A fabled Boston tradition will resume operations when the 69th Annual Beanpot Hockey Championship gets underway on Monday night at the TD Garden.
The 2021 championship was canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic after a stellar uninterrupted run that began in 1952. Harvard will take on Boston University in the opener (5 p.m.) and Boston College skates with defending champion Northeastern in the nightcap at 8 p.m. Harvard beat BU 7-4 in the first Beanpot title game.
In addition to promoting a lively atmosphere in the Garden, the Beanpot serves as a gateway to March Madness. BC legendary coach Jerry York famously labeled the Beanpot as “the start of trophy season.”
Here’s how the teams shake out.
Harvard
Colors: Crimson and White
Mascot: John Harvard
Coach: Ted Donato (17th season)
Captains: Nick Abruzzese, Casey Dornbach
Conference: ECAC
Record: 12-7-2
Beanpot record: 56-80
Beanpot record vs. BU: 19-29
Beanpot championships: 11
Last championship: 2017
The scout: Unlike its Beanpot counterparts from Hockey East, Harvard and the other Ivy League programs in ECAC did not compete in the 2020-21 season. Harvard enters its clash against the Terriers with two of its top scorers, forwards Nick Abruzzese (5-16-21) and Sean Farrell (8-11-19) of Hopkinton, competing for the U.S. Men’s National Hockey Team at the Winter Olympics.
The Crimson have played their best hockey over a recent four-game stretch that included victories over Colgate, a shootout win at No. 8 Cornell, an improbable come-from-behind 6-3 win at Boston College and a 3-1 home win against Dartmouth on Friday night. Right wing Alex Laferrire has 11 goals in 21 games and was the ECAC Player of the Month for January.
Boston University
Colors: Scarlet and white
Mascot: Terriers
Coach: Albie O’Connell (4th season)
Captain: Logan Cockerill
Conference: Hockey East
Record: 14-10-3
Beanpot record: 91-45
Beanpot record vs. Harvard: 29-18
Beanpot championships: 30
Last championship: 2015
The scout: The 19th-ranked Terriers recovered from a slow start to become the hottest team in country leading up to the Beanpot. BU went 10-1-1 in its last 12 that included wins over No. 9 UMass, No. 17 Providence and accentuated by a 4-0 victory over Maine on Friday night.
The Terriers are without goalie Drew Commesso, who is competing with the U.S. Men’s National Team at the Winter Olympics. Commesso was the Hockey East Goaltender of the Month in January going 6-1 with a .946 save percentage and 1.70 goals against average.
Hobey Baker Award nominee Domenick Fensore was recently named Hockey East Defender of the Week for the third time and has a team high 16 assists. Junior forward Robert Mastrosimone potted a pair against Maine and leads the Terriers with 11 goals.
Boston College
Colors: Maroon and gold
Mascot: Eagles
Coach: Jerry York (28th season)
Captains: Marc Mclaughlin, Patrick Giles, Jack McBain
Conference: Hockey East
Record: 10-13-4
Beanpot record: 80-56
Beanpot record vs. NU: 34-13
Beanpot championships: 20
Last championship: 2016
The scout: The BC roster took the biggest hit when the NHL withdrew participation in the Winter Olympics. The Eagles lost team captain Marc Mclaughlin of Billerica and Drew Helleson to the U.S. National Team and forward Jack McBain to the Canadian National team. A combined 33 goals, 35 assists and 66 points went with them.
The Eagles hit the skids after beating Dartmouth 6-1 back on New Year’s Eve. Even with the three Olympians on the roster for most of the slide, the Eagles have gone 0-8-1 since and was capped off by a 3-2 home loss to first place UMass-Lowell on Friday night at Conte Forum. The Beanpot provides the Eagles with a high-profile opportunity to get out of their funk.
Northeastern
Colors: Black and red
Mascot: Huskies
Coach: Jerry Keefe (1st season)
Captain: Jordan Harris
Conference: Hockey East
Record: 17-8-1
Beanpot record: 45-91
Beanpot record vs BC: 13-34
Beanpot championships: 7
Last championship: 2020
The scout: The Huskies started the season strong but are rebounding from a difficult stretch with Friday night’s win over Vermont. A strong showing in the Beanpot can be a season changer for the stretch run to the Hockey East Championships, even though the results do not count in in the conference standings. The Huskies will be without goalie Devon Levi, who is represent Canada in the Winter Olympics.
Northeastern has two things to look forward to at the tournament. The Huskies have won the last three Beanpots, so the tournament runs through Huntington Ave. Former coach Jim Madigan, who won the tournament as a player and coach, will be inducted into the Beanpot Hall of Fame. Madigan resigned as hockey coach to become athletic director in June 2021.