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BU men’s hockey had a stellar 2024, but ‘we didn’t really raise any trophies.’ That made their Beanpot win even sweeter.
The Terriers got the signature win that eluded them, upsetting No. 1 BC, to capture the program’s 32nd Beanpot title.
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By any measure, last season was a success for the Boston University men’s hockey team, full of milestones and accomplishments.
The 2023-24 Terriers racked up 28 wins, knocked off No. 1 Boston College in the opening round of the Beanpot, and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Shipped to Sioux Falls, S.D., BU avenged its 2022-23 season-ending loss to Minnesota with a 6-3 win over the Golden Gophers to advance to the Frozen Four for the second straight year.
Along the way, freshman Macklin Celebrini piled up 32 goals and 32 assists to become the youngest player to win the Hobey Baker Award, then was the No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft by San Jose two months later
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But for BU, it was the losses that seemingly stood out the most. The Terriers lost the Beanpot final to Northeastern in overtime. They finished second to the Eagles in the Hockey East regular-season standings, then dropped a 6-2 decision to their crosstown rivals in the championship game of the Hockey East tournament.
The season came to an end in St. Paul, Minn., with a 2-1 overtime loss to Denver in the Frozen Four. For all it had achieved, the program felt it had nothing to show for it, something coach Jay Pandolfo acknowledged Sunday when discussing what a win over BC in the championship game of this year’s Beanpot would mean.
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“We didn’t really raise any trophies last year, so I think it’d give our group a lot of confidence moving forward,” said Pandolfo. “If you win this tournament, it can really jump-start a lot of confidence going into the stretch and into the playoffs.”
The Terriers got the signature win that eluded them, upsetting No. 1 BC, 4-1, to capture the program’s 32nd Beanpot title. And it wasn’t just this year’s roster that celebrated when the game was over.
While some NHL players might have taken advantage of the break in the schedule brought on by the 4 Nations Face-Off to head to a warmer climate, Celebrini and Lane Hutson made the rounds at the Garden on Monday night, first appearing in BU’s dressing room to rev up their former teammates by announcing the starting lineup.
“It was awesome,” said Pandolfo. “They came in to talk to the coaches beforehand. They were both so nervous. It was actually really funny to see. They were saying that they were so nervous. And, I mean, you get more nervous when you don’t play. You know, it’s a lot easier when you’re playing.”
The two were later spotted in the balcony, taking turns waving a giant BU flag and whipping BU’s Dog Pound into a frenzy. Both are contenders for the Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s top rookie, with Celebrini and Hutson (Montreal) flourishing.
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“They obviously have this break here, so they’ll be hanging around a little bit with these guys,” said Pandolfo. “It’s fun to have them all back together. Too bad we can’t get those two on the ice, but that’s passed us by.”
The two also were supporting their siblings. Aiden Celebrini is a sophomore defenseman but did not play as he makes his way back from injury. Freshman Cole Hutson is a defenseman and was named tournament MVP after notching three goals and two assists across two games, including the winner in the final. Older brother Quinn Hutson has 16 goals and 17 assists.
They were not the only departed members of last season’s squad in attendance. Former captain Case McCarthy, who signed with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, was on hand to see younger brother Gavin’s empty-netter that sealed the title. Dylan Peterson, who is playing for the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds and scored the deciding goal the last time BU won the Beanpot in 2022, also made the trip.
“These guys care about each other, and they were so happy for the guys after the game, and you love to see that,” said Pandolfo.
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BU (16-10-1) moved up to sixth in the PairWise, the system used to select and seed the field for the NCAA Tournament. The Terriers will look to carry the momentum for the final four weekends of the regular season.
BC (21-5-1) maintained its spot at the top of the rankings. Their winning streak snapped at nine games, the Eagles will be looking for a reset for their final seven games in which they hope to repeat as regular-season champions and earn No. 1 seeds for the conference tournament and NCAA Tournament.
“Hopefully we hit the ice with a lot of intensity and anger on Wednesday, and get ready for the rest of the season,” said BC coach Greg Brown, who referenced the seniors that played in their final Beanpot.
“They wanted it a lot. BU played a little better than us, so you feel bad for those guys, but we can still do some things this season.”
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