The Departed: Ranking the Impact of BC Hockey’s Early Exits

By Anthony Iati

And then there were 15.

After a mass exodus of seven players entering their sophomore, junior, or senior seasons, Boston College Men’s Hockey returns 15 players, only 11 of whom saw significant ice time in 2015-2016. In spite of losing just four seniors to graduation, Jerry York’s Eagles face a tremendous challenge to replace the production of the players who signed professional contracts to take their careers to new heights. 

While each departed player was a significant contributor to the 2015-2016 squad that won the Hockey East regular season title, the Beanpot, and earned a spot in the Frozen Four, the absence of some will hurt even more than others. A ranking of the extent to which each underclassman’s presence will be missed, from least to most:

7. Adam Gilmour, Center/Right Wing, Minnesota Wild organization: It feels unfair to put Gilmour at #7 on this list. A big, physical forward, Gilmour’s versatility will be tough to match. He played multiple positions while flashing both a scoring touch and the ability to grind when necessary. Last season, Gilmour tied for the team lead by playing all 41 games, posting 26 points (12 G, 14 A) in the process. He seemed to get the most out of his talented linemates, including #2 on this list below.

6. Ian McCoshen, Defenseman, Florida Panthers organization: Somehow, the runner-up for the Old Time Hockey Best Defensive Defenseman Award is sixth on this list. McCoshen finished the season an astounding +30, and showed some more accuracy on his booming slap shot. He parlayed his role playing the point on the power play into 6 goals (3 PPG) and 15 assists. For all his talent, the reason he doesn’t finish higher on this list is simple: penalties. He led BC with 86 PIM– perhaps the leading culprit on a team plagued by spending too much time in the sin bin.

5. Miles Wood, Left Wing, New Jersey Devils organization: Wood leapfrogs McCoshen on this list because the Eagles needed every bit of his scoring punch in 2015-2016, and likely will again this upcoming season. As a freshman, he posted 10 goals and 25 assists while bringing impressive speed to the lineup. As they did McCoshen, penalties plagued Wood throughout the season.

4. Zach Sanford, Left Wing, Washington Capitals organization: Sanford is the most recent departure, announcing on July 12 that he has signed with Washington. He showed great improvement during his sophomore year and was a nice complement to Alex Tuch on the Eagles’ top scoring line. His numbers were similar to Wood’s- 13 goals and 26 assists on three fewer shots on goal than Wood had. Sanford was also more sound defensively, finishing +27 compared to Wood’s +13. He added 8 special teams goals and was on the rise before leaving BC.

3. Steve Santini, Defenseman, New Jersey Devils organization: What a bounce-back year for the New York native. After missing a large chunk of his sophomore season due to a wrist injury, Santini returned to be a defensive force for the Eagles. Always a fan favorite for his physicality and toughness, Santini’s departure now leaves a void– BC will need to find a new top stay-at-home defenseman. Few are better than Santini at protecting teammates on the ice and shutting down opposing scorers.

2. Alex Tuch, Right Wing, Minnesota Wild organization: Clutch. Nifty. Pure scorer. Tuch’s numbers are a bit deceiving- he finished just 4th on the Eagles in goals (18) and 10th in assists (16), but much of that can be attributed to a dreadfully slow start to the season. His shooting percentage of 15.3% ranked third on the team. As Boston University learned firsthand in the Beanpot, Tuch is simply a playmaker who has the talent to do almost anything he wants on the offensive end of the ice. With his jump to Minnesota, BC is losing a power play anchor, an intimidating scorer, and a star.

1. Thatcher Demko, Goaltender, Vancouver Canucks organization: Was there ever any doubt? The top spot on this list has to belong to Demko. A red hot, record-breaking start led to a phenomenal junior season from the San Diego native. Finally healthy after 2015 offseason hip surgery, Demko bailed out the Eagles time and time again, on his way to winning the Mike Richter Award as the nation’s most outstanding college goaltender. His stats speak for themselves- .935 save percentage, 1.88 GAA, and a BC-record 10 shutouts- but they don’t even tell the whole story. Check out this save. Or his Beanpot performance. BC has incoming goaltending talent, especially in the form of Joe Woll, but it’s unreasonable to expect any 2016-2017 Eagle to replace Thatcher Demko’s production.