It was supposed to end differently for the Boston University men’s hockey team last year.
After a historic season where they were one clean save away from a National Championship against Providence College in 2015, the Terriers entered the 2015-16 season as heavy favorites to win it all, ranking third in the USCHO preseason poll with six first-place votes.
Unfortunately, last season didn’t have the ending that BU head coach David Quinn and his team were looking for. The Terriers barely squeaked by the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the first round of the Hockey East Tournament before being swept by the University of Massachusetts Lowell in the second round. BU was then knocked out of the first round of the NCAA tournament by a score of 7-2.
According to senior defenseman Doyle Somerby, the captain of this year’s squad, last year’s Terriers never reached their peak.
“I don’t think we really got as good as we could have over the year, and that’s something we really need to do this year,” Somerby said. “With the players that we’ve brought in combined with the players we have coming back, we’re going to have a lot of skill, we’re going to be decent. I think it’s something that will push us to get better every day.”
This go-around, the Terriers are again projected to be one of the top teams in the nation, ranking fourth in the USCHO preseason poll. However, there’s plenty more to look forward to this year, thanks to a crop of promising freshmen.
Quinn and his staff successfully pulled in one of the best recruiting classes in all of college hockey. Clayton Keller and Kieffer Bellows, two first-round NHL draft picks this year, will contribute immediately at the forward position. Fellow first-rounder Dante Fabbro figures to earn some valuable time on the blue line, and 17-year-old goaltender Jake Oettinger will get his chance to lock up the starting job in net.
Junior forward and assistant captain Nikolas Olsson said he is looking forward to playing with the nine freshmen, which also include defenseman Chad Krys and forwards Patrick Harper, Johnny McDermott, Gabriel Chabot and Patrick Curry.
“I’m excited, because it’s a lot of new talent and they’re all really hungry, really eager to get the season started,” Olsson said. “You can just feel their excitement just to get on the ice and get going.”
There’s no denying that the star-studded freshman group will play an important role with the team this season, but Quinn said it’s important for the freshmen to stay grounded and focused on improving their game. He said he believes the team’s three seniors will help in that regard.
“Our seniors have seen a little bit of everything,” Quinn said. “From our first year where we won 10 games, to losing in the National Championship game our second year, and then last year having a solid year, but not a great year. I think all of those experiences will help them in keeping our freshmen single-minded and focused and understanding that no matter what people are saying outside of these walls, you’ve got to go out and play hockey.”
On the offensive end, assistant captains Olsson and Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson will anchor a stacked forward group, consisting of sophomores Jordan Greenway and Bobo Carpenter, Keller and Bellows.
The Terriers averaged 3.18 goals per game last season, fourth-best in Hockey East. That ranking will likely improve, especially with the sophomore Forsbacka-Karlsson likely returning to the top lines.
“[He] obviously is a guy who was on the All-Rookie Team last year and is a high-profile guy who’s mature beyond his years,” Quinn said. “We’re really anticipating him making the next step as an all-around player. I think we’ll be a little bit deeper this year, which will allow him maybe to free up a little bit. Certainly, we’re going to lean on him heavily.”
Not only is BU deep at the forward positions, but the defense is stacked as well. Somerby and Hockey East preseason First-Team selection Charlie McAvoy are expected to start on the blue line, with junior returnees Brandon Hickey, Brien Diffley and John MacLeod ready to battle with newcomers Fabbro and Krys for ice time. There’s always the possibility of sophomore Shane Switzer enjoying a more expansive role, a possibility one can never rule out.
Tough decisions have to be made by Quinn and the coaching staff, but the fourth-year head coach is looking forward to the competition in practice.
“I think the inner competition pushes each guy individually,” Quinn said. “They understand the depth that we have on the blue line. It’s a luxury that we have as coaches, but I also think it’s a luxury for the player because each guy wants to be the best player they can be.
“What I think that will just do is elevate our practices and elevate each guys’ play individually. It’s going to be fun watching these guys continue to work hard and get better daily, and it will be interesting to see who emerges.”
That same inner competition is also expected at the goaltender position. Junior netminder Connor LaCouvee returns after posting an 8-4-4 record in 19 appearances last year. Yet his 2.92 goals-against average ranked just 10th in the conference. That leaves the door open for Oettinger, who posted a 2.38 GAA and .908 save percentage in 37 games with the Under-18 Team in 2015-16.
While it may remain unclear who will be termed the “starter,” Somerby stressed the importance of having both goalies available throughout the grueling season.
“It’s a long year, we’re going to need both of them at certain points,” Somerby said. “It’s just confidence with them, and that function depends on forwards blocking shots and playing physical, and we definitely need to better in the D-zone this year to help them out. It’s just talking and communicating with them and letting them know that we’re there for them whenever they need, picking up the guys if one of them’s not playing well and one is. It’s just doing what’s best for the team.”
There may be a few questions at some positions, but one thing is certain: this is the most talented team Quinn has had at his disposal. Eleven NHL Draft picks are on the roster, and the professional pipeline shows few signs of slowing down in the future
Quinn and his staff can’t help but constantly hear about how good their team is supposed to be with the new additions, but now he’s ready to go out there and prove it.
“The first thing I said to [the freshman] at our first team meeting, I said, ‘You know who people are sick of? You, and I know that because I’m sick and tired of hearing how good we’re going to be,’” Quinn said. “We all had a laugh at it, but they also know there’s some truth to it, and I really like the way we’ve approached the first two weeks of the season.”
The talent is undeniable, but Quinn and the more experienced players know far more goes into a winning season. Last year is the perfect example of a team that fell short of expectations despite having the playmaking to make a deep tourney run. Forsbacka-Karlsson knows it, and is looking forward to starting this season fresh.
“You never want to feel the feeling that you have after you get knocked out like we did last year,” Forsbacka-Karlsson said. “I think it puts a little bit of fuel to the fire, but other than that, it’s another year, another chance.”
Nick is currently writing for the Boston Hockey Blog. In the past, he has served as associate sports editor, and has covered men's and women's cross-country, women's soccer, men's basketball, and men's lacrosse for the Daily Free Press. You can keep track of Nick's exciting life by following him on Twitter at @nikfraz14
