7 Boston University players to look out for at the 2025 Beanpot Tournament
The first and second Mondays of February bring the attention of Boston to the world of college hockey; as four NCAA Division I schools from Chestnut Hill, Cambridge, Roxbury, and Allston send their teams to TD Garden to compete in a historic tournament of local bragging rights, the true ‘Battle of Boston’ – the Beanpot.
Across the board, the Beanpot always lends to some of the most exciting games and storylines in all of college hockey – 2025 will be no different. From top ranked teams to future NHL stars, the 2025 Beanpot will once again be a spectacle.
Throughout the whole tournament, one can find highly touted top-tier NHL prospects competing for their chance to hoist the hallowed pot. Let me inform you on Boston University’s NHL prospects, you should certainly go to see standout at the college level before heading off to the pros:
Note: All records and statistics are updated as of Jan. 27.
Boston University: Record – 13-9-1
The Boston University Terriers will look to regain victory in 2025, for the first time since 2022. After losing 2024’s tournament’s championship game versus Northeastern 4-3 in overtime, the Terriers should be hungry. The Terriers have won the most Beanpots, with 31 tournament victories.
Once again, BU is among the one of the top teams in the NCAA, currently, the No. 10 ranked team in the Nation, according to the Pairwise Comparison Rating System and USCHO.com’s Men’s DI Top-20 Ranking Poll (as of Jan. 27, 2025). The Terriers have two first round draft picks. They sent four players to the 2025 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior Championship: Three for the USA and one for Sweden.
Jay Pandolfo’s team will be a serious contender in 2025. Despite losing two of their best players from 2024, Macklin Celebrini and Lane Hutson, the Terriers will still bring one of the strongest rosters to 2025’s Beanpot.
D Tom Willander
Tom Willander, the Vancouver Canucks’ first round selection in the 2023 NHL Draft at No. 11 overall, is probably still developing. I have to imagine that both the Terriers and Canucks would like to see a bit more collegiate production from Willander. At 6-foot-1, he is a slightly undersized defenseman, but he has some offensive skill – he proved that in his freshman year with 25 points, four of those being goals.
That being said, his offensive game has taken a slight step back in his sophomore year (12 points, two goals). He is still a decent collegiate defenseman, but, so far, Willander has left a bit to be desired. Interestingly, he played for Sweden in the 2025 World Juniors and played very well in all seven games – five points, two goals, and was a plus-three.
So, Willander may not be as eye-popping as some other players in the tournament, but he is an interesting player to watch on the Terriers’ blue line. Moreover, any returning Terrier will likely be on a tournament tear, considering their heartbreaking overtime loss in 2024’s championship game.
F Cole Eiserman
Cole Eiserman has been a local star since he was in middle school. He was selected No. 20 overall in the first round of 2024 NHL Draft to the New York Islanders. The Newburyport, Mas., native has met the collegiate expectations that were set for him by many in this area, even before his explosion at Shattuck St. Mary’s.
For those who do not know the Eiserman story, he has long been regarded as one of the top NHL prospects in his age group and one of the best eastern Massachusetts has produced since Jack Eichel. However, he fell in the 2024 NHL Draft, from where he was projected, somewhere between the fifth and 10th overall picks, to where he was selected 20th overall. He reportedly fell due to his defensive ability and consistency in all aspects of the game, but he is still regarded as having some of the best scoring ability in the 2024 draft.
Despite falling, Eiserman has had a very strong season for BU. He has ripped in 14 goals and 21 points in his freshman year with the Terriers. Although he has not produced quite at the level as Macklin Celebrini did for BU in 2024, Eiserman has done a solid job at filling the role left behind by Celebrini as the Terriers’ top goalscorer. Cole also played well in World Juniors, with seven points in six games.
D Cole Hutson
Boston University has a player named Hutson who is a second round draft pick and one of the most electric young defenseman in college hockey – and I’m not talking about Lane. His younger brother, Cole, has replaced his role and made his mark. The younger Hutson was selected No. 43 overall in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft to the Washington Capitals.
The Hutson brothers make Jay Pandolfo look like a recruiting genius: Lane goes to the NHL (I should mention he is now a candidate for NHL Rookie of the Year), his absence leaves a hole on the BU blue line, so Pandolfo puts his brother there in replacement, and he is also a stud.
Cole has followed in his brother’s footsteps perfectly, with 21 points in his freshman season with the Terriers, earning him a nomination for the 2025 Hobey Baker award (awarded to the best player in college hockey). He led the entire field at World Juniors in points (11) and was the No. 1 ranked player in the tournament.
Cole will be a great to watch in 2025’s Beanpot, with his strong footwork, puck control, and facilitation from the point. Frankly, he and Eiserman are the two players I am most excited to watch from this BU squad, and I am certain they will not disappoint.
D Sascha Boumedienne
Boumedienne is undrafted, infact he is currently in his first year of draft eligability, he is projected to be picked between No. 8-57 overall in the 2025 NHL Draft (a first or second round pick). He is the second-youngest player in college hockey – turned 18 just a few weeks ago on Jan. 17 – Boumedienne has a lot of potential to shine in the NCAA.
As a freshman, he has not quite hit his stride offensively in college hockey, with only six points in 23 games, but he is still young and will have time to develop. He has already shown his skill at facilitating the puck from the point at the college level, he is often described as a power-play specialist because of his puck movement; moreover, he was not a goal-scoring threat from the blue line in the USHL, but he was an assist machine, producing 24 in his time in juniors – mind you, he was 16 for half of the year in juniors.
Boumedienne has high upside and is currently projected to go in the first or second round of the 2025 NHL Draft. Some outlets rank him as high as a top-10 pick. He is a 6-foot-2, 183 pound defenseman, so he has good size for his age, and has played much of the year on BU’s second defense pair, to the left of Willander. Obviously, Boumedienne will not shock the word with his offensive skill in the 2025 Beanpot, but watch out for him on the ice, as he holds down the defensive end and turns his defense into offense for the Terriers.
F Ryan Greene
Greene was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft, No. 57 overall. The junior has certainly taken another step in his third year with the Terriers. Over his first two years in college, his statistics go as follows: 2022-23 (Fr.) – 38 games played, nine goals, 31 points (.82 points per game); 2023-24 (So.) – 40 games played, 12 goals, 36 points (.9 points per game). In the 2025 season, he has stood as a staple as BU’s first line center and is second in points among the Terriers with 24 in 23 games (1.04 points per game).
Greene is one of three BU players nominated for the Hobey Baker award, so despite maybe not having the stardom that other names on this list have had from a young age, he has turned into one of the better players in competing in the 2025 Beanpot. He is a shifty player on the ice who has elite puckhandling skills and an imposing 6-foot-2, 192 pound frame that allows him to bring a strong physical presence to the Boston first line.
EliteProspects.com’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide described Greene’s game best: “Puckhandling is the skill through which Greene’s game flows. With an expansive range of motion, frequent changes of direction, and in-motion skill, he’s completed some of the most memorable handling sequences in the draft class. When Greene’s not beating defenders, he’s using those same puck skills to set up teammates.”
The pass first mentality Greene possess allows him to create great opportunities for his teammates and leads him to get many assists (45 in his college career). Look for Greene to create open space for himself on the TD Garden ice, setting up his line mates for highlight reel goals.
F Shane Lachance
Shane Lachance, the 21-year-old Edmonton Oilers 2021 sixth round draft selection at No. 186 overall, is special. There are a few things that makes the Andover, Mass. native stand out: He stands at 6-foot-5, he has some point producing ability (21), but those aren’t what makes him truly special. Lachance’s calling card is his leadership.
This was proven true when he was named the youngest-ever Terriers captain, and first sophomore to earn the ‘C’. A high honor for someone who is only in their second season of college hockey. Lachance makes a difference on the ice as well with his physicality, being both a skilled forward but also a physical presence in the BU lineup. Considering him growing up in the area, along with 2024’s loss, one can be certain that Shane Lachance will be firing on all cylinders and will be the heart of the BU roster in the 2025 Beanpot.
F Quinn Hutson
Quinn, the eldest and only undrafted Hutson brother is 23 years old, so he has aged past NHL Draft eligability (18-20). However, as a junior for the Terriers, he leads BU in points in the 2025 season. Hutson has been a decent forward during his time at BU, but in 2025 he is averaging 1.24 points per game, with a team leading 26 points in the 21 games he has played.
His numbers this season earned him a nomination for the Hobey Baker award. Despite not being drafted, continuing at the pace he is on could lead him to earn an NHL tryout. For those who do not know, all players in college hockey, drafted or not, have to “earn their contract,” same with players in the Canadian Hockey League.
Earning a contract is a complicated process to explain, but what it essentially means is they will play collegiate hockey until they develop enough to show they would be productive at the pro-level – this has been a key reason for players transferring in recent years because players, especially drafted ones, want to prove themselves at higher competition schools (i.e. Hockey East and Big-10 schools).
In the case of Hutson, because he was not drafted by the time he was 20 years old, he automatically becomes an NHL undrafted free agent. This means his performance at BU could lead him to earn an entry-level contract in the ECHL, maybe even the AHL if he’s lucky. A recent example of this is Justin Hryckowian, who was undrafted but played three strong years at Northeastern University, allowing him to earn an AHL contract with the Dallas Stars organization at the end of the 2024 season.
In 2025, Hryckowian has been a point-per-game player in the AHL and was called up to the NHL roster on Dec. 29, playing five games with the Stars. A similar path could be in order for Quinn Hutson given his collegiate play. He should have a massive role in the Terriers’ 2025 Beanpot success if they make a run.
Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Follow him on X @LukeGraham05.