensive skill, and Bednarik probably has it. He’s energetic, but controlled. He rotates, supports, and engages at the right moments. When he battles opponents, he’s always looking to win body positioning first, using his stick or free hand to slow down the opponent if required. He throws big hits, blocks shots, and does whatever it takes to win. -EliteProspects 2024 NHL Draft Guide

 

Looking back

Former Terrier All-American and captain Matt Gilroy will join Harvard's coaching staff as an assistant to Ted Donato, according to a report by Mark Divver.

Gilroy, whose BU career was a storybook rise from walk-on to Hobey Baker Award winner, led BU to its 2009 "DC Miracle" National Championship in Washington, D.C. 

He spent the last two seasons coaching at the NTDP, working with Cole Hutson and other defensemen on the U18 squad. Gilroy's 10-year professional career included stints with four NHL teams and with teams in Switzerland and the KHL. He served as an assistant captain for Team USA at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.

● TheHockeyNews.com report

● USA Hockey YouTube interview with Gilroy

Bentley University has announced that its football field for longtime coach Peter Yetten. A Waltham native, Yetten served as the Falcons' head football coach from 1979 through 2008 with a record of 225-81-2.

He was a defenseman on the Terriers' first NCAA championship squad in 1971 and also played quarterback for BU.  

H/T to longtime Terrier fan Jim McKenzie for passing this information along.

● Bentleyfalcons.com report

Women's Team

Head Coach Tara Watchorn was a guest coach at the New Jersey Devils development camp.

“Aside from all the drills,” Watchorn joked about what she wanted to learn from the camp. “I’m a newer head coach and I think it’s helpful to see how to utilize your staff. I think that’s what’s really cool when you come to this level you have amazing people who are experts in their field at every area and how do you really utilize that and bring everyone together under your vision. Just watching the group of coaches and how they delegate, how they lean on each other’s strengths, and how they work with the players.”

● NHL.com Guest coaches gain insight at Devils camp

Terriers announce 2023-24 Team Awards; More honors for Webber

 

Terriers have revealed the winners of team awards for the 2023-24.

First-team All-American and Hobey Baker Award Winner Macklin Celebrini was named George V. Brown Most Valuable Player and also received the Ed Carpenter Award as the team’s top point-scorer with 64.

Team Captain Case McCarthy received the Travis Roy Award, presented to the player who best exemplifies who Travis Roy was as a person, someone of great character who is a class citizen and a great teammate.  

Sam Stevens took home the Al Sidd/Unsung Player Award for the second consecutive season. He had a career best 10 goals.

Freshman Shane Lachance received the Bennett McInnis Award for Spirit, which is given to the player who best typifies the spirit of a Boston University hockey player both on and off the ice. He had a 13-14-27 line in 40 games.

Luke Tuch, who set career marks in goals (10), assists (20) and points (30) earned the Iron Terrier Award as the player who most exemplifies character, strength, dedication and discipline in the weight room and off-ice training.

Freshman Jack Harvey garnered the Most Improved Player Award. After making just starts through January, he earned a top six spot and finished with 15 points.

● GoTerriers.com report

Cade Webber also has been announced as the inaugural winner of Hockey East Academic Champion Award. The four-year Terrier defenseman who was named the 2023-24 E. Ray Speare Award as the top male scholar-athlete at BU and also twice earned Scholar All-America accolades from the AHCA, completed his undergraduate degree from Questrom School of Business in three seasons and pursued a master’s degree as a senior.

This past season, Webber set an NCAA record for most blocked shots with 133, averaging 3.5 per game, and earned Hockey East’s Top Defensive Defenseman award. He signed a two-year entry-level contract with Toronto.

● GoTerriers.com Webber Named Hockey East Academic Champion

● HockeyEastOnline Inaugural Academic Champions

Looking back 

Three former Terriers have signed contracts with the Florida Panthers' AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers: Nick Zabaneh, Jay O'Brien and Jamie Armstrong. Zabaneh had a career best 16 points last season (8G,8A). Armstrong spent a PG season at BC after four years at BU. O'Brien had been signed a year ago by Toronto's AHL team, but an injury kept him off the ice all season. In Charlotte the trio will be reunited with Wilmer Skoog who had 22 goals and nine assists in 49 games with the Checkers last season.

tw-align-center

Happy Birthday to Wilmer Skoog!

Fun Fact: "Voice of Hockey East" @LT__Murray called both Wilmer Skoog's First and Last Skoogs as a Terrier pic.twitter.com/b6dDhg1N8O

— BU Hockey Stats (@BUHockeyStats) July 17, 2024

Looking ahead

Beginning August 1, 2008 birth dates can make college commitments. BU can be expected to be in pursuit of high end prospects. A year ago, BU gained early commitments from three top NTDP U17 players, forwards Conrad Fondrk and Jack Murtagh and defenseman Charlie Trethewey, along with Youngstown forward Zach Morin—all highly touted prospects.

Puck Preps reported that 5-star recruit Tynan Lawrence from New Brunswick has made visits to BU, BC and North Dakota. He is PuckPreps’ #12 N. American skater in the 2008 class. College Puck NXT listed BU as among potential suitors for Nobles prep forward David Bosco and NTDP defenseman Sam Wathier.

Defenseman Sascha Boumedienne, a 2007 who also played for Youngstown last season and who has accelerated to join this season’s freshman class, has been mentioned on several top 10 and top 20 projections for the 2025 NHL Draft. The 6'2" right-shot defenseman, who earned USHL All-Rookie first team honors, has been invited to Sweden's selection camp for next month's Hlinka-Gretzky Tournament set for Edmonton.

● TheHockeyWriters Way Too Early Rankings for 2025 Draft