Beanpot Edition

The Heights

A2

Beanpot 2026

Letter From the Editor: A Reason To Keep Printing The Heights meets its readers where they are. Most weeks, that task demands Instagram Reels and email newsletters—content designed to be scrolled through in the moments before your 9 a.m. kicks off. In 2021, that same imperative led us to halt weekly print. But when that routine breaks—when our readers are more likely to be found packing the T than packing Devlin 008—print returns as something worth holding onto. In these moments, we see newspapers as a way to commemorate the events that define our campus. Enjoy this special print edition, your guide to the 2026 Beanpot.

Genevieve Morrison, Editor-in-Chief

For a Greater Boston College ANATOLY GUZ / HEIGHTS STAFF

Sign up for The Heights sports newsletter below!

INSIDE THIS ISSUE WOMEN'S RECAP..............

A3

MEN'S PREVIEW................

A4

DEANPOT......................

A6

RISE OF WOMEN'S HOCKEY..

A8

COLUMN AND CROSSWORD... A10 BEANPOT GUIDE.............. A11

Editorial

The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Genevieve Morrison, Editor-in-Chief Aidan Gravina, Managing Editor Charlie Phillips, General Manager Laney McAden, Dept. Managing Editor

Ali Zahm, Creative Director Nanati Getachew, Digital Director Annika Engelbrecht, News Editor Maria Stefanoudakis, Sports Editor Elizabeth Maher, Magazine Editor Riley Del Sesto, Newton Editor Milo Priddle, Arts Editor Reetu Agnihotri, Opinion Editor Anna Lauinger, Projects Editor Ellie El-Fishawy, Photo Editor Kaylee Dunleavy, Video Editor Ashi Jindal, Graphics Editor

Rebecca Mackinnon, Podcast Editor James McDowall, Online Manager Olivia Malina, Social Media Editor Toni Idowu, Games Editor Alexa Allers, Newsletter Editor Nikita Osadchiy, Assoc. News Editor Sebby FitzGerald, Assoc. Sports Editor Evie Oosting, Assoc. Magazine Editor Nathan Yarnall, Assoc. Newton Editor Lillian Kelly, Assoc. Arts Editor Lucia Hernandez, Assoc. Opinion Editor Trishna Condoor, Assoc. Photo Editor Peyton Alch, Assoc. Social Media Editor

Saige Joseph, Assoc. Video Editor Connor O'Brien, Assoc. Graphics Editor Peter McDermott, Assoc. Podcast Editor Danica Bergen, Asst. News Editor Willy Connors, Asst. News Editor Mac Cobb, Asst. Sports Editor Laney Halsey, Asst. Sports Editor Celine Bell, Asst. Magazine Editor Grace Duffy, Asst. Newton Editor Caroline Ko, Asst. Arts Editor Jack Pettigrew, Asst. Photo Editor Elena Rodriguez, Asst. Graphics Editor Elaine Kim, Copy Editor

Ollie Lloyd, Copy Editor Charlie Lukens, Copy Editor Caroline Mohler, Copy Editor Geo Elasmar, Editorial Assistant

Business and Operations Asha Woerner, Advertising Director Charlie Macken, Strategy Director Margo Rawlings, Asst. Advertising Director Brian Lippman, Operations Assistant Nicole Murphy, Outreach Coordinator Ava Sjursen, Alumni Director

A3

The Heights

Women’s Beanpot Beanpot 2026

54 Saves Not Enough in 3–2 Loss to Northeastern This story was originally published on Jan. 20, 2026.

By Laney Halsey Asst. Sports Editor

Snapping sticks, slamming boards, flying gloves (and fists) were the soundtrack to Boston College(10–13–1, 8–5–1 Hockey East) 3–2 loss to No. 8 Northeastern (18–6–0, 13–1–0) at TD Garden, giving them last place in this year’s Beanpot.

Right out the gate, an impassioned Northeastern student section erupted as Stryker Zablocki ripped a shot that was deflected by goaltender Grace Campbell.

That early save set the tone for a dominant performance from Campbell, who quickly reminded the Garden why she’s

one of the best in the business. The senior racked up 20 saves in the first period alone and finished the night with a career-high 54 saves.

BC head coach Katie Crowley commented on Campbell’s performance following the game.

“She is the heart and soul of our team—she’s amazing,” Crowley said. “That kid wanted to win tonight, and you

could tell. She does that for our team every night … she keeps us in the game.”

The game’s physicality was evident from the start. An early penalty on Eagle Jade Arnone for slashing set the tone, and Northeastern entered the power play.

The Eagles were fighting for their lives with a player down. The puck seldom crossed out of their D-zone, and Campbell saved six shots.

“It was obviously disappointing for us,” Crowley said. “We know they have a lot of offensive power, and we just weren’t able to stop it. We gave them too many opportunities there, and they were able to capitalize.”

Despite being outmatched for much of the opening frame, BC gained some offensive momentum at the end of the

first. Consecutive shots fired off by Olivia Maffeo, Alanna Devlin, and Emma Conner began to energize the Eagles’ bench.

The crowd lit up moments after when BC’s Sammy Taber executed an unas-

sisted slip past Lisa Jönsson, putting BC on the board 1–0.

“Sammy’s a tremendous player,” Crowley said. “The way she thinks about the game is elite. And, you know, it was nice for her to get a couple of goals here in the Garden. She’s a hometown kid.”

Less than a minute later, Northeastern’s Éloïse Caron returned fire, tying up the period 1–1 into intermission. Despite the tied score, Northeastern had 21 shots on goal, triple BC’s seven. The disparity was a testament to Campbell’s defensive capabilities and the aggression of the Husky offensive line.

Both teams emerged from the locker room eager to show how badly they wanted the win.

Moments in, Husky Jaden Bogden was poised in front of the goal and nearly tipped one past Campbell. The goaltender struck it down, but Bogden pounced on the rebound, sending a follow-up that rang off the post.

The rest of the frame was a back-andforth flurry.

Northeastern’s Lily Shannon attempted her third shot on goal of the night, narrowly saved by Campbell. At the other end, BC’s Ava Thomas stormed the net in a one-woman rush, only to be denied by Northeastern goaltender Jönsson.

Tempers hit a boil-

ing point following a scuffle between the game’s goal-scorers, Taber and Caron.

Both were penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, leading to 4-on-4 play.

The added space worked for the Huskies. Zablocki scored on even strength, racking up her 12th goal of the season, giving Northeastern its first lead of the night at 2–1.

The second frame saw minor improvements for the Eagles’ shooting, landing nine shots on goal compared to the Huskies’ 19.

The game ended the same way it began: as a tale of two goalies. Campbell boasted a .944 save percentage, followed

closely by Jönsson’s.

Despite the strong performances in net, Northeastern’s Shannon found the back of the goal and tallied her 16th point of the season, solidifying a comfortable 3–1 Husky lead.

With seconds left, it seemed inevitable that the Huskies would come out on top. With under five seconds to go, Taber notched her second goal of the night and rounded out the game 3–2, a final move to dampen Northeastern’s win.

“We had a couple of mistakes we needed to limit, and they were able to find the back of the net,” Crowley said. “But, next time we play them, it’ll be another good game.” n

AFRAH AKTAR / HEIGHTS STAFF

Boston College Fails To Capitalize on Shots, Falls to Harvard 2–1 in Women’s Beanpot Semifinals This story was originally published on Jan. 13, 2026.

By Mac Cobb Asst. Sports Editor

If someone were to look at the stat sheet from Boston College women’s hockey’s game on Tuesday, they could be forgiven for thinking that the Eagles came out with a win.

But the scoreboard told a different story.

Despite putting up 41 shots and successfully killing four penalties, the Eagles (9–12–1, 7–5–1 Hockey East) fell in the first round of the Beanpot to Harvard (10–8–1, 5–6–1

ECAC), marking the third straight year that BC has failed to qualify for the championship game.

Missed opportunities were the story of the game for the Eagles. They had multiple breakaways and some shots from

point-blank range, but were only able to convert one of their 41 shots.

Ainsley Tuffy, Harvard’s goalkeeper, was a big reason for that. Tuffy saved 40

shots and seemed to anticipate everything BC tried to do.

“I thought we got more scoring opportunities than we have had all year,” BC head coach Katie Crowley said. “[Tuffy] stood on her head and found a way to save them.”

In the first period, BC controlled the puck and outshot Harvard 13–8 but was unable to change the scoreboard. The Eagles’ best chance of the period came on an Ava Thomas breakaway, but a timely penalty from the Crimson kept her from getting a look at the net.

Tuffy wasn’t the only Crimson player

who helped keep BC scoreless.

In addition to her 13 first-period saves, Harvard blocked 11 of BC’s shots.

“In the first period, I thought we dominated,” Crowley said.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, that domination did not translate to a lead.

For most of the opening 20 minutes, those lost chances didn’t punish BC—until

and put the Crimson up 1–0 at the break.

The roles were reversed in the second period. Harvard got two power-play opportunities, but the Eagles’ defense held tough and successfully killed both.

Just under seven minutes into the second period, Thomas did what she has been doing all year for BC, finding the back

of the net to tie things up. It was Thomas’ 13th goal of the season, which ties her for second in the nation for freshmen goal-scoring. “ What a player,” Harv a rd h e a d coach Laura B ellamy said of Thomas.

“I think she’s fantastic. I mean, what she can do, obviously, her size, her skill, her skating, her physicality—of-

Morgan McGathey found herself with the puck for Harvard with 2:10 left in the frame. McGathey fired a shot past Grace Campbell to open up the scoring JACK PETTIGREW / HEIGHTS EDITOR

fensively, it feels like every time she’s out there, she creates.”

Thomas found herself on another breakaway during the second penalty kill of the period, but could not get the puck past Tuffy.

The third period was the same story as the first. BC got plenty of opportunities, racking up 16 shots on goal—and getting multiple good looks at the net that went wide—but were unable to break through.

Once again, that inability to capitalize haunted BC when Kaley MacDonald put Harvard up for good 8:23 into the final period.

MacDonald took a pass from Emily H a mann

and sniped the puck past C a mp b el l t o give the Crimson a 2–1 lead.

BC fought for the last 10 minutes, killing two more penalties and finding clean shots, but could not get past Tuffy. A final shot from Thomas sailed harmlessly past the net in the closing seconds, and

BC was sent to the consolation game yet again.

The loss continues a rough stretch for the Eagles. They are now on a six-game skid and have only put up two goals in their last three games—both courtesy of Thomas.

“This is one of the best, complete games that we played, and unfortunately, we lost,” said Crowley.

“I wish the hockey gods would fall our way once this year.” n

A4

The Heights

Beanpot 2026

2026 BEANPOT PREVIEW

The first two Mondays of February will see the 73rd edition of what is arguably the best regular-season tournament in college hockey: the Beanpot.

Men’s hockey teams from Boston College, Harvard, Northeastern, and Boston University will take the short trip down to TD Garden to battle for bragging rights in one of college hockey’s greatest cities.

In what has been an arguably underwhelming year for all four squads, securing the coveted Beanpot title could alter the trajectory of any of their seasons. With that in mind, let’s take a look at where each team stands as the push for the postseason begins in earnest.

By Mac Cobb Asst. Sports Editor Laney Halsey Asst. Sports Editor

BC’s current Beanpot drought has been well documented around Boston, as the Eagles have gone 10 long years since winning their last title—a 1–0 win over BU in 2016.

Since then, BC has only made it to the championship game twice, losing to Northeastern in 2019 and getting crushed 4–1 by BU last season.

Through the first month of this season, hopeful fans who thought BC would have a chance at the Beanpot title might have been called crazy.

After getting swept by Northeastern, the Eagles—ranked No. 6 in the preseason—found themselves sitting at 2–4–1 and ranked No. 18 in the country.

Since then, BC has looked like a completely different team. A sweep over Vermont kicked off a five-game winning streak that peaked with a 7–3 demolition of then-No. 10 Maine in Conte Forum.

BC has won 12 of its last 16 games and risen to No. 13 in the most recent U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) poll. One of its losses came against a full-strength top-five Western Michigan team while a good chunk of BC’s top players, along with head coach Greg Brown, were away at World Juniors.

BC’s turnaround can be described in two words: Louka Cloutier. Cloutier, a freshman goalie, started the season in reserve for Jan Korec before getting called up against Minnesota.

After going 2–0–1 and allowing four goals in his first three games, Cloutier ’s season bottomed out when he allowed nine goals across a two-game stretch versus Denver and Northeastern.

Since then, Cloutier has blossomed into a star, posting three shutouts and going 11–4 while bringing his average goals allowed to 2.16. He had a slight hiccup by allowing eight goals in a weekend series against Providence, but bounced back with two wins, including a shutout against New Hampshire.

B C ’s o f f e n s e h a s b e c o m e a three-headed monster thanks to sophomores Jake Sondreal, Dean Letourneau, and James Hagens.

Hagens, the seventh overall pick in last year’s NHL draft, has built on his 37-point season from a year ago and put up 12 goals and 25 points this season.

His best performance of the year came in a win against Notre Dame, during which he logged his first collegiate hat trick.

Sondreal has been a pleasant surprise for the Eagles. He put up just six points in his freshman season, but now leads BC with 14 assists and has the third-most points of any Eagle, with 21.

The biggest key to BC’s success this year has undoubtedly been Letourneau’s breakout campaign.

Letourneau, who was seen by many as a potential bust coming into the year, has been a consistent weapon for BC. After failing to score a goal and tallying just three assists a season ago, Letourneau has already notched 14 goals and 11 assists and has been a force to be reckoned with all over the ice.

Perhaps the scariest thing about BC is that the Eagles can still get better. Oscar Hemming, a projected first-round pick in this year’s NHL draft, joined the team over the holiday break and is still getting acclimated to collegiate play.

Plus, Oskar Jellvik and Andre Gasseau—two key veterans—have dealt with injuries for the majority of

the season.

Gasseau returned after the winter break and made his impact known immediately, delivering seven points in his first five games.

If these additions can get their skates under them, this team could be one to watch over the next few months. And, who knows—perhaps their surge to the top could begin in TD Garden.

BU is the defending B eanpot champ, having beaten BC 4–1 in the final last year for the Terriers’ 32nd title. BU will face off against Northeastern in the later game of the Beanpot semifinal round.

The teams last saw each other in mid-December, when the Terriers took a 4–3 win after splitting a weekend series with the Huskies back in November.

Northeastern claimed a 3–2 victory in the first game of that series.

Despite BU outshooting the Huskies 34–25, Joe Connor scored with less than two minutes remaining to secure a win for Northeastern. The Terriers bounced right back the next

night with a 4–3 overtime victory, upsetting then-No. 12 Northeastern.

Sophomore Cole Hutson scored the game-winning goal in overtime, lifting then-No. 18 BU to a statement victory. Overall, though, the Terriers’ season has often stood in stark contrast to that high.

The Terriers started the season ranked No. 2 in the preseason USCHO poll, and rose to No. 1 in mid-October following a strong 2–0–1 start to the season.

Less than two months later, the team had dropped to No. 20—a rapid unraveling that can be attributed to injuries, an incredibly young team, and recurring defensive breakdowns.

Injuries have significantly disrupted BU’s forward group, with eight forwards having missed at least one game this season.

Among them is sophomore Cole Eiserman, the Terriers’ leading scorer with eight goals. Eiserman serves as the Terriers’ primary finisher, with three of his goals coming on the power play. Driving the offense behind Eiserman is Hutson.

The defenseman has recorded 21 assists and 93 shots on goal this season, after being named the 2025 National Rookie of the Year.

KELLEN DAVIS / HEIGHTS STAFF

A5

The Heights

Beanpot 2026

2026 BEANPOT PREVIEW

Players like Eiserman and Hutson represent the blooming capabilities of one of the youngest teams in college hockey.

BU brought in 14 new players for the 2025–26 season, and its failures may be a sign that BU needs time and discipline to transform highly skilled recruits into a cohesive, winning team.

The team’s cracks showed in a 3–2 home loss to unranked Vermont in early December. The Terriers surrendered a game-winning goal with just 21 seconds remaining, the night after defeating the same team 2–1.

BU has historically dominated the Catamounts—but with the loss, the Terriers earned the unwelcome honor of becoming the first D1 team of the season to surrender three goals to Vermont.

Heading into the Beanpot, BU has fallen out of the top 20 in the USCHO men’s hockey poll for the first time under head coach Jay Pandolfo.

Despite BU’s stumbles this season, if the younger, more inexperienced Terriers can come together for a united front and support key offensive players, they’ll be able to handle the Huskies.

HENRY HURD / HEIGHTS STAFF

Harvard’s search for momentum and offensive promise set the stage, but a game against BC will be a true test regardless.

Only time will tell if the Crimson can rise up to the challenge.

Harvard’s Beanpot glory is a bit of

The then-No. 18 Crimson were left bleeding following a 9–1 blowout loss to Quinnipiac on Jan. 2, and promptly dropped out of the top 20 entirely. It was Harvard’s worst loss since 2008.

Freshman Richard Gallant scored Harvard’s lone goal. He is one of three freshmen contributors to Harvard’s offense, alongside Aidan Lane and Heikki Ruohonen.

The three have combined for 13 goals, which is at times enough to compensate for Harvard’s inconsistent defense.

But even in blowout wins—games like Harvard’s 6–2 win against Stonehill—the Skyhawks managed to sneak in two goals in the second period.

Harvard will face off against BC in the Beanpot Semifinal.

The Eagles lead the all-time series 75–50–7 and are riding a three-game win streak.

Despite Harvard’s rough patch in early January, the Eagles would be unwise to overlook the offensive capabilities of the Crimson.

Harvard took No. 1 Michigan to overtime in late November. Plus, the Crimson have found some success on the power play, converting on 18 percent of their attempts.

The team kicked off the season ranked sixth in the ECAC Coach’s Presea son Poll, but currently sits fourth in conference play despite noticeable hiccups.

a distant memory.

The Crimson broke a 24-year Beanpot losing streak in 2017 with a 6–3 win over BU, but Har vard remains the only Beanpot team competing in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) instead of the Hockey East.

The distinction raises the question of whether past success can translate into the present.

Harvard’s 2025–2026 season has been inconsistent, to say the least.

The Crimson were riding high at 8–3–1 before winter break but lost four games in a row to begin the new year. The cherry on top was a 4–1 loss to BU—not the kind of momentum any of these teams would want on their side going into the Beanpot.

A late-season surge over conference opponents St. Lawrence, Clarkson, Union College, and Colgate helped boost the Crimson in the standings.

Ruohonen’s return from the World Junior Championships was essential to the transformation.

The freshman from Helsinki, Finland, racked up six points in five games, starting with a one-goal and two-assist performance in a 5–1 win over St. Lawrence.

Harvard’s four-game win streak ended with a 4–1 loss to No. 12 Cornell on Jan. 24, however.

The Beanpot has never cared much for rankings or trends, and this year shows no indication of being any different.

when they lost to a sub-.500 Army team 5–2.

That loss dropped them from No. 12 to No. 16, and a weekend sweep at the hands of Vermont pushed them out of the top 20 entirely.

Northeastern has the weakest offensive attack of the four teams, averaging 2.78 goals a game, which ranks 38th in the country.

Dylan Hryckowian leads the team with 14 goals and 31 points, while Jacob Mathieu has added 16 assists and 22 points.

The Huskies’ lack of offensive prowess has dulled the shine of what has been an outstanding season from their defense, led by star junior goaltender Lawton Zacher.

Zacher, who BC fans might re-

In stark contrast to its women’s program, Northeastern has been the least successful of the four teams, holding just nine Beanpot titles.

But it has established a dynasty over the last decade, winning five of the last seven tournaments.

Based on the Huskies’ current form, however, it will take an impressive effort for them to maintain that dominance this time around.

The Huskies started the season hot with four wins over ranked opponents in their first six games, including their first-ever home-and-home weekend sweep of BC in October.

After beginning the year unranked, those victories vaulted them as high as No. 11 in the USCHO poll, a rank they had as recently as Dec. 12.

Northeastern has seen a drop in form since then, though, losing eight of its last 10. That includes a pair of losses to BU, its first-round opponent in the Beanpot.

The lowest moment of the Huskies’ season so far came during this stretch,

member for his 40-save performance in Conte Forum earlier this season, is seventh in the country in save percentage with a .928 mark.

His season has been highlighted by a pair of shutouts against ranked teams, including a 35-save performance against then-No. 7 Denver in late October.

Zacher has seen a slight drop in performance recently, including giving up four goals in the loss to Army.

He was benched after a 3–2 loss against Vermont in favor of Quentin Sigurdson, who ultimately did not fare much better, allowing four goals in the second game of the Vermont series.

This relatively worse stretch is likely due to injuries to the rest of Northeastern’s roster.

Senior defenseman Joaquim Lemay, who played a critical role in Northeastern’s back half, went down with an injury on Nov. 14 against UConn and has not returned since.

Junior center Matthew Perkins, who started the season as the Huskies’ top center, was also hurt during the UConn series and did not play in a game for almost two months.

If there’s anything going for the Huskies heading into the Beanpot, it’s familiarity.

They have played BC and BU a combined five times this season and boast a 3–2 record against the Hockey East nemeses.

motivation behind the Beanpot, it could be a tight game, but BC will do enough to play for a chance at the title.

The other semifinal game is much harder to predict. Neither team has had an outstanding year, and both squads have had their fair share of lows this season. In the end, I think the Terriers do enough to get the job done over the faltering Huskies.

Which leads us to the title game: BC vs. BU for all the beans. A rematch of last year’s title game, this matchup is one that Boston hockey fans dream of.

BU’s disappointments this season have been well documented, and it’s not a stretch to say that BC has been the better team this season—it proved as much with its 4–1 thrashing last Friday.

And while I think the Eagles could end up going further in March, I don’t trust them on the biggest stages quite yet.

The preseason No. 2 rights the ship, and BU comes out of Feb. 9 with its second straight Beanpot title.

They know what to look for going into their first-round matchup, and could end up playing a team they dominated earlier in the season in the second round.

But Northeastern will need its offense—and early-sea son form from Zacher—to show up if it wants any chance of slowing down the two powerhouses of Comm. Ave.

more consistent showings and are able to rely on key players.

That said, their earlier meeting in the season was tightly contested, which should make for an exciting game.

Everyone wants to see BC take on BU for a rematch in the finals, a showdown that would reignite the rivalry and elevate the tournament.

For BC students in particular, a win would restore confidence and spirit in a team that has shown flashes of potential, but has yet to fully deliver.

It’s not just wishful thinking to imagine a BC victory, but it may take diligence and consistency that the Eagles haven’t shown yet.

Still, I’m predicting BC finds a way to get it done. n

PREDICTIONS COBB: I think BC handles its business in the first round. Harvard is a good team, but BC should be—and I would say is—better. With the energy and

HALSEY: It’s unlikely that Har vard will be able to turn around its relatively uncompetitive and inconsistent season in time to defeat BC. The Eagles should enter the game with enough confidence and momentum to take the first semifinal.

On the other side of the bracket, BU appears poised to advance against Northeastern. The Terriers have given

HENRY HURD / HEIGHTS STAFF

CHRIS TICAS / HEIGHTS ARCHIVES

A6

The heighTs HENRY HURD/HEIGHTS STAFF

By Sebby FitzGerald Assoc. Sports Editor “MUUUUUUTH” rains down from Acrisure Stadium when Pat Freiermuth makes a catch. Cowboys fans yelled “COOOOOOP” with every Amari Cooper reception. At Conte Forum, Boston College fans boom “DEEEEEEAN” any time Dean Letourneau comes within a loose vicinity of the puck.

“I definitely notice the fans,” Letourneau said. “Every time I’d touch the puck, they start chanting my name.”

Before playing a single game in front of the thousands of Eagles fans that fill up Kelley Rink, Letourneau’s looming presence quickly became known across Boston—probably because he’s pretty hard to miss.

Standing at 6-foot7 and 228 lbs., Letourneau appeared on the scouting reports of every college and junior program, and even NHL teams.

His frame, built for physicality, combined with his rifle of a shot, made him a generational prospect for any spectator to keep an eye on.

Not only were BC fans fixated on him when he hit the ice, but they kept a tight eye on Letourneau across social media, preparing for his first collegiate goal with “#TheGoal”, and nicknaming the Beanpot as the “Deanpot.”

This transformed itself into a mountain of pressure for an 18-yearold kid who was tasked with living up to the first-round hype the cruel New England fans expected him to meet.

“He gets drafted in the first round, and the hype machine starts, so it was always going to be a challenge for him,” David Manning, Letourneau’s prep school coach, said.

What’s worse is that New England fans are known for banking on high expectations being met immediately.

And simply put, the production wasn’t there—his three points freshman year probably surprised even the biggest of his haters.

What started as an expression of fandom and appreciation for a future Boston sports star was quickly being perceived as Letourneau becoming a laughingstock. He was labeled as a bust—a waste of a first-round pick for their beloved Bruins. Only a select few were prepared for the 20-point leap Letourneau would eventually take, less than a year later.

Despite the negative commentary surrounding his play during his freshman season at BC, Letourneau never wavered on his decision to play for head coach Greg Brown.

“Right when I stepped foot on [campus], I kind of noticed right away and knew that this would be the spot for me,” he said.

And Brown never wavered about him either.

“We tried to tell everyone last year, but nobody believed us,” Brown said.

But before he was named a Hobey Baker candidate, before having his name called in Las Vegas for the NHL Draft, and even before he committed to BC, another coach bought his stock earlier than anyone else.

HE HAD HOW MANY POINTS?!

Beanpot 2026

The “Deanp Only This Tim For the past decade, the No. 1 ranking for Canadian independent prep teams on MyHockey Rankings— the universal site for mathematically-computed rankings of thousands of hockey teams across North America—has belonged to St. Andrew’s College (SAC).

While the best high schools in Massachusetts typically hover around a rating of 93, SAC’s top team consistently produces a squad with ratings upward of 98. The Ontario boarding school has had a hockey program since 1899, cementing itself as a staple of hockey prep schools throughout North America.

Since taking over as head coach

into the NHL, so I knew I’d be well taken care of there.”

Letourneau’s original commitment was to Northeastern in November of 2022, putting him on the map as recruiting began to heat up with the heart of the season around the corner.

That season, Letourneau ended up recording 65 regular-season points, then added on 16 conference and playoff points across 70 total games.

“I saw the flash, and it continued on his second half of his grade 11 year—his dominance level kind of in-

the talk of prep hockey. He paired it with 33 points in 17 conference and playoff games, averaging nearly 2.2 points per game. He did so even while playing alongside 10 other DI commits seeking NHL attention—including two who have since been drafted.

“I was kind of relied on to be able to score a lot of goals and help our team win, so every chance I had, I made sure I was able to kind of just do my part,” Letourneau said.

“The jump from Canadian prep school to college—nobody makes that jump.

There’s always a stop of juniors somewhere.”

creased,” Manning said. “[I] knew that he would start on the NHL draft list in grade 12.”

Manning was high on Letourneau’s ability even before he committed to St. Andrew’s.

“When you’re [6-foot-3] and 15 on skates, there’s going to be moments where you’re probably a little bit awkward, but I thought he was amazingly athletic and had really good touch,” he said. “There were flashes there where you’re like, ‘Wow, if this kid starts playing big and using his frame to his advantage, we got something.’”

Letourneau was poised for a big senior season—and if he wasn’t on the radar of almost every Division I school in the country by then, he certainly made his name known in his final year in Aurora.

His 127 points in 56 games were

Letourneau doubling his point total from his junior to senior year wasn’t out of the blue. And there’s a reason he’s made such a big leap between his freshman and sophomore years with BC. “Most people don’t realize it, like, he puts a lot of time into being really good at his craft,” Manning said.

“He would put in an extra three, four hours a week doing individual or small group work with our skills coach.”

Letourneau continued to hone in on his shot in order to overpower goalies at the college level, and earned Brown’s attention. Letourneau flipped his commitment to play for the Eagles in November of 2023. And by the end of his dominant senior season, the city of Boston just couldn’t wait.

“He came, now, you could probably say, a year too early,” Brown said.

bucket in sight.

The wet, damp knee pads after leaving your gear in the car overnight.

The rides home with your dad as he breaks down what you could’ve done better on every shift.

For moms and dads, it’s waking up at 5 a.m. to make the drive to the rink.

It’s the thousands of dollars for new skates, sticks, and team dues.

It’s the misery on their child’s face after a bad game.

But then, it’s all worth it. All the stress, all the finances, all the rest stops on the highway when everyone just wants to get home after a weekend tournament.

It’s worth it for every party when your name is called in front of tens of thousands of hockey fans—and hundreds of thousands more at home— and you step under the brightest

BETTER GET USED TO BEANTOWN, BUDDY The 6 a.m. practices with no puck

of the Saints in 2008, Manning has seen several players become NHL draft picks and secure NCAA commitments. There are only a few players that he could guarantee, even from a young

age, would make it to the big stage.

“We had a league weekend [in Detroit], and I think that was probably the first time that I would say to myself, ‘Yeah, this is something different,’” Manning said about his perception of Letourneau early on in his junior year.

Despite growing up in the Ottawa area, about four hours away from SAC’s 126-acre campus, it was a no-brainer that Letourneau would make the trek west to continue his academic and athletic career. Plus, being drafted later than expected to the Ontario Hockey League, he wasn’t guaranteed meaningful minutes if he were to immediately enter junior hockey.

“I went down for a visit, and I kind of just fell in love with the place,” Letourneau said. “They obviously had a great hockey program with getting guys to the next level and getting guys

A7

The heighTs

Beanpot 2026

HENRY HURD/HEIGHTS STAFF

pot” Is Back. me, It’s No Joke. lights of them all.

For Letourneau, and for all other hockey players drafted into the NHL, it is surely a moment he will never forget.

“The draft was such a surreal moment,” Letourneau said. “My family, we haven’t been able to go on a vacation, all five of us together, in such a long time. Both my brothers play

“My parents love it,” Letourneau said about his name being chanted.

“Every time they come down, and they hear it, they think it’s super funny.”

X runs deep with references to Letourneau, as well, and although he stays off the dangerous depths of so-

the get-go. Given his anomalous mixture of size, speed, and touch, along with being touted as the next Tage Thompson, Letourneau had a towering wall to climb to meet first-roundpick standards when he first laced his skates for the Eagles.

After tallying zero goals and three

RISING ABOVE THE REST Despite garnering a fair amount of attention early into his freshman year, Letourneau’s fanbase was pretty split on what kind of player he would evolve into.

Only a small portion of Letourneau’s fanbase would believe it if you told them last year he’d be leading the Eagles with 23

sports, and my parents are always out traveling, so it was pretty cool to be able to be there with all my family in Vegas.”

While recalling the once-in-a-lifetime moment, though, it’s tough to remember everything.

“I kind of blacked out and didn’t really remember much, but just being able to hear your name called and hug your family that supported you along the way and supported you your whole life is really cool,” Letourneau said.

The Boston Bruins used their 2024 first-round pick on the Prep Hockey Conference phenom, selecting Letourneau 25th overall and turning the heads of BC and Boston sports fans.

Come Christmas time, he was becoming a fan favorite, hence the choir of chants at Conte Forum.

cial media, he’s kept in the loop.

“Some of my teammates are on [social media], and they told me about it, and some of the guys will start calling me just ‘Pot,’ or they’ll start calling me ‘Deanpot’ and stuff,” Letourneau said. “So I heard about that one.”

In some ways, the seemingly ceaseless jokes can take a weight off the shoulders of an 18-year-old kid tasked with living up to some pretty lofty expectations in one of the most intense sports cities in the world.

At the same time, though, it’s not only New England’s weather that’s harsh.

Being drafted first round to the city where he committed to play college hockey set Letourneau up for a whirlwind of people saying “drafted too high” or “give him time” from

points and be a nominee for the Hobey Baker Award alongside star teammate James Hagens, before the beginning of the Beanpot.

GENEVIEVE MORRISON / HEIGHTS EDITOR AND ELLIE EL-FISHAWY /HEIGHTS EDITOR Jumping straight into NCAA assists his freshman year, some critics DI play at 18 years old with no junior suggested it was simply a lack of talhockey experience was not going to ent. be an easy feat, especially for a player But others, perhaps rightfully, aslearning how to use his big frame at sumed it was a lack of confidence that the next stage. was holding Letourneau back.

“All the taller kids we’ve had over “I remember watching games late the years have taken a while to grow in the season,” Manning said. “I saw into their body to be fully developed,” a player who was involved, but you Brown said at last year’s Beanpot mecould just see his confidence wasn’t dia day. “I think of Kevin Hayes and there.”

Brian Boyle—they went on to great Rather than harp on what the sidepro careers. But if you watched them lines had to say, Letourneau decided as freshmen, they weren’t dominating he’s the only one who can forge his college hockey, and they’re two outpath. standing players. So, everyone goes “At the end of the season, his fokind of on their own timetable, and it cus was going back and having a great usually seems to take the very tall kids summer, and proving himself right a little bit longer.” more than proving people wrong,” It’s easy to give an athlete a hard Manning said. time from behind a screen.

But what the BC community didn’t witness was Letourneau behind the scenes—the times when he mustered three more reps in his last set or sat through late-night sessions with coaches, working through the nitty-gritty details that would help him perfect his craft.

“From my chats with him all last year, from a coaching perspective, he said everything you would want a player to say who was going through that,” Manning said. “He said everything right. As he was struggling through things—and obviously there were some injuries involved that most people didn’t know about— he never complained. Just kind of did his thing.”

Letourneau finally cleared the first-goal hurdle in BC’s third game of the year, sending the Eagles into overtime against then-No. 12 Minnesota as his first collegiate score tied the game in the third period. From there, the floodgates opened.

Letourneau has recorded a point in 16 of BC’s 23 games this season, and he ended with six goals in the Eagles’ last five games of 2025.

He’s not only generating scoring chances by finding himself in the right spot at the right time—he’s also made a huge leap in terms of decision-making.

When he has the puck near the top, middle, or bottom of the circles, Letourneau is now picking his corners and utilizing the strength he built over the offseason to fire shots past the reach of goalies.

He has the tangible proof to support his confidence, enabling him to rifle pucks through defenders instead of passing up on open looks.

“Last year was a challenging year— you could still see in practice the ability [Letourneau] had, and knew that would come out,” Brown said. “Now you’re seeing the ability and the talent and the hockey IQ come out. It’s great for the team.”

For the future Bruin already stationed in Beantown, the pressure will never go away. It’ll only mount as media attention piles up. It’s not just his talent that must stick around to appease fans—there’s a level of maturity that Letourneau must carry as he progresses as well.

“It’s something that you kind of have to just get used to,” Letourneau said. “Your goal as hockey players is to play in the NHL, where you’re playing in front of 20,000-plus people, and you got a fan base of, I don’t know, 80,000-plus, like a whole city. So you just kind of have to learn to deal with it.”

The newly dubbed “Deanpot” is the next biggest stage for Letourneau to showcase why he deserves to be in the running for the most prestigious award in college hockey.

With the help of Hagens, Teddy Stiga, Jake Sondreal, and others, the Eagles are in a prime position to bring the Heights its first Beanpot title since 2016.

And this time around, Letourneau is experienced enough to know how to block out the noise.

“At the end of the day, it’s just hockey, which is what you’ve been playing your whole life,” Letourneau said. “You just kind of gotta be able to not let that other stuff get to you.

Every time you’re out on the ice, you have a job to do, and just be able to fulfill that job.” n

A8

The Heights

Beanpot 2026

“20 years ago, this wouldn’t have happened”: happened”:

THE WOMEN’S BEANPOT IS BIGGER THAN BOSTON.

By Maria Stefanoudakis Sports Editor

Getting hired as the head coach of a collegiate women’s hockey team might seem like a tall task—and it is, today. Back in the ’80s, though, the position at Boston College was an open call, advertised on flyers stuck to walls around campus.

That’s how Thomas O’Malley got the job.

He was still a student at BC when he began coaching women’s hockey—a club team at the time—as part of a work-study program. Now, more than 30 years later, O’Malley has certainly seen his fair share of the sport. Though no longer at BC, O’Malley is the longest-tenured active head coach in Division I women’s hockey.

But the sport isn’t what it was back when O’Malley picked up that flyer and marched over to the athletic director’s office to ask for the job. Not even close.

Its evolution is especially obvious in the middle of Boston on a frigid Tuesday night in late January.

“Playing in the Garden—you kidding me?” O’Malley said. “Ten years, 15, 20 years ago, maybe, that wouldn’t have happened.”

“ I t ’s h a p p e n i n g

border every day for practice and crashed on teammates’ spare beds or couches on tournament weekends.

“I would work at the gas station until 3

news I’m looking for?’” O’Malley said.

“She said, ‘That’s exactly why I’m calling.’”

More than ever, the possibilities seem limitless for women’s hockey. There’s a

The Beanpot is arguably the best in-season tournament in all of college hockey. It began in 1952, but was reserved for the men’s teams of the four Division

Beanpot was moved to TD Garden, the highest championship attendance was 1,790. Since the move, all three championship games have brought in more

p.m. and then drive to Toronto, and then drive back, so I wouldn’t get home until like, 11 every night,” FitzGerald said.

It’s far more typical in men’s hockey for players to make stops in other leagues before going to college. In fact, most top-tier male hockey players spend time in elite junior leagues before competing in the NCAA. But for women, FitzGerald’s path was somewhat unconventional.

Maybe that’s because goal-setting within the sport has looked very different across the genders.

FitzGerald, like other players in her generation, didn’t have many options to aspire to when she was growing up.

shift that has been building for decades, but is quickly picking up speed. Participation in the sport has shot up, and attendance levels are reaching all-time highs as visibility just keeps growing.

And though that may seem like an obvious development in North America, FitzGerald is witnessing the same evolution, albeit in its earlier stages, on the other side of the globe.

“Coming from somewhere where I kind of saw that transition, it’s pretty cool to be a part of this transition as well,” FitzGerald said. “I don’t really know how long I plan on staying, but being able to kind of help it grow here too is pretty cool after seeing what we were able to do in the U.S. I don’t know if anything like that would happen here in my lifetime, but it’s cool to be a part of it.”

I hockey schools in the Boston area: BC, BU, Harvard, and Northeastern.

It was originally played in the old Boston Arena, but switched over to the 14,000-seat Boston Garden just two years after it started. It eventually moved to the storied TD Garden in 1996, where it’s been played ever since.

The history of the women’s tournament is far different.

Even after the women’s tournament was established in 1979, the games were still held in campus arenas. While the men played in the Boston Bruins’ home arena, women competed in front of a tiny fraction of the fans the men brought in.

In 2024, that all changed.

There had been talk of the tournament moving to the Garden, but that didn’t take away from the excitement that it had actually become a reality. And even after playing in the Beanpot a few times, the thrill never went away for FitzGerald.

than 10,000 fans.

For the past three years, BC senior Jade Arnone from Sherborn, Mass., has gotten to play in her hometown arena.

In 2025, the event attracted the largest crowd at a women’s hockey game in New England history.

now, just because of

“When we were kids,

h o w g o o d w o m e n’s

I’d be like, ‘Yeah, I’m

hockey is.”

going to go to the NHL,’”

___________

ACROSS THE GLOBE From Shaker Heights, Ohio, to Toronto, to Boston, and all the way to Australia, there’s one thing that’s been a constant for Ani FitzGerald: hockey.

After graduating from Boston University in spring of 2025, FitzGerald decided she wasn’t done playing hockey. So she followed the sport to Brisbane, Australia, where she plays for the Lightning in the Australian Women’s Ice Hockey League.

She’s no stranger to moving places for hockey, though.

FitzGerald committed to Northeastern during her sophomore year of high school. But when she graduated, Northeastern’s incoming class was so stacked that she wasn’t sure she’d get ice time. So, she decided to play a year for Toronto in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League.

FitzGerald moved to Buffalo, N.Y., and lived in the basement of the women’s lacrosse house at Canisius University. She drove up across the

FitzGerald said. “Everyone would be like, ‘What? You can’t do that.’”

With the rise of the ProfessionalWomen’s Hockey League (PWHL), there’s something bigger than the NCAA to aim for.

“That was our goal: just getting to college,” FitzGerald said. “Once I committed to college, I was like, ‘This is it, this is really all I can do,’ where now there’s this league where they’re coming right from college.”

The PWHL isn’t the only option, either. Many players, FitzGerald included, head abroad to continue their careers.

Amie Varano played under O’Malley at Sacred Heart, where he’s in his 23rd season as head coach. Varano was recently named to the Italian roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics. She called O’Malley after she found out.

“I said, ‘Are you calling me with the

___________

MAKING THE MOVE Attendance numbers and youth enrollment statistics can certainly tell a story, but it’s hard to understand how women’s hockey has changed until you can hear the shrill shrieks of 12-year-old girls in jerseys, or how loud the arena gets when a player goes flying into the boards.

If you step foot in TD Garden during the Women’s Beanpot, all of it becomes easier to understand. Suddenly, you can feel it.

“I don’t think anyone on the roster I was with, or even the next year, had ever played in front of that many people,” FitzGerald said. “I think the first year in TD, we had like 10,000 people show up to the game, and it was crazy. Like, I don’t even know how to describe it. There was obviously nerves for the game—because, big deal if you win the Beanpot, too—but just playing in front of that many people, and also at the same time, just knowing that you’re a part of this big piece of history.”

“Standing for the anthem and looking around, I’m like, this is insane that there’s this many people here,” FitzGerald said. “I can’t even find my parents in the stands. Usually, I can look up and find them

“All the support is just so special to see,” Arnone said. “I think it’s really important—like people say all the time, ‘If you can see it, you can be it.’”

Each year, the stands fill up with young girls sporting hockey jerseys, many lugging handmade signs taller than they are. FitzGerald remembers playing in that environment during her time at BU. “I’m a coach in the summer, and there were so many little girls there that I coached, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, you guys are here,’” FitzGerald said. “It’s a pretty surreal moment.”

This year, girls who play on the co-ed U6 team at Pembroke Youth Hockey were seated near the glass. Jack Rafferty, whose daughter plays for the team, took his daughter to the game. So did several

right away.”

Before the Women’s

other dads, as the group

JACK PETTIGREW / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The Heights

Beanpot 2026

A9

JACK PETTIGREW / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Greater Boston.

“Every team is deep, from one through—say you have 24 players on your team—one through 24, everyone can play,” O’Malley said. “There’s just more depth, more speed, more skills, more what they call hockey IQ. Everyone’s stronger, too. The weight room has really taken hold and helped to develop collegiate players, and future Olympians, and now pros.”

The result is more fans. More recognition. And, of course, four women’s teams finally fighting for their Beanpot trophy in TD Garden.

Attendance numbers can tell a story, but progress is not always quantifiable. Support cannot be expressed solely through percentages and ticket sales, nor can passion always show up on a graph. And for women’s players around the country—and, in cases like FitzGerald’s—around the world, the change is coming tangibly. Slowly, incrementally, but tangibly.

other dads, as the group decided to make a dads-and-daughters night out of the Women’s Beanpot. Once the plans were made, the girls wouldn’t stop talking about it. And once they arrived at the Garden, they were making unspoken alliances with the Northeastern student section, joining in as Huskies fans caused a ruckus in the third-place game.

Watching women playing hockey at such a high level—especially in a historic arena, in front of thousands—is an experience FitzGerald never had growing up.

“Being that person for other people—like I said, not having that

“A player like Abbey Murphy, who’s in the

PHOTO COURTESY OF JACK RAFFERTY

ESPN?

“It’s scary how good

NCAA right now, is kind players are today—unreof like our Caitlin Clark.” al, you know?” O’Malley “She draws a lot of attention to the NCAA—from other athletes, other hockey teams, and I think that’s a huge piece of it too—it takes, sometimes, one or two players to draw attention.”

The “Caitlin Clark effect” has been well-documented. But what about the “Abbey Murphy effect”?

Or the effect of a major women’s hockey tournament bringing in tens of thousands of fans at a historic venue while being televised nationally on

said.

___________

CHANGE IS COMING When O’Malley took over as the women’s hockey coach at BC, it was still a club-level sport. He eventually oversaw its transition into a varsity sport in 1994, after the team won the national club championships two years in a row.

BC played in the Beanpot while it was still a club team. O’Malley is the first to tell you that it wasn’t all that competitive—Northeastern or Harvard would almost surely come away with it over BC and BU, which was also a club team at the time.

“There were the favorites, but we gave it everything we had,” O’Malley said. “BU gave it everything they had, too.”

The Beanpot has always been a chance to play for something bigger than a regular-season win—something that didn’t really exist until 2000, when the NCAA started holding women’s national championships.

Now, the tournament is ultra-competitive—a pattern that is emerging throughout the country, not just in

“I went to a Bruins game last year, and I was walking through the hallway, and it had pictures up of the Women’s Beanpot—and our team was there,” FitzGerald said. “This is insane that this is being recognized.” n

growing up—makes me want to keep going back to it,” FitzGerald said.

Those little girls weren’t the only ones enjoying the show, though—the dads were, too. Rafferty came away surprised at how exciting the product was. His biggest takeaway was that this game wouldn’t be his last.

“I was shocked, myself, by how fastpaced it was, and how physical it was,” Rafferty said. “I didn’t realize how physical they let them get in those games.”

It takes people realizing that women’s hockey is worth their attention for the sport to take off. FitzGerald and Arnone agree that players such as Abbey Murphy are bringing that crucial attention to NCAA women’s hockey right now.

“You see what Caitlin Clark did with women’s basketball—people started watching, people started paying attention,” FitzGerald said.

JACK PETTIGREW / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Editor’s Outlook The Heights

A10

It Starts Now: Beanpot Beginning of Big Second Half for No. 12 Boston College Men’s Hockey

By Sebby FitzGerald Assoc. Sports Editor

Year in and year out, there are three goals on Boston College men’s hockey’s mind: winning the Beanpot, winning the Hockey East Championship, and winning the Frozen Four.

Last season, the Eagles put up a .000 batting average on that mark. The last time they went 3 for 3? 2012.

BC’s had quite the decade-and-ahalf since then, and each year it enters with the same expectations: going 3 for 3. On Feb. 2, the cycle begins anew. To no surprise, this year’s expectations remain the same.

With BC’s last Beanpot win coming in 2016, the pressure grows with each year, especially given the star-studded roster it consistently puts on the ice.

Although the Eagles came out with a slower-than-expected start, to be frank, so did the rest of Hockey East. The Big Ten and NCHC have been on top of the rankings for most of this season—not only is the Beanpot up for grabs, but almost any Hockey East squad has a chance to etch its name into the Lamoriello Trophy come March.

And it seems BC is heating just at the right time. Winning 13 of its last 17, the Eagles have found their groove going into their semifinal matchup with Harvard.

Let’s look at what’s gotten them here:

FIRST HALF SOPHOMORES IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT Given the title of this section, surely I’ll be focusing on James Hagens and Teddy Stiga, right?

Well, no. In fact, it’s Dean Letourneau and Jake Sondreal who are powering the Eagles’ offense with 25 and 21 points, respectively. These two breakouts, paired with Will Vote on the right wing at the beginning of the season, fed off each other game after game. Vote falls not too far behind at 19 points.

Even with BC head coach Greg Brown frequently jumbling lines—swapping Ryan Conmy, Stiga, and Hagens around—Letourneau simply will not stop scoring. He entered the winter break with six goals in five games, including his first multi-goal game in BC’s 3–1 win at UMass Lowell.

His progression has been nothing short of incredible, and it’s safe to say

every BC fan is exhilarated about what’s to come from him in what’s been dubbed the “Deanpot.”

Some could have guessed Letourneau would have a breakout season, given his hype and draft position. What’s surprised even more fans is how Sondreal has stepped into the spotlight.

Sondreal recorded six points last year and recorded nearly as many penalty minutes as shots on goal. He has cemented himself as a second and first-liner this season, stringing together six multi-point games and leading the team in assists with 14.

The growth of Letourneau and Sondreal might make you forget that BC also has two of the best players in college hockey.

Hagens has 25 points, as well, and snagged his first collegiate hat trick in BC’s win over Notre Dame. Despite missing four games with injury, Stiga is climbing his way back with 14 points.

The Class of 2028 (they probably won’t stick around until then, though) is putting this team on their backs. Now, having experienced a Beanpot at TD Garden, they’re much more likely to take control in this year’s Beanpot, too.

CLOUTIER HAS MADE HIS MARK The biggest question circulating after BC’s 2–4–1 start was the man standing between the pipes. At that point, Jan Korec had two starts with seven goals surrendered. Louka Cloutier had started five games with a goals-against average of 2.6.

Even if the Eagles found a way to get a year of eligibility from Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux to bulk up their offense, it wouldn’t have mattered if the goalie situation remained unsteady.

Now, 23 games into the season, BC has found its man.

Cloutier has had some flukey games here and there, but his top-five GAA and .916 save percentage in Hockey East seem to be all this team needs after replacing a Hobey Baker candidate.

Cloutier has certainly made a name for himself, but the Beanpot is a stage where he can really prove himself.

The two toughest opponents Cloutier has faced this season—No. 11 Denver and No. 3 Western Michigan—scored a combined 10 goals, which is concerning.

The Denver matchup was back when he was still getting settled, but BC’s loss to the defending champs on Dec. 28 featured

goals Cloutier would certainly like to have back.

This might sound arrogant, in all honesty. After all, over half of the coaches in the nation would die to have a goalie like Cloutier, and he also had the biggest shoes to fill in the nation.

Nevertheless, BC got back on track after the rough skid to kick off the season, thanks to Cloutier’s sub-2.0 GAA in conference play and three shutouts since its back-to-back losses to Northeastern. And he’s still just a freshman—chances are, he’ll only get hotter.

SECOND HALF FERRARIS IN THE GARAGE What’s even more comforting for Eagles fans is the success BC has had even with absences from Stiga, Andre Gasseau, and Oskar Jellvik.

Gasseau and Jellvik combined for 43 points last season while alternating between the top-three lines. Their ability to mix and match with all different play types sets them up for a big 2025–26 season.

Unfortunately, Jellvik has appeared in only three games, and Gasseau in 10. And although Brown has been a bit unclear about their timetables to return—particularly in terms of the Beanpot—they should be able to step back into their big roles as the regular season begins to wind down.

Jellvik is not likely to return for BC’s first Beanpot game, but Gasseau’s game versus

Providence on Jan. 16 was his first since Oct. 24 versus Denver—he’s had a point in every game since.

Stiga returned to the ice in BC’s 8–2 exhibition win over Stonehill, delivering two assists and a ridiculously angled goal, picking up right where he left off. He has some catching up to do but will thrust BC’s offense to new levels. After missing the Jan. 30 game versus BU, Stiga is now questionable for Monday night’s game.

Stiga’s stand-in—a Finnish, 17-yearold freshman and projected first-round pick—debuted in the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off. Standing at 6-foot-4 and 200 lbs., Oscar Hemming showed off dominant coast-to-coast drives and tallied two assists in the 4–3 win over Lake Superior State.

Hemming didn’t appear in BC’s exhibition versus Stonehill, but his presence was made in the seven games he has played in as he provided hard-hitting, quick-shooting flair to the offense .

THE BEANPOT IS UP FOR GRABS Not a single Hockey East team cracked the top ten entering the break— BC was the highest-ranked team out of the Beanpot schools at No. 13.

Boston University—the preseason No. 1 team—hasn’t been able to hit its stride yet and remains unranked. Northeastern’s hot start came to a halt after a rough five-game skid, and Harvard has, unsurprisingly, been floating around .500.

I’d love to say the Eagles are the far and away favorites to come away with their first Beanpot championship since 2016, but it’s anyone’s game this year.

We’ll likely see another Battle of Comm.

Ave. in the title game, but with how fickle the outcomes of these types of matchups have been, the Huskies and the Crimson could feasibly find themselves playing for hardware.

My prediction is the former, though.

BC will handily take care of Harvard in the early game, winning on a three- to fourgoal margin. BU will squeak a one-goal win over Northeastern or, what would be even better—mainly because BC fans won’t need to stress—an overtime finish.

Cole Eiserman and Cole Hutson will click in the second half and prove too fiery an offense for goaltender Lawton Zacher to handle, setting up the 24th all-time meeting between the rivals in the Beanpot final.

I’m not going to get up here and talk up these sophomore forwards, their chemistry, and Cloutier’s potential manning the net, and then say BC is losing to BU in the championship—because they won’t.

The stars will come to shine on the biggest stage—Hagens, Eiserman, Stiga, and Jack Harvey will all pop goals and deliver a goal-for-goal, Wild West shootout of a game that will be sure to leave even the losing school’s students exiting TD Garden wishing they could watch it all over again.

It’s time for this team to make up for the poor performance across all (yes, all) BC athletics. And the Beanpot is only the first step of the process. We want 3 for 3.n

SARAH FLEMING / HEIGHTS SENIOR STAFF

The Mac Mini Crossword: The Beanpot Edition!

#38: The Beanpot Edition

hts

Beanpot 2026

ACROSS

1

2

1. Pinto, Lima, Baked, etc.

3. Company that makes the NHL video game

3

5. Feeling after being slammed into the boards

ma, Baked, etc.

BC’s game home series; arena ny that makes the NHL7.video 8. ____ Garden; Beanpot Tournament Location m after being slammed into the boards me arena DOWN en; Beanpot Tournament Location

5

1. Sucks to ____

2. Historical acronym for the Beanpot

4. Each year, the teams get the opportunity to o __ al acronym for the Beanpotstart ____ ar, the teams get the opportunity to start ____ 5. Bean ____ _ 6. “You suck at life ____ goaltending! It’s all your ck at life ___ goaltending! It's all your fault!" fault!”

7 8

6

4

Beanpot Guide A11

The Heights

Beanpot 2026

Is This The New 2016? Looking Back at Boston College’s Last Beanpot Win

By Elizabeth Maher Magazine Editor Evie Oosting Assoc. Magazine Editor

In the early weeks of 2026, social media feeds were populated by posts ringing in the new year. But one after another, each picture seemed strangely familiar. Was it the hazy purple tones of the Rio de Janeiro filter? Or maybe the smooth beats of Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen” playing in the background?

A decade later, millennials and Gen Z alike are feeling a pang of nostalgia for that culturally rich year. For Boston College students, nostalgia might creep up on them for another reason: 2016 marks the last time BC men’s hockey won the Beanpot.

A decade later, we are taking a look back to reminisce on our finer days and a year worth remembering—and, maybe, make \\\Paul Criado / Heights Staff the case for why 2026 (aka 2016 2.0) is the year the Eagles bring another Beanpot win home to Chestnut Hill.

THE 2016 GAME #GOALSAF

On Feb. 8, 2016, the BC men’s hockey team defeated Boston University 1–0, the lowest score the tournament had seen in its 64-year history. Since then, the Eagles have not gotten their talons into another cup, despite seasons spent with No. 1-ranked teams and star players.

What was that game like? Attendees might recall a night racked by technical difficulties and delays, or the rising tension as each team fired shot after shot without success.

In all likelihood, BC fans remember the joy that erupted in TD Garden after three grueling periods and a few minutes of overtime when BC forward Alex Tuch found the back of the net to score the game’s lone goal.

LOWKEY LIT TRENDS Some are looking back to 2016 for its (semi) offline appeal. Social media certainly captured mass audiences, but it was a

GRAPHIC BY CONNOR O'BRIEN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

time before TikTok or doomscrolling. It’s prepared for it. also the year when Instagram stories came out—feel old yet?

From a worldwide obsession with Pokémon GO to the #FreeHarambe movement (RIP) to the whip and nae nae, 2016 was filled with viral moments that remained relevant long after the year ended.

Everyone remembers bottle flipping and the thrill of landing a flip in front of a 2016 was a significant year for more group of expectant friends—or, for current than just memes. Marvel fans were forced BC students, who were in middle school to take sides when Captain America: Civil at the time, in front of a very exasperated War released (were you Team Cap or Team homeroom teacher.

Iron Man?), while films like La La Land If you subconsciously freeze at the and Moonlight became beloved by critics opening notes of “Black Beatles,” you’re and fans alike. not alone. The #MannequinChallenge, set Fans visited Hawkins, Indiana, for the to Rae Sremmurd’s 2016 hit, featured a first time when Stranger Things season one group of people creating a freeze frame out released on July 15, 2016, while Lin-Manof themselves for a minute. It’s also safe to uel Miranda’s Hamilton took Broadway by assume that a majority of these videos were storm and became a global sensation. filmed on the rose-gold iPhone 6S before In a world where pop culture seems being uploaded to YouTube. to move at the speed of light, 2016’s muReturning BC students might remem- sical landscape feels like another world. ber recreating it at Swae Lee’s 2025 Mod- Timeless albums were released, like Kanye stock performance in April—perhaps West’s The Life of Pablo and Beyoncé’s narpredicting the resurgence of 2016 vibes to rative masterpiece Lemonade, while songs come months later? We might not have like Drake’s “One Dance” or The Chainstarted the 2016 trend, but we are certainly smokers’ “Closer” dominated the radio

KEEP CALM AND WATCH ON: MOVIES, TV, AND MUSIC

waves.

Perhaps a few listens to these songs can manifest a rerun of all of the 2016 highlights, especially that win we want most— to quote Hamilton, with a little luck, we won’t “throw away our shot” when we take on the Beanpot this year.

STYLE SLAYS: SKINNY JEANS, CHOKERS, AND MORE Alongside jerseys that sported names like #30 Thatcher Demko or #19 Ryan Fitzgerald, students attending the game might have thrown on a pair of high-waisted skinny jeans, or the thin black choker found in every Hot Topic that year.

Utility jackets, including the nearly ubiquitous bomber style, were seen with dramatic Anastasia Beverly Hills brows and a puppy-dog Snapchat filter. 2016’s eclectic style also featured festival patterns and floral crowns, adding some whimsy to the wide variety of trends throughout the year.

Celebrities and influencers alike are reincarnating the year with dumps of their 2016 photos. Some are taking it further, with Kylie Cosmetics releasing a throwback ‘King Kylie’ line, focusing on bold, matte makeup. Most haven’t been quite nostalgic enough to paint on dramatic cut creases, but if you are, Kylie has the line for you.

2026: THE NEW 2016?

That phrase has dominated the internet in recent weeks as people reminisce on the positive aspects of the culture, style, and vibes of that year. In some ways, the phrase is more than just a nostalgic wish for a time long gone. From newly-recorded renditions of the #MannequinChallenge to Zara Larsson’s “Lush Life” entering the charts for the first time in 10 years, aspects of the 2016-era are making a tangible resurgence.

But let’s hope that the “2026 is the new 2016” trend isn’t limited to grainy Instagram filters and nostalgic Chainsmokers songs—if BC plays its cards right, it might also mean the school’s first Beanpot victory in a decade. n

A BC Student’s Ultimate Guide to the Beanpot New England Sports Network (NESN) will deliver live and exclusive tournament coverage.

PACK. THE. T.

By Elizabeth Maher Magazine Editor

It’s almost time for Boston College students to throw on their brightest maroons and golds, pack the T, and ship down to TD Garden for, quite possibly, one of the most treasured Boston traditions of all time: the Beanpot.

Whether you’re a die-hard BC hockey fan who can name every player since the 90s or someone whose mind spins when you hear the words “icing” or “offsides,” cheering on the Eagles in the annual tournament is an iconic BC event—and an unparalleled chance to show off your school spirit.

Here’s a guide to make the most of the event, BC style.

A BEANTOWN TRADITION The Beanpot, the annual ice hockey tournament featuring Boston’s four major collegiate hockey teams—BC, Boston University, Harvard, and Northeastern— is as historically rich as the city of Boston.

The tournament’s name is a nod to Boston’s nickname, “Beantown,” which many attribute to the historic popularity of Boston baked beans.

Though this colonial-era dish may not be as popular now as it was a few centuries ago, its legacy remains: the prize for winning the tournament is, in fact, a pot-shaped trophy.

When it comes to the Beanpot, it’s not just the destination that matters: the journey is equally important.

Both rounds of the men’s tournament are held downtown at TD Garden.

Luckily for BC students, the Green Line provides an accessible mode of transportation to ensure you’re there to cheer on your fellow Eagles.

Hop on the Green Line’s Boston College stop at Lower Campus. From there, ride the B Line until Government Center before switching to the D or E lines to get to North Station, which is located directly GRAPHIC BY CONNOR O'BRIEN / HEIGHTS EDITOR The men’s Beanpot, held in the first below TD Garden. two weeks of February, dates back to the Make sure to pack the T to prevent 1952–53 season. rival fans from getting on—especially BU leads the way with 32 overall if the Eagles end up playing our Comm. wins, with BC in second place with 20, Ave. rivals, BU, in the second round. and Northeastern at a close third with 19.

A hack for any freshmen on Upper The women’s Beanpot, which is held Campus: take the D Line from the Chestin mid-January, began in 1979. nut Hill stop for a less crowded and more Although BC women’s hockey fell convenient ride. short of taking the trophy home this Try to get to the game early and budyear—losing in the consolation game to get about an hour for travel time to give Northeastern—BC men’s hockey’s hopes yourself enough time to grab seats and are still alive. snacks before the puck drops!

They’ll take on Harvard at 5 p.m. in the semifinals on Monday, Feb. 2.

With a win, they would advance to the Championship at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9, while a loss would lead to a 4:30 p.m. third-place game on the same day.

Showing off your BC pride begins

SHOW YOUR SUPERFAN PRIDE

with your outfit. Wear any and all BC merch: sweatshirts, beanies, you name it. Go all out with the maroon and gold.

Throw on the BC Hockey jersey, or prove that you’re really a Superfan by donning that undeniably spirited shirt. Let’s be honest—when else would you wear it?

If you’re looking to elevate your Beanpot outfit, consider checking out sites like Poshmark, Depop, and eBay—from oldschool jerseys and crewnecks to vintage jackets, there’s no doubt you’ll be able to find a unique and stylish piece of BC merch to show your school spirit. Complete the look with some beaded necklaces and temporary tattoos from the BC Bookstore to really show off your pride!

BRING YOUR SPIRIT! Demonstrating your Eagle pride starts with knowing your cheers. The basics—like the classic “Let’s Go Eagles!” or, if we’re facing our Comm. Ave. rivals, “Sucks to BU”—are easy enough. But it’s imperative that you know one chant in particular: The Sieve Chant. After BC scores, direct this cheer to the opposing team’s goalie: “Ohhhh, sieve! (4x) [Player’s last name!] (3x) You suck. At life. And goal-tending. It’s all your fault! It’s all your fault! It’s all your fault! It’s all your fault!”

Simply reciting the words isn’t enough. Make sure to cheer as loudly as you can, not just to emphasize BC pride, but to drown out the cheers of the opposing team! n

Four Floors - Three Bars - Full Menu 262 Friend Street Boston across from TD Garden thegreatestbar.com follow @thegreatestbar