The 2020-21 Hockey East season is primed to be unique and different than any before it.
The league’s 37th season will face challenges due to the coronavirus. However, all 11 Hockey East teams are planning on playing, which is more than can be said about a couple other college hockey conferences, including ECAC Hockey.
In four of the past five seasons, Boston College has won or shared the league’s regular-season title. This season looks to continue that trend, as the Eagles are loaded with talent up front and boasts the league’s best goaltender.
Merrimack, Maine and Vermont might be the three league teams that will fall short of making the playoffs. In between them and the preseason favorite will be a heck of a race for seeding in the playoffs and wins in the quest to impress the committee ahead of the 2021 NCAA tournament.
Below are my picks for how the 2020-21 Hockey East standings will shake out:
1. Boston College
The surest thing in Hockey East this season is that Boston College will finish first in the Hockey East standings. The Eagles have all the places in place to win the league and make a run at the Frozen Four and possibly a national championship.
Sophomore Spencer Knight is one of the best goaltenders in the country. The Darien, Conn., native returns after posting a .931 save percentage as a freshman. He’ll keep the Eagles in every game. When Knight is away at the World Junior Championship, freshman Henry Wilder will get the nod. The Needham, Mass., native comes to BC after a stellar prep career at Hotchkiss.
The offense is loaded with star-studded returners that include sophomores Alex Newhook and Matthew Boldy and senior Logan Hutsko. That trio should provide plenty of offensive punch. Junior captain Marc McLaughlin and sophomore Mike Hardman are a couple of big, strong forwards who bring intangibles. Three freshmen forwards — Colby Ambrosio, Trevor Kuntar and Nikita Nesterenko — come in as NHL draft picks.
If there is a weak link to the 2020-21 BC hockey team, it is on the blue line. It is young in school year and age. I don’t doubt that the defensive group can skate well and move pucks, but BC lacks a true shutdown defender. Freshman Eamon Powell and sophomore Drew Helleson and Marshall Warren are the headliners. Rookie Tim Lovell will be an intriguing player to watch as he tries to break into the lineup as an undersized, offensive defenseman.
2. UMass
When thinking of how far this UMass program has come under the leadership of Greg Carvel and his staff, consider that the Minutemen lost Hobey Baker Award winner Cale Makar after 2018-19 and the country’s leading scorer in John Leonard following last season.
Makar, Leonard, Mitchell Chaffee and Mario Ferraro all departed early within two offseasons. That would decimate many programs, but the Minutemen appear poised to finish in the top four of Hockey East again.
This year’s team is designed around a good defense and solid goaltending. Leading the way on the blue line is New York Rangers pick Zac Jones, a sophomore who scored 23 points as a freshman in 2019-20. Jones’ mobility and ability to exit his own zone and enter the offensive zone are key assets. Juniors Marc Del Gaizo and Ty Farmer and sophomore Matt Kessell are also puck-moving threats with offensive capability. Freshman Aaron Bohlinger is a defenseman made out of similar mold. Junior Colin Felix and freshman Linden Alger provide some size and physicality to the back end.
The Minutemen boast arguably the nation’s best goaltending tandem in senior Matt Murray and junior Filip Lindberg, a Minnesota Wild pick. They likely will split minutes during the regular season before the coaching staff picks a go-to guy for the postseason. There’s no getting around the fact that the offense will feel the loss of Leonard and Chaffee. Still, there’s enough talent and grit in Amherst for this team to win plenty of hockey games. That’s personified by junior Bobby Trivigno, who can score while also playing hard. Senior Oliver Chau and sophomores Cal Kiefiuk and Reed Lebster are returners who the coaching staff will look to in a greater role this season.
Three freshman forwards come to UMass after successful stints in the USHL. The most highly regarded rookie forward is Oliver MacDonald, but Ryan Sullivan and Josh Lopina are solid players. Grad transfer Carson Gicewicz (St. Lawrence) is a new face who should add an offensive jolt.
3. UMass Lowell
Last year’s youthful team has made way for plenty of optimism in the Mill City entering the 2020-21 season. UMass Lowell’s three leading scorers in 2019-20 were freshmen who are now sophomores.
The biggest question mark for much of the preseason was who would replace New York Rangers prospect Tyler Wall in net. That has been answered in the form of Owen Savory, who has transferred to Lowell following RPI cancelling its season.
He’ll likely not be eligible until the second semester, but that should mean missing only three games. Savory had a career .929 save percentage through his first two college seasons with the Engineers. Providing backup for Savory will be Winnipeg Jets draft pick Logan Neaton and freshman Henry Welsch. What once looked like a question mark could turn into a strength.
Whoever takes the reins in net for UML will be complemented by a good defense. Leading the way for the River Hawks on the blue line are juniors Chase Blackmun, Jon McDonald and Seth Barton. Los Angeles Kings pick Ben Meehan and Brehdan Engum are freshman blueliners who should play right away.
Lowell’s three leading scorers from last year are Matt Brown, Carl Berglund and Andre Lee. Connor Sodergren and Charlie Levesque will provide senior leadership. Alabama-Huntsville transfer Josh Latta and freshmen Matt Allen and Nik Armstrong-Kingkade are three new faces to watch.
Good goaltending and defense go a long way in hockey. Lowell now has both. Norm Bazin’s team should be a formidable foe en route to earning home ice.
4. Northeastern
There will be plenty of unfamiliar names to college hockey fans when Northeastern hits the ice this winter. However, Jim Madigan and his coaching staff have brought in a terrific class of freshmen who are household names to those who follow junior hockey.
The most important freshman isn’t necessarily the one with the most pro upside. Goaltender Devon Levi comes to Northeastern via Carleton Place in the CCHL. The Florida Panthers prospect should instantly upgrade the Huskies goaltending after a year of uncertainty following Cayden Primeau’s early exit for the pros after the 2018-19 season. The only question is how many games Levi will miss early in the season, due to attending Hockey Canada’s pre-tournament camp for world juniors.
Northeastern lost leading scorer Tyler Madden, who signed with the Los Angeles Kings after his sophomore year, and big winger Matt Filipe, who is now in the Bruins organization. Madden’s loss is obviously a difficult one to overcome, but NU has brought in quite a group to make Huskies fans forget about the former Beanpot hero.
Second-round pick Sam Colangelo, a Stoneham, Mass., native, is the top addition up front. His goal-scoring touch and offensive vision should bolster the Huskies offense right away. Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, Dylan Jackson and Ty Jackson are also key freshman forwards.
The quartet of freshmen are joining a forward grouping that has some pieces in place. Sophomore Aidan McDonough and senior Zach Solow are the top threats among returners. Sophomores TJ Walsh and Riley Hughes are two once-heralded prep players who could finally hit their stride at the collegiate level.
On defense, the NU blue line is led by junior Jordan Harris and sophomore Jayden Struble. Both are local products and draft picks of the Montreal Canadiens. The duo will log a ton of minutes. Michael Kesselring, Julian Kislin, Jeremie Boucheler and Tyler Spott will vie for the next biggest role on the NU blue line.
There’s a ton of talent on this Northeastern team. Youth and a lack of depth on the blue line are two concerns that I just couldn’t get over. Still, I think this team will score goals and Levi will be a difference maker.
5. Providence
The Friars are a tough team to gauge entering the 2020-21 season. Nate Leaman is looking for a new goaltender to step up, and gone is last year’s leading scorer, Jack Dugan.
Dugan, now with the Vegas Golden Knights organization, was a terrific offensive player but he didn’t always play the Friar way. His absence could be a blessing in disguise.
Providence’s offense will be led by junior Tyce Thompson, a New Jersey Devils pick. Senior Greg Printz and sophomores Patrick Moynihan and Parker Ford will be expected to continue improving. Freshmen Brett Berard and Chase Yoder from the U.S. NTDP will bolster the forward group.
The defense should be a strength of this Providence team. That starts with junior captain Michael Callahan, a Franklin, Mass., native and former Roxbury Latin star. He’s a proven two-way defender at this level. Senior Ben Mirageas and sophomores Max Crozier, Cam McDonald and Luke Johnson will play significant roles. Freshman Uula Ruikka is the only newcomer to the blue line.
Graduate student Michael Lackey is gone, which leaves a void in the net. Senior Gabe Mollot-Hill is the only returning goaltender with legit minutes for the Friars. However, there are two additions to the PC crease who aren’t lacking in experience. Grad transfer Anton Martinson comes in from Alaska-Fairbanks. Jaxson Stauber played for Sioux Falls in the USHL last season after leaving Minnesota State early in the season. He might not be eligible for the first three games, but he’s expected to take over the starting role when he hits the ice.
This Providence team could get back to its identity of playing hard, being responsible and creating offense by playing good, sound defense. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Friars snuck into the top four, but fifth sounds right for now.
6. Boston University
Albie O’Connell is set to begin his third season behind the BU bench as head coach. As usual, he and his assistant coaches have plenty of talent at their disposal, but youth could doom the 2020-21 Terriers.
The top three scoring forwards from a year ago have departed, including Trevor Zegras, who bolted to the Anaheim Ducks following his freshman year. Ethan Phillips, Robert Mastrosimone and Wilmer Skoog will be counted upon to make jumps in their sophomore campaigns. Jake Wise and Matt Quercia are juniors to watch. Logan Cockerill is a two-way forward back for his senior season.
The most notable newcomer is 2018 first-round pick Jay O’Brien. The Hingham, Mass., native and Thayer alum struggled as a freshman at Providence in 2018-19. He spent last year putting up gaudy numbers in the BCHL. If he can regain form at the collegiate level, he could be a big boost for the Terriers. Other additions to the BU forward grouping of note are freshmen Luke Tuch, Dylan Peterson and Nick Zabaneh.
On defense, 2019-20 leading scorer David Farrance surprised a lot of people by returning for his senior season. Farrance and sophomore Domenick Fensore should provide some offensive spark from the blue line while quarterbacking the power play and moving pucks up ice. Sophomores Alex Vlasic and Case McCarthy and freshman Cade Webber provide size to the BU defense.
The goaltending situation should be better this season with the addition of freshman Drew Commesso. The Norwell, Mass., native is a product of the NTDP and a second-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks.
BU fans have gotten used to loaded rosters with NHL picks. This year’s edition has 12 players with NHL logos next to their name on the line chart. Whether all the talent can mesh and come together is another story.
7. Connecticut
The Huskies have been a hard team to predict since their arrival to Hockey East. Just when you count them out, they’ve sometimes made late-season pushes. That included last season, when the Huskies finished fifth for the second time in three seasons.
The 2020-21 Huskies have eight NHL draft picks and certainly could make a push for a spot higher in the standings than seventh. I could see UConn finishing anywhere from fifth to eighth.
The offense is led by juniors Carter Turnbull and Jachym Kondelik and sophomore Vladislav Firstov. The latter two continue UConn’s tradition under head coach Mike Cavanaugh of recruiting well on the other side of the pond. That trio will have to take steps in their game as they look to offset the loss of four of the team’s top seven scorers from 2020-21.
There are a couple of freshman forwards for UConn fans to be excited about. Tampa Bay Lightning pick Nick Capone is a local product who played at Salisbury before heading to the USHL. He’s the first marquee player the Huskies have gotten from the Nutmeg State. He’ll be a fan favorite with the physical element he brings. Shattuck-St. Mary’s alum Artem Shlaine is young, but he’s a draft pick who decommitted from BU to begin playing for the Huskies this season.
The defense is led by sophomore and Calgary Flames pick Yan Kuznetsov. Classmates Carter Berger, Harrison Rees and Jake Flynn and senior Adam Karashik are other returners of note on the UConn blue line. The group’s top newcomer is John Spetz out of the USHL’s Chicago Steel.
The goaltending duties fall on the lap of Nashville Predators pick Tomas Vomacka. The big Czech has all the physical tools to be a good goaltender in this league. He just needs to put it all together and be consistent.
If UConn gets that consistent play from Vomacka between the pipes, Cavanaugh’s team could finish higher than seventh.
8. New Hampshire
New Hampshire’s top five scoring forwards are back as Mike Souza begins his third season as head coach at his alma mater. Patrick Grasso and Charlie Kelleher headline that group and should be motivated in their final chance in Durham. Angus Crookshank is coming off a 16-goal sophomore season and Jackson Pierson brings a lot of ability, if he can stay healthy for a full season. Eric MacAdams, Kohei Sato and Filip Engaras are players who could take steps and hit the double-digit goal scoring mark in 2020-21. Carsen Richels, straight out of Minnesota high school hockey, is the newcomer UNH is most excited about heading into the year.
On the blue line, the Wildcats have to replace leading scorer Max Gildon. While the Florida Panthers prospect was extremely talented and jumped into the attack often, his absence could spark the rest of the group to step up and shore up their defense.
Leading the way for the defense is freshman Luke Reid and senior Benton Maass. Both are NHL draft picks and capable of playing well at both ends of the ice. Kalle Eriksson, Will MacKinnon, Ryan Verrier and freshman Nikolai Jenson round out the likely starters.
The goaltending duo of senior Mike Robinson and junior Ty Taylor had plenty of promise upon getting to Durham, but neither option has ever lived up to their billing as NHL picks. Robinson showed some flashes of turning the corner last season. If he, or Taylor, can exceed expectations, the Wildcats could finish higher in the standings than eighth.
The future is bright at UNH, but the Wildcats aren’t where they want to be yet. I wouldn’t be surprised to see New Hampshire finish a couple spots higher, but anything above sixth seems unrealistic.
9. Merrimack
The Warriors are still looking to make the Hockey East playoffs for the first time in the Scott Borek era. Merrimack’s defensive group is reason for optimism, but a lack of scoring punch and questions in goal are cause for skepticism.
Two of their top four scorers are gone, but junior Chase Gresock is back to lead the offense. Jordan Seyfert should help, if he’s back to good health following a season-ending injury last year. There are a couple of newcomers to watch when it comes to producing offensively. Freshman Alex Jefferies is a New York Islanders draft pick out of Gunnery. Filip Forsmark is a player the staff is excited about. He had to sit out last season but will be eligible this year.
The defense is the strength of the team. Sophomore Zach Uens, a Florida Panthers pick, is the name most people know. His skating and puck-moving capabilities are well-noted. Classmate Declan Carlile is back after earning Hockey East All-Rookie Team honors in 2019-20. Three more sophomores — Jacob Modry, Zach Vinnell and Liam Dennison — and senior Patrick Holway, a Red Wings prospect, round out a solid defensive corp.
Goaltending is the biggest question mark. For a second consecutive season, no Merrimack goalie posted a save percentage north of .900 in 2019-20. Freshmen Troy Kobryn and Jere Huhtamaa split time in the net. They’re both back as sophomores with incoming freshman Zach Borgiel looking to unseat them.
Hockey East is a tough league to crack, and there are some league heavyweights just ahead of them. Merrimack should be competitive night in and night out, but the Warriors likely will fall short in the end.
10. Maine
There’s really only one storyline surrounding the preseason in Orono. How will the Black Bears be in the post-Jeremy Swayman era? The Boston Bruins prospect was the most valuable player in college hockey last season. Swayman posted a .939 save percentage in 2019-20 en route to being named the Mike Richter Award winner as college hockey’s top goaltender.
Red Gendron’s team also lost its top two scorers as Mitchell Fossier and Tim Doherty graduated. Eduards Tralmaks has hit double digits in goals in two of his three seasons at Maine. He, along with Adam Dawe, Jacob Schmidt-Svejstrup and freshmen Lynden Breen and Brad Morrissey, will be counted on to be the offensive catalysts.
On the back end, Toronto Maple Leafs pick JD Greenway brings a physical presence. Jakub Sirota and Levi Kleiboer are two other returners of note on the blue line.
Vancouver Canucks pick Matthew Thiessen, a sophomore, and freshman Victor Ostman will fight for the starting goaltending role. Thiessen was highly regarded out of the Manitoba Junor Hockey League but was shaky in a season in the USHL and in one appearance last season. Ostman had a .913 save percentage with the USHL’s Chicago Steel last season but didn’t face much rubber.
No Jeremy Swayman, no go-to scorer, and a lack of depth will keep the Black Bears at the bottom of the Hockey East standings.
11. Vermont
It will be a tough first season for new head coach Todd Woodcroft. The Catamounts return their top six scorers from 2019-20, but none of those players had more than 15 points. Forward Jacques Bouquot and defenseman Andrew Lucas will look to build upon solid freshman seasons in which they led the team statistically.
The biggest question mark entering the season is in the goaltending position. Four-year starter Stefanos Lekkas, who appeared in 134 career games, has departed. Freshman Gabe Carriere out of Waterloo in the USHL is expected to take over the starting goaltending position in Burlington.
The team’s most talented player is a youngster. Seventeen-year-old freshman Dovar Tinling is a projected mid-round pick in the 2021 NHL draft. From Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Tinling doesn’t turn 18 until March. In 50 games in the CCHL with the Hawkesbury Hawks, Tinling scored 21 goals and 30 assists. He also had a solid showing at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge last season, playing for Canada Red.
It might be a long winter in Burlington, but a change was needed. Kevin Sneddon had his share of success at UVM, but a new face leading the school’s flagship program should bolster the performance on the ice at the Gutterson Field House.
