Monday, September 29, 2025

UPDATED Countdown to Puck Drop; Goodbye Pairwise; SNL; Recruits continue to shine; Lachance bedevils Caps

 

There are just 5 days until puck drop on the Terriers' 2025-2026 season.

Tom Poti was a two-year standout defenseman (17-47-63) for the Terriers who went on to a 14-year NHL career. At BU he anchored the blueline on the 1996-97 national runner-up team and then earned first-team All-American honors for the 1998 Hockey East champions. He also won a silver medal at the 1997 World Junior Championships.

Poti signed with Edmonton in 1998, immediately stepping into the Oilers line-up and earning NHL All-Rookie honors at a time when going directly from college to the NHL was extremely rare for a defenseman. He later played for the Rangers and the Capitals and won silver at the 2002 Olympic Games.

preseason usa hockey poll graphic featuring celebration photo of bu men's ice hockey players. BU is #2 

The USA College Hockey Poll, released today, has the Terriers (with four first-place votes) slotted behind defending champion Western Michigan and just ahead of Michigan State, who will visit Agganis on October 17 & 18. The poll has four Hockey East schools in its top 10.

A list ranking NCAA Division I Men\'s College Hockey teams. Western Michigan is listed at number 1, followed by Boston University at number 2, Michigan State at number 3, Denver at number 4, and Penn State at number 5. Additional teams include North Dakota, Minnesota, and others up to St. Thomas at number 20. Logos for AHA, BIG, NCHC, ECAC, and Hockey East are visible at the bottom. 

NCAA Logo, symbol, meaning, history, PNG, brand 

►The NCAA is changing its ranking system for selecting National tournament teams. The RPI/Pairwise system is being replaced with NPI (NCAA Percentage Index). College Hockey News has the details.   


 SNL (Saturday Night Leftovers)

►The Boston Hockey Blog was on hand at Saturday's scrimmage and reported the forward line combinations that were employed and that we might see in early games. Cole Eiserman skated with transfer Sacha Boisvert and freshman Ryder Ritchie. The other portal transfer, Owen McLaughlin, centered Jack Harvey and freshman Conrad Fondrk. 

"Sophomores Kamil Bednarik and Brandon Svoboda, along with freshman Jack Murtagh, showcased impressive defensive prowess as forwards."    

● Boston Hockey Blog Three Takeaways from BU’s Scarlet and White Scrimmage

►Defense pairs were Cole Hutson-Gavin McCarthy, Sascha Boumedienne-Aiden Celebrini, Malte Vass-Charlie Trethewey and Mick Frechette-Carter Amico. Freshman defenseman Kyle Kim took some shifts at forward. 

►Sophomore forward Nick Roukounakis wasn't on the ice and will miss first semester with a broken hand.

 

►At the post-scrimmage reception in the Francis D. Burke Club Room, Coach Jay Pandolfo thanked the fans and asked them to continue to support the team, pointing out that the team's first seven games are at Agganis. He added that he likes the current leadership group--captain McCarthy and assistants Eiserman, Harvey and Hutson--because they all have Frozen Four experience. He also spoke about "getting over the hump" and winning that last game.

►College Hockey News' ranking of freshman classes slots the Terriers at #3 behind Michigan State and North Dakota. CHN had previously ranked BU at #3 in its preseason team rankings.  CHN has Jack Murtagh and Ryder Ritchie on its list of 10 first-year players to watch.  

Looking ahead 

 

               Photo credit Steven Ellis 

►The Daily Faceoff's Steven Ellis has four BU recruits in his top 40 for the 2026 draft: #5 Tynan Lawrence (photo); #27 Caleb Malhotra; #33 Braidy Wassilyn; and #38 Yegor Shilov.

 

►2026 recruit Caleb Malhotra earned first-star honors in Brantford’s 7-2 win over Sudbury. He potted two goals—including the game-winner on a power play—and assisted on three other scores. A 6’2” center from Toronto, he has a 3-5-8 scoring line in three games and is second in the league in scoring. The Puck Preps 5-⭐️ prospect is the son of former NHL center Manny Malhotra.

● OHL Game Highlights  

UPDATE: Malhotra claims OHL Rookie of the Week.

 

Hockey News Windsor wrote: 

And although he just saw Malhotra play for the first time, Mike Dawson who is a highly regarded scout with the Seattle Kraken, came away impressed with the youngster, who is eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft.
“I just saw him for the first time,” Dawson relayed to Hockey News Windsor. “I thought he was excellent. He looks like a first rounder all day to me. It is only one view so I am trying not to get too excited but I really liked what I saw. He is a complete two-way player who seemed to be able to do it all.”

 

2026 recruit Yegor Shilov (#9 in the video) scored a goal, assisted on two others and converted in the shootout as Victoriaville took a 5-4 win over Drummondville.  In four games, the 6’1” center from Tyumen, Russia, has a 2-4-6 scoring line. After splitting last season between the Long Island Gulls (33 goals) and USHL Green Bay (28 points in 39 games), Shilov was the third overall pick in the 2025 QMJHL draft. He is one of four BU 2026 recruits on Elite Prospects’ list of top 30 prospects for the 2026 draft.

2026 recruit Rian Chudzinski, a standout scorer (52 points in 28 games) last season at Dexter Southfield, is off to a strong start in Moncton with three goals in four games plus a shootout winner. He led the Wildcats in preseason with five points.

Shilov and Chudzinski were among the 12 early selections for the QMJHL Top Prospects Game set for October 21.  

2026 recruit Viktor Nörringer’s breakaway goal was the game-winner for Muskegon in a 3-2 win against Green Bay. The 6’4” right wing was a 2024 Nashville fourth-round draft pick and impressed at Predators’ recent development camp.

 

Looking back

Shane Lachance, doing what he does best, cleaned up a rebound at the goalmouth to tie the score for the Devils at 2-2 late in the third. Game went to a shootout with Washington coming up on top. The former BU captain, wearing Jay Pandolfo’s Devils' number 20, is making a bid to stick with New Jersey when the season begins.

Lane Hutson’s second-period goal was the game-winner as the Canadiens doubled up Toronto, 4-2. 

Former Terrier center and assistant captain Brian Collins has joined the NeutralZone scouting team. The Shrewsbury, Mass., native produced 99 points in a four-year BU career before spending several seasons in the ECHL.

Women's Team

Terriers slipped two spots in the USCHO poll following their shootout exhibition win over Concordia. BU opens the regular season this weekend, hosting #3 Minnesota for a pair of games at Walter Brown Arena.

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