5 Northeastern players that could make an impact in 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 Northeastern 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.
Northeastern: Record – 9-11-3
Northeastern is always the wild card of the Beanpot tournament. Having only won nine times, the Huskies have the fewest Beanpot victories. However, they have been to the finals for six straight years and have won five of the last six tournaments, including the past two in 2023 and 2024.
The Huskies have not had the greatest of years so far, losing key games to opponents they were projected to beat. However, the Huskies have competed well at times over the year, most notably, a signature victory over Boston College in December. In the latter half of the season, i.e. after the Christmas break / second collegiate semester, Northeastern has begun hitting a stride, stringing together a few key wins against Hockey East opponents and appear to be building momentum at a key point in the season.
Currently, the Huskies are ranked No. 23 nationally, according to the Pairwise Comparison Rating System; they are ranked outside the top-20 according to USCHO.com’s Men’s DI Top-20 Ranking Poll, but did receive 3 votes towards top-20 placement (as of Jan. 27, 2025).
Head Coach Jerry Keefe is known as one of the top talent evaluators and recruiters in the country. The Huskies lack the top-end, first round talent, but Keefe has a strong ability at identifying and bringing in some of the best of the ‘second-level talent’ in college hockey. Keefe regularly develops lower-level NHL prospects into strong professional players.
Northeastern has no first round picks and sent no players to the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. However, the Huskies do have three candidates within the top-20 for the Hobey Baker award (awarded to the best player in college hockey), according to CollegeHockeyNews.com’s CHIP statistic, all of whom recently received nominations for the award.
They are led by Cam Lund, a top-20 candidate for the Hobey Baker award and has become one of the top scorers in the nation in his junior season; junior defenseman Vincent “Vinny” Borgesi, one of the best skaters and offensive defenseman in Hockey East and leads the NCAA in time on ice; and junior captain Jack Williams, who is among the top-10 in college hockey for points, and has dominated the NCAA with his offensive skill.
F Cameron Lund
Selected in the second round (No. 34 overall) by the San Jose Sharks in the 2022 NHL Draft, the Bridgewater, Mass. has become the star for Northeastern in his junior season. Lund’s skill is undeniable, and it has been on display for much of the season, but at times he can struggle with his puck management and decision-making, which leads to inconsistency on the scoresheet.
Lund is the Huskies’ top prospect and has been considered the team’s star since he was a freshman. Therefore, his game thrives with the puck on his stick. When it works it’s amazing to watch, but it can get him in trouble as well.
However, when Lund’s game is firing on all cylinders, his talent mesmerizing to watch. He is second among Huskies skaters, only behind Jack Williams in points (26), and third in goals (11) behind Williams and Dylan Hryckowian – both tied for first with 12. Lund’s play in his junior season has been a major asset for the Huskies’ scoring, and for stretches of the season, he was one of the few NU players getting regular offensive production.
Lund’s play has earned him a nomination for the 2025 Hobey Baker award – he is currently No. 12 in the rankings for that award, according to CollegeHockeyNews.com’s CHIP statistic. He has the third-highest chance at winning the Hobey Baker out of any player participating in the 2025 Beanpot – BC’s Ryan Leonard is No. 7 and Gabe Perreault is No. 8 in CHIP. The story with Lund is, if he is at his best, his skill, playmaking, and goalscoring ability will be on display. He would be one of the best players in the tournament, but against the stiff competition he will face, he will be once again tested.
Moreover, if the Huskies wish to have a chance in the 2025 Beanpot, they are going to rely on Lund to be at his best.
G Cameron Whitehead
Northeastern hockey goes as he goes. The second-year starter for the Huskies was drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 draft (No. 128 overall) by the Vegas Golden Knights. A confident Whitehead is one of the top goalies in the nation and results in big wins for the Huskies. When he’s off, and he can be really off, the Huskies struggle.
The 21-year-old sophomore is in his second year as the Northeastern starter and, for the second year in a row, he started the year shaky but has begun to compete at a very high level over the last couple of weeks. It is so odd how this goaltender just turns it on in the second half of the season. The difference can be clearly seen over the 10 games, prior to a Jan. 25 loss to Merrimack.
Whitehead’s save percentage in the final five games of 2024 was .863; in the five games to begin 2025, his save percentage has been one of the best in the nation .947 (via Matty Wasserman on X.com), leading to more consistent Husky wins. In his sophomore season overall, Whitehead has a 2.64 goals against average and a .914 save percentage – very similar to last year’s statistics of 2.62/.917. In 2024’s tournament, he performed very well and helped guide the Huskies to victory.
So, as all Northeastern key pieces need to be if they want a chance in this tournament, Whitehead will need to be prepared to go out and stand on his head once again. Mind you, the question is not can he do it, it’s a matter of will he do it? Whitehead has displayed his skill against the best opponents in college hockey and performed well, but if he has an off night, the Huskies have no chance at the threepeat.
D Vincent “Vinny” Borgesi
Borgesi plays a lot of hockey. In fact, he leads the nation in time on ice per game with an average of 27:55 per night. He has made leaps in every year he has been in college hockey, but in 2024-25, he has been the most valuable piece to the Huskies’ blue line.
Borgesi is one of three Northeastern players to be nominated for the Hobey Baker award and is ranked No. 19 in CHIP. Despite being undersized, 5-foot-8, Borgesi takes on the biggest players in the country and imposes himself well. Borgesi is known as one of the best skating defenseman in college hockey, with elite stick skills and passing ability. He has 20 points, 15 of which are assists.
The EliteProspects.com 2024 NHL Draft Prospect Guide described the 20-year-old’s game: “Borgesi already thinks the game at a professional level. With the puck on his stick, he’s skilled, cunning, and decisive, never shy to push the limits of his skill set to make things happen. Well-timed activations keep him constantly involved in the play, and the use of space paired with a series of deceptive maneuvers like look-offs or fakes cuts through opponents and opens up passing lanes.
Despite being undrafted and aging out of draft eligibility, Borgesi has certainly made himself a candidate to earn a professional contract. 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 Borgesi, 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 Northeastern 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, 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 Borgesi, given his collegiate play. He is a fun player to watch, look out for Borgesi’s footwork and stick handling during the Huskies’ 2025 Beanpot run.
F Jack Williams
In his junior year, the undrafted 22-year-old, Husky captain Jack Williams has developed into one of the top players in the NCAA. His 29 points has him tied for 12th among all scorers in college hockey – he is only trails Gabe Perreault (31 points) for the most points going into the Beanpot (as of Jan. 27, 2025).
Williams has made a huge jump in his skill over his time at Northeastern, and is now a candidate for a professional contract after the 2024-25 season – the same scenario as Borgesi. He is ranked No. 14 for the Hobey Baker in CHIP. He is one of the three Hobey Baker nominees for the Huskies, and has led his team both on and off the ice.
Look out for Williams to be the best Northeastern player on the ice and one of the few players in the tournament who has played as good as BC’s three stars (Hagens, Perreault, Leonard).
F Dylan Hryckowian
Hryckowian followed his brother Justin’s footsteps coming to Northeastern last year, and as a freshman, was a great addition to the Husky lineup. Now, as a sophomore, he has become one of the best Huskies on the 2024-25 team. Hryckowian is another undrafted Northeastern player that has played well enough to potentially earn a professional contract.
He is one of the fastest players on the team and utilizes his speed to create exceptional plays in transition. He has 12 goals on the season – tied with Williams for most on the team – and 24 points. Hryckowian’s game excels from his ability to guide zone entries with speed and get around defenders, creating grade-A opportunities at the net. He couples that with a strong shot that snaps off the stick, making it hard for goalies to save.
He was described by EliteProspects.com 2023 NHL Draft Guide as having “a bottomless gas tank and breakneck pace, Hryckowian overwhelms opponents in all three zones. Defensively, he’s a puck-winning machine with non-stop pressure and a keen eye for vulnerable opponents. Offensively, that speed burns defenders off the rush and along the boards, where he always looks to attack the inside.” Look out for the speedster as he blows by defenders once again in the 2025 Beanpot.
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.