Rivalries are one of the defining attractions of NCAA hockey and there is no better rivalry in the college game than the one between Boston University and Boston College.
The teams will meet for the first time this season at Boston College on Friday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN+, TSN) and at Boston University on Saturday. They'll play again on the first night of the Beanpot tournament Feb. 5.
The timing is perfect with BU ranked No. 1 and BC ranked No. 2 in the national polls this week. Each team is 16-4-1.
The schools, whose rinks are less than four miles apart on Commonwealth Avenue, met for the first time on Feb. 6, 1918, a 3-1 win by BC. They've met 291 times, with BU holding a 139-131-21 edge. Each has won five national championships. This will be the first time they've played while ranked first and second in the polls.
This season, even more than usual, each roster is filled with some of the brightest NHL prospects in college hockey. Each team has 13 NHL draft picks.
"It's going to be a great test for us," BC coach Greg Brown said. "They're right in front of us. We have a real challenge to try and catch up. When we have watched them on video, they do so many things well. (Macklin) Celebrini is obviously a special, special player, but they've got lots of guys up and down the lineup. They play to their identity very well and we know it. It's going to be a fun weekend."
Coming off a sweep at University of Vermont last weekend, BU has its sights set on its biggest rival.
"Clearly it's a big matchup and there's a lot of excitement and buzz around it. We've just got to make sure we're doing our job every day getting ready," coach Jay Pandolfo said.
Here are five players to watch on each team:
Boston University
Macklin Celebrini
The freshman center and youngest player in the NCAA at 17 is the consensus top prospect for the 2024 NHL Draft.
After winning USHL Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors with the Chicago Steel last season, Celebrini is tied for fifth in NCAA scoring with 32 points (16 goals, 16 assists) in 19 games.
Celebrini, who played for Canada at the 2024 World Junior Championship, scored twice against Vermont on Friday and had a goal Saturday. He was named Hockey East Rookie of the Week on Monday.
Lane Hutson
The sophomore won a gold medal with the United States at the 2024 WJC and was named one of the two top defenseman in the tournament.
A dynamic offensive player, Hutson assisted on four of BU's five goals at Vermont on Friday, and scored a goal Saturday. He has 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 19 games.
Hutson was named Hockey East Rookie of the Year as a freshman in 2022-23 when he had 48 points (15 goals, 33 assists) in 39 games. He was chosen by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round (No. 62) of the 2022 NHL Draft.
Luke Tuch
A senior forward who frequently plays left wing alongside Celebrini, Tuch has 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in 21 games. He was drafted by the Canadiens in the second round (No. 47) in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Tuch's older brother, Alex, played at Boston College from 2014-16, and scored 36 goals for the Buffalo Sabres last season.
Tom Willander
Willander, a freshman defenseman, played for Sweden in the 2024 WJC. He has 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 19 games this season and his plus-13 rating is tied with Tuch for second on the team behind Case McCarthy (plus-14).
Willander was selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the first round (No. 11) of the 2023 NHL Draft.
Jeremy Wilmer
A rare undrafted forward in BU's lineup, Wilmer (5-8, 158) is third on the team in scoring behind Celebrini and Hutson. He has 22 points (three goals, 19 assists) in 21 games.
The sophomore attended development camp with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the offseason.
Boston College
Jacob Fowler
The freshman goalie has started every game for BC and is 16-4-1 with a 2.27 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage. He won all three of his starts for the gold-medal-winning United States at the 2024 WJC.
Fowler was selected by the Canadiens in the third round (No. 69) of the 2023 draft.
Cutter Gauthier
The sophomore center had a hat trick in a win against Merrimack College on Friday. He has 30 points (17 goals, 13 assists) in 21 games.
Playing for the U.S. at the 2024 WJC lead, Gauthier tied for the tournament lead in points with 12 (two goals, 10 assists).
Selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round (No. 5) of the 2022 draft, Gauthier was traded to the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 8 for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. He is expected to sign with the Ducks once BC's season ends.
Ryan Leonard
Leonard, center Will Smith and left wing Gabe Perreault make up one of the most dynamic lines in college hockey, building on the record-breaking success they had with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program before enrolling at BC this year.
Leonard has 26 points (12 goals, 14 assists) in 21 games and is on a five-game point streak with nine points (two goals, seven assists).
He was selected by the Washington Capitals in the first round (No. 8) of the 2023 draft.
Gabe Perreault
The freshman forward leads BC and is tied for third in the country with 34 points (seven goals, 27 assists) in 21 games. He scored on a breakaway and had an assist in a 6-2 win against Merrimack on Sunday, and has 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) during a seven-game point streak.
Perreault was selected by the New York Rangers in the first round (No. 23) of the 2023 draft.
Will Smith
The freshman center is second on the team with 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists) in 21 games. He has 12 points (seven goals, five assists) in his past seven games, including at least one goal in six straight games.
Smith was the No. 4 pick by the San Jose Sharks in the 2023 draft.
