Saturday, January 03, 2026

UPDATED Game Day Exhibition vs. Simon Fraser; U.S. falls in QFs; Olympic Team rosters; Women edge Quinnipiac in Belfast

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 #19 Terriers kick off second semester with an exhibition game against Canada's Simon Fraser University, who is making its second visit to Agganis Arena. Puck drop is at 5 p.m. ET with ESPN+ providing the live stream.

Game preview from our friend, BU Hockey Stats:

The Terriers enter 2026 after a thrilling win to close out Boston (Matthews) Arena on December 13th (4-3). Brandon Svoboda had two goals in the game, including the game winner. After a rough start to the season, BU has won 4 of its last 5. BU will most likely be without the Coles—Eiserman and Hutson, Kamil Bednarik, and Sascha Boumedienne as all four are playing for their countries at the World Juniors.

Simon Fraser has played 8 games vs. NCAA teams this season, losing 7 and recording a shootout win vs. Alaska on November 8th. The Red Leafs are led by forward Walker Erickson, who leads the team with 7 goals and 9 points. Defenseman Tanner Dawkins leads the team in assists with 5.

The last time the teams faced off was January 5th, 2024. Gavin McCarthy scored the only Terriers goal in the 1-1 shootout win for BU. 

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● GoTerriers.com preview, Live Stats, BU All-Access (audio); BU Men's Hockey Twitter  

● Live Stream ESPN+  

World Junior Championship

Team USA's quest for a gold-medal three-peat ended with a 4-3 overtime loss to Finland, reversing the outcome of last year's WJC title game. The U.S. had taken a 2-1 lead on goals by Cole Huston, who returned to action after missing the past two games with an injury, and Cole Eiserman. The Finns stormed back to take a 3-2 lead in the third period before the U.S. tied the game with two minutes left in regulation.

Hutson opened the scoring just 35 seconds into the second period. Kamil Bednarik rushed the puck into the offensive zone and set up Hutson for a rip from the top of the left circle that went in off the post, beating Petteri Rimpimen to the blocker side.   

Finland knotted the score minutes later.  Then, with the U.S. on a power play, Eiserman notched his second tally of the tournament. Hutson skated the puck in from the point, attracting the attention for all four penalty-killers before sending a cross-ice pass to Eiserman in his right-circle office. His one-timer flew over Rimipinen's shoulder on the glove side for a 2-1 lead. 

With his goal and assist, Hutson set new Team USA career records for most WJC points by a defenseman with 15 and most assists by a defenseman with 11. 

A deeply disappointed Hutson, who had led the U.S. in scoring a year ago, addressed the media after the game.    

“I don’t want to really comment too much on what [the injury] was but it wasn’t good, I can tell you that," Hutson said. "I rushed myself back but didn’t do enough to help the team win. I don’t have a gold medal around my neck.

“I could have scored a goal in overtime. Could have done plenty of things better."

● USA Hockey Finland Skates to 4-3 Overtime Victory Against U.S. in World Juniors Quarterfinals

● NHL.com  WJC roundup: U.S. falls to Finland in OT 

● FloHockey.tv recap and analysis 

 

Sweden won its quarterfinal game, doubling up Latvia, 6-3. Sascha Boumedienne gave the Tre Kroner a 3-1 lead early in the middle period with a booming slapshot from just above the right circle.      

Sweden will take on Finland in one semifinal on Sunday while Canada faces Czechia in the other semi. Schedule.

● IIHF.com  Sweden eliminates Latvia

Women's Team

At the Friendship Series in Belfast, Terriers rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie #8 Quinnipiac and then claim victory in the shootout. With the win, BU will face Harvard, a 3-2 overtime winner over #5 Minnesota-Duluth, in today's Belpot championship game. The game, which begins at 2 p.m. ET, can be seen on the Belfast Giants' YouTube Channel.

Sydney Healy, who leads BU in points, scored both goals in regulation and Lilli Welcke provided the shootout winner.

Midway through the second period, Healy fired home the rebound of Kaleigh Quigg's initial shot with Clara Yuhn also assisting.   

BU knotted the score at 11:37 of the third period on a 3-on-2 rush. Healy took a pass from Tessa Demain and fired a shot from the left circle that sailed past the Bobcat netminder's glove. Yuhn recorded the second assist.

Following a scoreless overtime, Welcke scored the only goal in the shootout, while Terrier goalie Mari Pietersen stopped all three Quinnipiac attempts. She finished the game with 36 saves, stopping the last 22 shots she faced. 

● GoTerriers recap and box score 

● Post-game: Coach Tara Watchorn  

● Boston Hockey Blog BU women’s hockey rallies from behind against Quinnipiac, earns a crack at Belpot trophy  

 

Looking back

The United States Olympic Hockey Team was revealed Friday with five Terriers on the 25-man roster. Jack Eichel, Charlie McAvoy and Brady Tkachuk had been named to the squad in June and they're now joined by Clayton Keller and Jake Oettinger.

BU also figures prominently in the team's coaching staff and management. Head coach Mike Sullivan will be assisted by John Hynes and David Quinn, while Chris Drury and Chris Kelleher are part of the management team. 

With Macklin Celebrini named to Team Canada's roster earlier in the week, BU will have six Olympians, the second most in program history behind the seven Terriers selected to Team USA in 1992. 

● GoTerriers.com Five Terriers Named to U.S. Olympic Men's Hockey Team

● NHL.com United States roster for 2026 Winter Olympics includes, Keller, Jones 

● ESPN.com Grading the 2026 Olympic rosters, plus snubs and surprises 

● The Athletic Team USA announces men’s hockey roster for 2026 Olympics: Snubs, surprises and expectations   


►On the heels of being named AHL Rookie of the Month, Quinn Hutson has been recalled to Edmonton.  With 32 points, he leads all AHL rookies and is tied for sixth overall in scoring. Hutson had scored his first NHL goal in an earlier call-up by the Oilers. 

Hutson has three goals and an assist since returning from his first call-up, including a pair of goals in a New Year's Eve Condors' win over Coachella Valley. 

Looking ahead

2026 recruit Tynan Lawrence scored his 10th goal and then tallied the shootout game-winner as Muskegon edged Cedar Rapids, 3-2.  Lawrence has 16 points in 12 games. A top prospect for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, he will participate in the Chipotle All-American Game on January 15.  

2027 recruit Carter Meyer scored his 13th goal in the NTDP U17s' 7-4 loss to Sioux City. He leads the U17s in scoring with 32 points in 31 games.

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Thursday, January 01, 2026

UPDATED: Hutson expected in US lineup; Sweden defeats USA in preliminary round final; Chiclets U focus on BU Hockey; Women to face Quinnipiac in Belfast

 

2026 IIHF World Junior Championship ... 

 ►►Cole Hutson Update   

NHL.com's Mike Morreale reports that Cole Hutson was a full participant at Thursday's practice, manning the point on the top power-play unit.

Hutson was hit in the back of the helmet by a puck during Team USA's second game and was stretchered off the ice. After being checked out at the hospital, he returned to the arena and had been day-to-day since then.

● NHL.com Hutson likely to play for U.S. in World Junior quarterfinals 

IIHF World Junior Championship 

In its final preliminary round game of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championships, Team USA fell to Sweden, 6-3. As a result the U.S. finishes second in Group A and will face Finland, third in Group B, in Friday's quaterfinals. Gametime is 6 p.m. ET for the contest that will air on NHL Network.

Sascha Boumedienne and Sweden, finished atop Group A and will face Latvia on Friday at 2 p.m. ET, also on NHL Network 

2027 recruit Brady Knowling, the youngest player on the U.S. squad, was a surprise starter in goal for Team USA and played the first two periods. He stopped nine of 10 shots in the opening period, with Sweden scoring on a deflection off a U.S. defender's skate. Sweden's special teams dominated the middle period with two power-play goals and a shorthanded tally to take a 5-2 lead. Knowling had 14 saves in the period, finishing with 23 saves on 28 shots. Notre Dame's Nick Kempf played the third period.

Cole Eiserman assisted on Team USA's first goal, which came in the second period.

● IIHF recap and box score 

● USA Hockey Sweden Bests USA, 6-3, In World Juniors Preliminary Round 

● FloHockey.tv recap 

 

►►Earlier in the week USA Hockey's Pete Krupsky sat down with Knowling to talk about coming back from injury, beating the CHL prospects and his mask (and his golden retriever!).  

  

 Men's Team

#19 Terriers return to the ice on Saturday to face Simon Fraser in an exhibition game. Puck drop at Agganis Arena is set for 5 p.m. ET.

►►Barstool Sports' Spittin' Chiclets crew, which features Ryan Whitney, turns its attention to the Terrier men's and women's teams, asking "Is Boston University The Best Road To The Pro's?" [The unbiased answer is "Yes."] Here's their promo for the video:

On This episode of Chiclets University, follow us into the historic BU Locker room and meet some legends of the game. With some of the best NHL Alumni to come out of this school, it was only fitting to tour the facilities with two of hockey's bright young stars, Cole Eiserman and Cole Hutson. This episode is full of NHL Alumni, Gold medal winners, and the staff that make it all happen. This is an episode you won't want to miss.

  

 

Looking ahead  

2026 recruit Caleb Malhotra earned OHL Rookie of the Month honors for December with 16 points in 10 games. The 6'2", 182 lb., center, who captained the CHL all-stars in the recent CHL-USA Prospects Challenge, leads all OHL rookies with an 18-30-48 scoring line in 35 games. He previously won the top rookie award in September.   

● OHL.com Top Performers for December Announced 

Looking back

Macklin Celebrini scored his 22nd goal, added his 40th assist and then tallied the game-winner in the shootout in San Jose's 4-3 win against Minnesota. 


Celebrini's December recap:

 25 points (4th in NHL), 8 goals (t-7th), 17 assists (t-3rd), 1 game-winning goal           1 game-deciding goal. 

Women's Team 

Women's ice hockey on the ice at SSE Arena practice 

Photo credit Eliza Nuestro 

Terriers are in Belfast for the 2026 Friendship Series. They'll face #8 Quinnipiac Friday at SSE Arena in a 2 p.m. ET start. The other tournament semifinal features Harvard and #5 Minnesota Duluth. Details in the reports below.

● GoTerriers.com Terriers to Face #8 Quinnipiac in Opening Round of 2026 Friendship Series 

● BU Hockey Stats International Flair (Week 12 Preview)  


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