The start of a new college hockey season triggers many questions.
The first weekend of the season offered a start to getting some answers regarding teams and players both new and old. The clarity of those will only grow as the month of October rolls along.
It should be an extremely fun season in the Hockey East men’s league, where there is star power galore and a level of parity that remains so consistent from year to year. This year’s race looks wide open.
Here’s one big question that we’re looking at for the 11 Hockey East programs.
Could Boston College be too young?
Second-year coach Greg Brown’s (Southboro, Mass.) Eagles — who got off to a great start with Saturday’s 2-1 overtime win at defending national champion Quinnipiac — possess undeniable talent with former National Team Development Program linemates Will Smith (Lexington, Mass.), Ryan Leonard (Amherst, Mass.) and Gabe Perreault headlining the incoming class. However, so many of the 11 freshmen playing key roles could lead to some early growing pains alongside returnees like star sophomore Cutter Gauthier. The Eagles will also have a new man between the pipes for the third straight year as reigning USHL Goaltender of the Year Jacob Fowler is among three rookies vying for playing time.
NEXT STEPS: Check out Will Smith's development plan at Boston College
What kind of first impression will Macklin Celebrini make for Boston University?
Commonwealth Avenue will be the center of the college hockey universe this season, hosting BC and a star-studded Terriers cast led by Macklin Celebrini, the nation’s youngest player who notched his first career goal and assist in BU’s season-opening, 3-2 overtime win at Bentley. Expectations are high for the 17-year-old — he very well could be the No. 1 overall pick in next June's draft and steps into a prime role for the No. 1-ranked team. Playing with standout playmakers and finishers like sophomores Jeremy Wilmer and Quinn Hutson should make his transition easier.
First overall favourite Macklin Celebrini (#2024NHLDraft) made his NCAA debut last weekend, immediately making a strong impression.
At 5v5:
• 5 scoring chances, 4 scoring chance assists
• 5 pucks brought to the inside in the OZ
• 13 advantages createdHighlights: pic.twitter.com/kYQJX1kaZd
— Lassi Alanen (@lassialanen) October 9, 2023
What’s next for the stars of a veteran Connecticut team?
The Huskies are a top-10 team in the country in terms of total number of returning points. Star sophomore Matthew Wood is one of many familiar faces for coach Mike Cavanaugh (North Andover, Mass.). The former No. 15 overall draft pick paced the group with 35 points last year and lit the lamp twice over this past weekend at Colgate. That’s a good start. Classmate Samu Salminen also scored twice to begin his first full season after missing the start of his freshman year due to a visa issue. Former Vermont standout Andrew Lucas will lead the back end again, playing in front of sophomore Arsenii Sergeev and experienced Clarkson transfer Ethan Haider.
Is Maine poised to be Hockey East’s surprise team?
Though last season ended in a playoff upset, there are numerous reasons why the Black Bears could make an even greater jump from their seventh-place finish in the Hockey East standings as they embark on coach Ben Barr’s third season. There are no questions in goal with the return of Victor Ostman, who is a touted NHL free-agent commodity after playing to a .918 save percentage with five shutouts in his junior year. Also returning is another Hockey East All-Star and the league’s leading goal scorer in Lynden Breen, while first-round draft pick Bradly Nadeau — a Carolina Hurricanes prospect who starred for the BCHL champions the past two years — adds some star power to the program as a freshman.
THE BUZZ IS BACK: Why Maine is poised for a return to Hockey East glory
Where will UMass Lowell's scoring come from?
UMass Lowell has always seemed to find a way to remain in the thick of the conference conversation during Norm Bazin’s coaching tenure, so such a result this season would be no surprise. However, the River Hawks definitely do have some questions that need answering after lone double-digit goal scorer Carl Berglund and the team’s top three producers graduated. Junior Isac Jonsson and senior Ben Meehan (Walpole, Mass.) are two responsible defensemen who can also jump into the play, so their roles will be even more important in front of a goaltending group that includes senior Henry Welsch and UMass transfer Luke Pavicich. Who will be this year’s up-and-coming River Hawks? Time will tell. It usually does.
Can Massachusetts find more consistency?
It was a rare down season for the Minutemen under Greg Carvel, but the coach is hoping that internal development and four graduate transfers can help to provide a larger physical presence and some added scoring touch to what is still a younger team. A pair of former Ivy League captains have joined the fold in Princeton’s Liam Gorman (Arlington, Mass.) and Brown’s Samuli Niinisaari. Offensively, last year’s club didn’t see one player put up double-digit goals — a mark that Gorman reached on his way to a 22-point senior season. The return of junior Scott Morrow (Darien, Conn.) on defense helps in both of the aforementioned areas; he and sophomore Kenny Connors each scored nine goals a year ago.
Will Merrimack return to its two-goalie system?
It will be interesting to see whether the Linus Ullmark/Jeremy Swayman-like goaltending duo of senior Zachary Borgiel and junior Hugo Ollas returns for the Warriors, or if one can run away with the position unlike last season. Ollas ended up playing in one more game and earning shutouts in five of his 10 wins, while Borgiel finished with 13 victories after a second-half run and started Merrimack’s first NCAA tournament game since 2011. Coach Scott Borek (Swampscott, Mass.) has nothing but confidence in both stoppers, and it will be no different throughout a lineup returning stars like Alex Jefferies (Lunenburg, Mass.) and Matt Copponi (Mansfield, Mass.) up front.
Can previous underclassmen take the next step for New Hampshire?
Answering this question will go a long way as the Wildcats endeavor to make a move up the Hockey East standings after relying on many freshmen and sophomores last season. The club returns two of its three top scorers in Liam Devlin (Needham, Mass.) — who posted a team-high 24 points — and now-sophomore Cy LeClerc (Brentwood, N.H.). If either has an even higher level, that will bode well for success. Junior Colton Huard will be the anchor on defense after Damien Carfagna transferred to Ohio State following his rookie year. UNH will seek for more stable play in net, where only touted sophomore Tyler Muszelik is returning.
LATEST MAGAZINE: Check out our college hockey preview issue
How does Northeastern approach life without Levi?
Replacing a two-time All-American and Mike Richter Award winner in Devon Levi can’t be easy, but it seems as though the Huskies will be moving forward with freshman Cameron Whitehead carrying the load as Levi did for the last two years before vaulting right to the NHL with Buffalo last spring. Whitehead was a third-team All-USHL netminder with the Lincoln Stars last year and looks to be a polished option for coach Jerry Keefe’s (Billerica, Mass.) squad. Yale grad Connor Hopkins (Malden, Mass.) joins the depth chart, too. The defensive unit led by sophomore Hunter McDonald has gained multiple veteran transfers, including a standout from the opening weekend in Princeton grad Pito Walton.
What can Providence's goalie do for an encore?
The Friars aren’t unlike the rest of Hockey East in using the transfer market to replace their departing top three scorers. Can goaltender Philip Svedeback continue his strong second-half run from last season and take another step in his game? The Bruins prospect finished his rookie year with a .909 save percentage and 2.18 GAA, going 4-2-1 over his last seven starts including a run to a TD Garden playoff appearance. Svedeback should be better for going through the pains of being a freshman goalie against high-caliber competition. As for the aforementioned transfers, UMass grad Cal Kiefiuk should be a key cog up front for a team that will look to build upon earning a season-opening win at Michigan.
How will the Wiedler era begin at Vermont?
It was a tumultuous offseason at Vermont, where Steve Wiedler became interim head coach after Todd Woodcroft was fired in July for sending inappropriate text messages to a student. The program was dealt another blow when coveted recruit Alex Bump flipped his commitment to Western Michigan. The Catamounts have maintained continuity with 15-point scorers Andrei Buyalsky and Isak Walther and key defenseman Joel Maatta returning to a team that will look to increase its win total for a third straight year and earned a first-round playoff victory last season. Additions like Northeastern grad Jeremie Bucheler came as a transfer and should provide great leadership.
