Hockey season is finally here! What gets you most excited for another year at Conte Forum and beyond?
Steve: I’ve been going to these games for most of my life and I just have so many great memories from watching all the different iterations of this team and I can’t wait to make some new ones. This is almost always a fun team to watch even when they’re not elite and I think this is going to be another entertaining season with a lot to enjoy
Curtis: We’ve come along way since the middling late 2010s and early 2020s. Greg Brown and his staff have been putting out a high-quality product on the ice for the past few years now, and I’m excited again to have season tickets and watch new players rise and perform. Should be a great season.
BC was ranked #11 in the national USCHO preseason poll. Too high, too low, or just right?
Steve: I think that feels about right. The exact placement doesn’t really matter all that much in the preseason but I consider BC to be pretty good but probably a step or two below the true contenders and I think being ranked at #11 is a fair representation of that.
Curran: Maybe a tad too high? I think this team will have no issues scoring the puck. The forward lineup is deeper than it has been in years — I don’t think this group will get derailed by one or two untimely injuries. That being said, the big questions marks on the blue line and in net are concerns.
Curtis: Probably accurate, maybe a little high. I would put them somewhere in the 10-20 range. I think Hockey East will be weaker this season and they have a real shot at racking up some conference wins. But if the league struggles out of conference, it could hurt their NPI.
What do you think will be the greatest strength of this BC team?
Steve: This should be an impressive group of forwards for the Eagles. I don’t think there are any superstars on the roster, but it’s a deep group that should be able to throw three lines out there that can score consistently on a nightly basis, especially if some of the freshman come out of the gate strong
Curran: Forward depth. BC has proven contributors up and down the lineup returning in Dean Letourneau, Teddy Stiga, Ryan Conmy, Jake Sondreal, and beyond. Other returners, like Will Moore, are looking to break through They are bringing in some talented freshmen in Alex Pelletier and Matias Vanhanen who can probably contribute in the top six this season. Oliviers Murnieks and the Mutryn brothers will provide jam down the lineup, too.
Curtis: Yeah, it’s pretty clearly the forward group.
Who is your player to watch this season?
Steve: I’m looking at Teddy Stiga to have a big bounce back season and remind us all of just how good of a player he is. He had six goals all of last season and I think he easily doubles that and maybe gets close to 20 this year as long as he stays healthy
Curran: Matias Vanhanen. I fully expect Dean Letourneau to build on his breakout sophomore year, and he will have a lot on his shoulders as the unquestioned 1C of this team. But I’m gonna go with one of the later additions to this team in Vanhanen. By all accounts his vision on the ice is excellent, and I think he will be able to contribute to the top six on opening night.
Curtis: I’m keeping my eyes peeled for sophomore year jumps from Oscar Hemming and Will Moore. Now that they’ve got their bearings in this league, I think they’ll be a lot more comfortable and have a chance to really shine.
What about this team has you most worried for the upcoming season?
Steve: They lost a TON of experience from the blue line with Drew Fortescue, Aram Minnetia, Lukas Gustafsson, and even guys like Mihcael Hagens and Will Skahan all moving on. That’s five players that all played at least 31 games last season that are all gone now. The only returning defensemen from last season are Nolan Joyce, Kristian Kostadinski, and Luka Radivojevic. That’s a lot of new faces they’ll need to get up to speed awfully quickly.
Curran: Defense. Who is going to play first-pair minutes with Luka Radvojevic? Is Luka himself ready for that responsibility? There is not a lot of experience, and too many question marks for my liking.
Curtis: I’m actually not terribly concerned about the goaltender situation. Between Cloutier and Henriquez, I think they’ll get some quality play, though maybe not outstanding. But the blue line in front of them is as shaky as its ever been under Greg Brown.
What’s your hottest take?
Steve: Oscar Hemming leads the team in goals and is first team All Hockey East
Curran: DEAN wins the Hobey.
Curtis: Leo Henriquez is the starting goalie by January
Putting you on the spot: will BC take home at least one trophy this year? (Beanpot, Hockey East regular season, Hockey East tournament, NCAA tournament)
Steve: Yeah why not, they’ll win another Beanpot
Curran: The Eagles win the Beanpot for the second year in a row, catch fire in the second half, and grind their way to the Frozen Four.
Curtis: I’d lean yes. The Beanpot is so random, but I think they stack up just fine against the other schools there. And I’d rank them as a top-3 team in the conference with a real shot to win either trophy.
What are your overall expectations for the season? What would you count as a success?
Steve: It wouldn’t surprise me if we saw very similar season to last year, where the team hangs around the tournament bubble for most of the year but ends up missing out. I think there’s plenty of talent up front, but the questions on defense and in net make me doubt that there’s any kind of deep playoff run in them
Curran: This team absolutely needs to make the NCAA tournament. That is my baseline for success.
Curtis: An NCAA tournament berth is the main indicator of success. I’d also like to see them NOT fall apart late in the season this year. It’s been a rough few years of that.