July 9 — There’s going to be quite a void when the Boston University hockey team takes the ice at the Fleet Center on Causeway Street this year, not to mention Walter Brown Arena on Babcock Street.
Junior-to-be Justin Maiser, a winger for the Terriers, announced Wednesday he is leaving school with two years of eligibility remaining to sign with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League.
“It’s a real tough decision that I’ve been thinking about for a while,” Maiser said. “I had my gut feeling that I wanted to leave.”
Maiser scored 23 points, including 12 goals this year, placing sixth on the team in scoring.
During his time in scarlet and white, Maiser made quite a mark in the team’s games at the FleetCenter, both for the Beanpot and the Hockey East playoffs. In his freshman season, Maiser earned MVP honors at the Beanpot after scoring two goals, including the game-winner in the championship game against Northeastern University.
This season, he added a goal in the Beanpot and then topped it all with a hat trick, including the overtime game-winner, against Boston College in the Hockey East semifinals.
“It’s just more of a career move,” Maiser said. “I’ve had two good years at BU, I’m just hoping to get some more development.
“I haven’t improved that much I don’t think.”
Maiser will have a different challenge in the Western Hockey League, a system that has been the traditional breeding ground for NHL-players.
“I think [the league] is a little higher level than college hockey,” Maiser said.
Maiser said the move disappointed BU coach Jack Parker, long a proponent of players staying in college until they are ready to step right in to the National Hockey League.
Parker has seen other players leave Commonwealth Ave. early, including goalie Rick DiPietro in 2000 and forward Dan Cavanaugh in 2001.
Maiser arrived at BU with much fanfare in a highly regarded recruiting class, but struggled at times to stay consistent and out of the penalty box. But problems aside, he showed in two years that he was a big-game player, a quality that will be missed when February and March roll around.
The Edina, Minn. native said that the toughest part of the decision comes because of the guys he leaves behind.
“I’ve made some great friends and I’ll continue to stay in touch with them,” Maiser said. “Leaving my friends behind is probably [the toughest thing about leaving school].”
While Maiser may keep in contact with his teammates, he won’t spend too much of his time reminiscing. He’ll be looking in a different direction.
“I’m gonna miss [The Beanpot] a little bit, but its something I’ve done and participated in,” Maiser said. “I’m gonna hope BU wins it again, keeps the tradition going, but you’re asking me to look back, but I think I have more to look forward too.”
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
