HOCKEY EAST HEADLINES

The 2024 Hockey East men’s championship weekend is set for March 22-23 at TD Garden, featuring Boston College, Boston University, Maine, and Massachusetts. Due to current high demand, all fans planning to attend are strongly encouraged to buy tickets in advance at TDGarden.com/HockeyEast to ensure availability.

#1 Boston College and #2 Boston University both appear in the Hockey East semifinals for a league-record 27th time on Friday and have the chance to clash in the title game for the first time since 2006 and just the third time ever (1986).

BC enters TD Garden as the top seed for the first time since 2018 on a 10-game winning streak and an 19-2-0 mark in their last 21. They are the first program to win 20 games in Hockey East play since 2010-11 in a season where all teams played 27 league games instead of the current 24

The Terriers have now won 14 straight Hockey East Tournament games at Agganis Arena. Macklin Celebrini became the first BU player to score 30 goals in a season since Chris Drury in 1996-97.

#5 Massachusetts returns to the Hockey East semifinals for the fifth time in the last six tournaments and seventh time overall. The Minutemen have claimed two of the last three tournament crowns after they became the fifth program to capture back-to-back Lamoriello Trophies (2021, 2022).

Maine punched its ticket to the Hockey East semifinals with a 5-0 win over arch rival New Hampshire. It is the first semifinal appearance for Maine since 2012.

With Maine’s advancement to the TD Garden, all 11 current Hockey East programs have appeared in the tournament semifinals over the past 10 seasons and there have been nine different semifinalists in the last three years.

HOCKEY EAST CO-PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Jack Malone - Boston College
Luke Tuch - Boston University

Jack Malone (Sr., F; Madison, N.J.) scored two goals, including the game-winning goal, and added an assist for three points in a dramatic 5-4 quarterfinal victory over #8 UConn.

Luke Tuch (Sr., F; Baldwinsville, N.Y.) scored a power-play goal and assisted on the game-winning tally in a 4-2 win over Northeastern to power the Terriers into the Hockey East semifinals.

PRO AMBITIONS CO-ROOKIES OF THE WEEK

Bradly and Josh Nadeau - Maine

Bradly Nadeau (Fr., F; St-François-de-Madawaska, N.B.) tallied four points in Maine’s 5-0 quarterfinal win over New Hampshire as he scored two goals and added two assists. He had an assist on the game-winning goal and recorded three shots on goal.

Josh Nadeau, Maine (Fr., F; St-François-de-Madawaska, N.B.) Tallied four points in Maine’s 5-0 quarterfinal win over New Hampshire, scoring two goals, including the game-winning strike, and added two assists while firing seven shots on net.

ARMY ROTC DEFENDER OF THE WEEK

Ryan Ufko - Massachusetts

Ryan Ufko (Jr., D; Smithtown, N.Y.) scored the game-winning goal in a 3-1 victory at Providence, lifting the Minutemen into the Hockey East semifinals for the fifth time in the last six tournaments. Ufko was named to the All-Hockey East First Team last week and collected recognition for outstanding sportsmanship as he was honored with the Len Ceglarski Award. He was named a finalist for Hockey East Player of the Year yesterday.

STOP IT GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Albin Boija - Maine

Albin Boija (Fr., G; Sundsvall, Sweden) posted an 18-save shutout in Maine’s 5-0 quarterfinal win over New Hampshire. It is the first playoff shutout for Maine since 2014.

HOCKEY EAST TOP PERFORMERS

Jacob Bengtsson, BC (Sr., D; Stockholm, Sweden) Netted the game’s opening goal 2:19 into the game and set up the game-winning strike with 10:35 remaining in regulation to deliver #1 Boston College a 5-4 win over UConn and send the Eagles into the Hockey East semifinals at TD Garden.

Macklin Celebrini, BU (Fr., F; Vancouver, B.C.) Potted his 30th goal of the year on Saturday to secure a 4-2 victory over Northeastern. He became the first Terrier since Chris Drury in 1995-96 to tally 30 goals. Last week, he was named a unanimous first team all star and was named a finalist for Hockey East Player of the Year and Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Year on Monday.

Case McCarthy, BU (Gr., D; Clarence Center, N.Y.) Netted his third goal of the season, the game-winning strike, to lift BU over Northeastern, 4-2, and into the Hockey East semifinal.

Mathieu Caron, BU (Jr., G; Abbotsford, B.C.) Stopped 21 of 23 shots to backbone BU to a 4-2 win over Northeastern in the Hockey East Quarterfinals.

Matthew Wood, UConn (So., F; North Vancouver, B.C.) Found the back of the net three times in two playoff games, including two strikes within 4:30 to tie the game and erase a three-goal deficit at #1 Boston College on Saturday. He added an assist on Wednesday’s game-winning power-play goal for four points in the final two games of the season.

David Breazeale, Maine (Jr., D; Jenison, Mich.) Helped Maine to a quarterfinal win and shutout against UNH on Saturday with an assist, two shots on goal and a plus-three rating in a 5-0 win.

Harrison Blaisdell, UNH (Gr., F; Regina, Sask.) Scored the lone goal in a 1-0 quarterfinal win over UMass Lowell in the Hockey East Opening Round.

Jakob Hellsten, UNH (Jr., G; Ljusdal, Sweden) Posted his third-straight shutout of UMass Lowell in Wednesday’s Opening Round game, stopping all 22 shots he faced to deliver a 1-0 win for UNH.

Alex Campbell, NU (Sr., F; Chateauguay, Que.) Racked up five points (1g, 4a) in two Hockey East Tournament games.

Justin Hryckowian, NU (Jr., F; L’Île-Bizard, Que.) Posted five points in two games, including three assists in a 4-0 win over Merrimack and two goals in a 4-2 setback at Boston University in the final game of the season.

Dylan Hryckowian, NU (Fr., F; L’Île-Bizard, Que.) Had five points of his own, registering a goal and two assists in a 4-0 win over Merrimack and assisting both goals in a 4-2 loss at BU.

Cameron Whitehead, NU (Fr., G; Orleans, Ont.) Posted a 22-save shutout in Wednesday’s Opening Round game and a 4-0 win over Merrimack.