Monday, April 21, 2025

More pro debuts; Cole Hutson to return; Willander returns to Sweden; Pridham powers Kitchener

 Philadelphia Flyer Devin Kaplan is the 100th Terrier to play in the NHL.  

Junior assistant captain Devin Kaplan, who signed a three-year entry level contract with the Flyers, made his NHL debut on Thursday, skating 12:12 in ice time in 16 shifts. Before the puck dropped, the 100th Terrier to reach the NHL took his solo skate. Philadelphia dropped a 5-4 decision to Buffalo.  

● Flyers sign Devlin Kaplan to Entry-Level Contract 

Co-captain Shane Lachance, who signed a two-year entry deal with the Devils last week, found the scoresheet in his first AHL game with the Utica Comets, appropriately on a tip-in goal.     


Vancouver Canucks' expectations that Tom Willander would sign an ELC and play for its AHL Abbottsford farm team in the playoffs have hit a snag or worse. Reports indicate that the 11th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft has finished his course work at BU and returned to Sweden where he'll join the national team that will play in IIHF World Championships next month. 

The Athletic reported that the major stumbling block in negotiations has been "Schedule A" bonuses that can be added to an entry level contract. 

● Yahoo Sports Canucks Prospect Willander Headed To Sweden To Join National Team Ahead Of The 2025 IIHF World Championship

Senior goalie Matthieu Caron has been signed to an Amateur Tryout Contract (ATO) by the Florida Everblades, the ECHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues.

● FloridaEverblades.com report          

  
Photo credit Matt Woolverton

►The Washington Capitals will have to wait another year for their 2024 Entry Draft second-round draft pick as Cole Hutson announced he'll return to Agganis Way for a second season. Previously named HCI National Rookie of the Year, Hutson also was named Rookie of the Month for April, with Cole Eiserman named as a runner-up.

● NCAA.com Looking back at college hockey's top rookies in 2024-25 (Hutson and  Eiserman) 

● HockeyEastOnline report    

Looking ahead 

On Thursday, 2025 recruit Jack Pridham scored his fourth playoff goal, added an assist and was +3 in Kitchener's 5-2 win against Windsor.  The 6'2" right wing had 27 goals and 27 assists in 48 regular-season games.

Then, on Sunday, Pridham scored twice--the first on a penalty shot--in 4-0 win over Windsor that forces a game seven in their playoff series. 

Looking back

Former two-time All-American Matt Grzelcyk completed his season with a career best 40 points (G, 39A), which led all Penguins defensemen.  

Women's Team        

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Thursday, April 17, 2025

Hutson ties rookie record; Fensore's debut; Monthly Awards; Roster projections


In Montreal's final regular-season game, a 4-2 win against Carolina, Lane Hutson assisted on the game-winner as the Canadians clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2021. Hutson's 60th assist ties him with Larry Murphy for the NHL record for helpers by a rookie defenseman.  With 66 points, he remains atop the NHL rookie scoring race and is expected to win the Calder Trophy.

The game also marked the NHL debut of 2022-23 Terrier captain Dom Fensore, who was recalled by the 'Canes from the AHL Chicago Wolves while several Carolina players were rested. 

In his second AHL season, Fensore set career highs in goals (9) and points (32) while leading all league d-men with three short-handed goals and five short-handed points. He was honored by the Wolves with their 2025 Tim Breslin Unsung Hero Award.     

In the game, Fensore had 17:13 TOI with five shots, two hits and one block--on a Hutson power-play shot.

►A trio of NHL Hall of Fame defensemen--Larry Robinson, Serge Savard and Ray Bourque--offered their thoughts on Hutson's historic rookie season.

“We’re probably spending a lot less time in our own zone because of Hutson,” Savard said during the Canadiens’ 5-4 shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche on March 22, Hutson plus-2 while playing a team-high 28:51.

“He’s probably our best player right now. Look at how good he is with the puck, look at the power play, he’s in full control of the puck, he's not nervous. We haven’t had a player with talent like his in a long time. He does a lot of good things on the ice that not many guys do. He’s an All-Star already, and I think he should win the Calder Trophy. He’s something special.”        

 

 Image

Co-captain Shane Lachance has signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Devils, starting with the 2025-26 season. Lachance will sign an American Hockey League (AHL) Standard Player Contract for the remainder of the 2024-25 season and report to Utica.

 Hockey East Monthly Awards--April

A trio of Terriers claimed Hockey East's final monthly awards. Cole Hutson, who led all NCAA players with 15 points (4G,11A) in March and April and was Most Outstanding Player of the Toledo Regional, was named Player of the Month. 

Rookie of the Month Cole Eiserman scored nine goals in the last eight games, including one in each of the Frozen Four games.  Goaltender of the Month Mikhail Yegorov yielded two or fewer goals in five of his eight starts and made at least 30 saves in five as well, including 37 stops in a 3-2 overtime win over Cornell in the NCAA Toledo Regional final.  

● HockeyEastOnline Final Monthly Accolades Awarded

Looking ahead
With five forwards (Ryan Greene, Quinn Hutson, Devin Kaplan, Shane Lachance and Matt Copponi) moving to the pros, two additions from the portal and three portal departures, our friend BurntBoats has posted new Future Roster Projections.  A few more additions--a forward, a third goalie, perhaps another defenseman--are likely before next season's roster is set.  

Note that we've now included portal transfers to the list of recruits in the sidebar.
 
 Image
 
After having a goal waived off, 2026 recruit Tynan Lawrence scored twice for Muskegon, but the Lumberjacks fell to Cedar Rapids, 4-3, to even their playoff series at one apiece. 2025 recruit John McNelis had opened the scoring for the Rough Riders with a power-play goal.       

Lawrence second goal

  

McNelis goal
 
 
2026 recruit Egor Shilov scored a power-play goal and added an assist but Green Bay fell to Madison, 5-3, in a first-round playoff game. The 6’1” center from Russia joined the Gamblers midway through the season and posted an 11-17-28 scoring line in 39 games.

Looking back  

Dante Fabbro’s eighth goal was the game-winner in Columbus’ 3-0 win against the Flyers.          
Clayton Keller’s 30th goal was Utah’s only tally in a 6-1 loss to St. Louis. He increased his career-best point total to 90.  

Jack Eichel scored his 28th goal in Vegas' 4-1 win against Vancouver.  He has a career-best 94 points.

Women's Team     

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Tuesday, April 15, 2025

McLaughlin commits to BU out of the portal; Greene, Hutson make NHL debuts

 Owen McLaughlin - Men's Hockey - University of North Dakota Athletics 

                    Photo credit UND Athletics 

BU received its second commitment from the transfer portal and once again it's a North Dakota forward, junior Owen McLaughlin, according to the College Hockey News Portal Tracker. The 6'0", 178 lbs. left wing/center from Phoenixville, Pa., will have one year of eligibility remaining.  Earlier this month, the Fighting Hawks' leading scorer, center Sasha Boisvert, committed to BU.

A sixth round draft pick by his hometown Philadelphia Flyers in 2021, McLaughlin was recently described by Dobber Prospects as a "Dynamic point producer with middle-six [NHL] potential if he can add muscle, improve his skating ability, and continue to develop his overall game."

This past season, playing left wing, frequently on a line with Boisvert, as well as at center, he was second in scoring for the Fighting Hawks with a 5-25-30 line. Three of his assists came in UND's series against BU. McLaughlin also was second in scoring  as a sophomore with 39 points on 13 goals and 26 assists. 

In three seasons in Grand Forks, he's played 114 collegiate games, providing the Terriers with some needed experience for what is certain to again be one of the youngest D1 squads next season.

  

Prior to arriving in Grand Forks, McLaughlin led USHL Sioux City in scoring with a 28-44-72 line in 72 games, earning third-team all-star honors and powering the Musketeers to the Clark Cup Championship.

McLaughlin is no stranger to New England having spent 2020-21 with the Mount St. Charles 18U AAA squad and leading them in scoring with 16 goals and 38 assists in 33 games. He also made seven starts with the NTDP U18s.
 
Previously, he played prep hockey for The Hill School while also skating for the Valley Forge Minutemen junior organization for several seasons.
 
NeutralZone's draft year profile of McLaughlin:
He plays with pace and is effective on the line rush. Smooth hands and carries well with speed. Distributes well on zone entries and quickly identifies the correct passing option. Is creative and patient and will let plays develop. Doesn’t force reads through the neutral zone or cross-ice. Puts the puck into space for teammates and rarely handcuffs them with tough passes. He has slick hands and is tough to separate from the puck. He makes plays in tight spaces and has touch on his passing. He is a possession forward that likes the puck on his stick off-the-cycle to either distribute or snap pucks on net. Seamless catch and release and shoots to corners and for rebounds. Defenders are always aware when he is on the ice and he will draw one or two defenders to him before finding an open teammate.

 ● Elite Prospects Page 

 ● UND Bio 

► Sophomore Doug Grimes is now in the Transfer Portal, joining Jack Page and Alexander Zetterberg.   

Polls

Terriers finished at #2 in both the USCHO Division 1 poll and the USA Hockey/The Rink Inside Division 1 poll. BU had been ranked #3 in USCHO's pre-season poll, behind Denver and BC.

NHL Debuts/Looking back

Ryan Greene, who signed a three-year contract with the Blackhawks Sunday,  became the 97th Terrier to play in the NHL, skating on Chicago's third line in a 4-3 shootout win over Montreal. He had 12:55 of ice time on 20 shifts. 

Lane Hutson recorded his 59th assist in the third period and has drawn within one of tying Larry Murphy’s all-time record for rookie defensemen.  His 65 points are a new franchise record for points by a first-year blueliner.

Quinn Hutson, made his debut Monday night after signing an ELC with Oilers. Hutson, who skated on the third line with Adam Henrique and Corey Perry, is the 98th Terrier to play in the NHL.  He logged 14:27 of ice time in a 5-0 loss to Los Angeles.

Utah Hockey Club captain Clayton Keller scored his 28th and 29th goals and added two helpers in a 7-3 rout of Nashville. His 85 points are one shy of his career best of 86, set in 2022-23.  

Macklin Celebrini's 25th goal was the Sharks' only tally in a 2-1 loss to Vancouver.  With 63 points, he's second in the NHL rookie scoring race, two points behind Lane Hutson.

Looking ahead (maybe)

Congratulation to Jay Pandolfo's son, Sam, and Freddy Meyer's son, Carter, who have been rostered for the 2025-26 NTDP U17s, along with their Rivers School linemate Finn Sears.  

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Monday, April 14, 2025

UPDATED: Frozen Four aftermath: disappointment, departures and NHL debuts


          Photo credit Annika Morris


After the merciful final buzzer, sophomore captain Shane Lachance was the first to hop over the boards, headed straight for the freshman goalie Mikhail Yegorov. He wrapped an arm around the 18-year-old Russian, who rested his helmet on the shoulder of his fellow New Jersey Devils prospect. It was probably the first time in the three months since he arrived at BU that the infectious Yegorov, who all weekend had giddily explained to a constant stream of adoring reporters that “goaltending is all about love,” couldn’t find something to smile about.
 
Senior goalie Mathieu Caron was next to console Yegorov. Caron was the one who sat motionless in his net at the Frozen Four last season after Denver ended BU’s run, and he was supposed to be the one who was mobbed after a national title on Saturday, until Yegorov parachuted onto Comm. Ave in January and immediately took his spot. Later, outside BU’s locker room as the Terriers were packing up, Caron would admit their relationship started off “competitive,” but said “once things kinda settled in, he’s probably the guy I spend most time with.”
 
“The amount of work that goes into a season of this length is something that no one understands,” Caron said.
 
“To come this far and lose,” he concluded, “is one of the worst feelings you’ll ever feel in hockey.”

The Athletic’s Frozen Four Takeaways summarized this year’s BU achievements and looked to the future:

Another season to build on for Jay Pandolfo
There has been a lot made of BU’s going to the Frozen Four in each of coach Jay Pandolfo’s three seasons behind their bench. After coming up two wins short in 2023 and 2024, the Terriers got a win closer this year. Pandolfo has also won a Beanpot title and a Hockey East championship in those three years.
 
They’re going to lose a good chunk of their nucleus to pro in the coming days, but they’ll have Eiserman, Hutson, Boumedienne, Yegorov and others back next year, their incoming freshman class is expected to include three of the top players at the NTDP (Jack Murtagh, Charlie Trethewey and Conrad Fondrk), they landed Blackhawks first-round pick Sacha Boisvert in the portal, fellow Blackhawks prospect Jack Pridham will join him, and they should again be a top team in Hockey East next year. There could be more recruits from the 2025 class on the way as well.
 
In a separate piece, The Athletic traced how ‘uber talent’ Sascha Boumedienne progressed from a middling start to his college career to re-emerge as a top 2025 NHL Draft prospect.

 “We knew there was going to be growing pains for him, there was going to be no question about that. There is, for any freshman defenseman really, never mind a kid that is 17 years old in Hockey East. But we felt with his skating ability — and we knew we could get him stronger during the season — that he has the ability by the second half to, we thought, really help us,” Pandolfo said. “And it has played out that way.”


Polls

In the final USCHO Division 1 poll, BU finished second behind national champion Western Michigan. Denver is #3, BC #4, Penn State #5.  Terriers also are #2 in the USA Hockey/The Rink Live poll.   

Heading to the pros
In today’s college hockey with so many drafted players and free agents looking to take the next steps in their careers, departure decisions follow quickly after games end.
 
On Sunday, both Terrier co-captains, Ryan Greene and Shane Lachance, and assistant captain Quinn Hutson signed professional contracts.  
In three seasons as a Terrier, Greene rang up 105 points on 34 goals and 71 assists. 
 
Reporting on the signing, The Athletic points out:  
The Blackhawks drafted Greene, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound center, in the second round in 2022. They envisioned him as a reliable, two-way center who could play in a top-nine role. He’s been that throughout much of his college career, and the Blackhawks believe he might not need any development time in the AHL. They’re penciling him into next season’s lineup.  
Boston University coach Jay Pandolfo thought Greene’s development could lead to that, too. 
“He looks like a pro — his game overall, his details defensively,” Pandolfo said. “He can skate, coming through the neutral zone with speed, attacking with speed, better at protecting pucks. Just all the things that go into making you a good pro, he’s really developed in all those areas in the last three years.    

It is anticipated that Greene will be in the Blackhawks lineup tonight when they take on Lane Hutson and the Montreal Canadians.   


Lachance, originally a sixth-round Edmonton pick in 2021, had his rights acquired just before the trade deadline by the Devils, whose Director of U.S. Scouting is Shane’s father, Scott Lachance. The 6’5” wing compiled a 25-32-57 scoring line in 80 games as a Terrier.




The Edmonton Oilers have inked undrafted free-agent forward Quinn Hutson to a two-year entry-level contract beginning immediately, enabling him to burn a year off his deal. As a result, Hutson will be a restricted free agent (RFA) after the 2025-26 campaign.
 
TheHockeyWriters.com reported that:
The 23-year-old right-shot, right-winger was in his third season with Boston University, recording 56 goals and 114 points in 117 career games, including 23 goals and 50 points in 38 games this season. He’s a bit undersized at 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, but he plays with pace, has a good shot, and is an excellent passer.
 
Hutson arrived in Edmonton and will make his NHL debut tonight against the Kings. In the video contained in the Oilers' press release, he talks about a flight scare getting to Edmonton and some advice received from brother Lane. 
 
It was widely believed that sophomore Tom Willander, a 2023 first-round draft pick of the Canucks, would be signing with Vancouver immediately after the Frozen Four, but that has yet to happen.    

►Three Terriers have entered the transfer portal: senior Jack Page, sophomore Doug Grimes and freshman Alexander Zetterberg. 

 

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