The Boston University-Boston College hockey rivalry began on Feb. 6, 1918 at Boston Arena and has played out 291 times at venues across the region.
The 292nd meeting on Friday night (7) at BC’s Conte Forum will be unprecedented even though it is a regular season Hockey East game with no trophy on the line.
The Hockey East-leading Terriers (16-4-1, 11-1-1) are ranked No. 1 in the nation in the USCHO poll, while the Eagles (16-4-1, 9-3-1) are No. 2. The last top-three matchup between these historically successful programs was the 2012 Beanpot title game when No. 3 BC beat No. 2 BU, 3-2, in overtime. BC went on to win the national championship.
“I was a little bit surprised because I figured in the history of these two programs that had to have been the case at some point,” said BU second-year coach Jay Pandolfo, a former Terriers’ captain who played under Jack Parker.
“Regardless of the one-two, I think this rivalry has always been a lot of fun to be part of. This year the stakes are a little higher because of the one and two rankings.
“I think you have a lot of players on these rosters that are high end talent that are going to have long careers after these two schools and I think that amplifies it more. I think it is great for all college hockey and in New England these is a buzz around it.”
The second game in the home and home series will be at BU’s Agganis Arena on Saturday night (7) and they will meet for a third time in the nightcap (8) of the 71st annual Beanpottwin bill on Monday, Feb. 5 at the TD Garden.
The best word to describe the rivalry is parity. BU leads the series 139-131-21, while BC holds a 16-10-20 edge in overtime games. BU has won five national championships, the latest in 2009. BC has won five, four in this century, with the latest in 2012.
BC beat BU 4-2 in the 2023 Beanpot consolation game. It was the first time in the 70-year history of the Beanpot that BU and BC met in the consolation game. BU regrouped and went on to capture the Hockey East championship and advance to the NCAA Frozen Four.
“It is great that both teams are doing very well and personally I think the rivalry is always there,” said BC second-year coach Greg Brown, who played at BC and served as an assistant Jerry York. “I think it is going to get more national coverage because both teams have had successful first halves.
“But to the players, it really doesn’t go away. It is always there and the intensity is there whether the teams are having good seasons or average seasons. I think the intensity between the two teams and the rivalry does not go away on the ice.”
A common thread on both squads is the abundance of high-end freshman talent. The Terriers’ formidable attack is led by Maklin Celebrini, 17-year-old forward from British Columbia. Celebrini is third in Hockey East in overall scoring with 16 goals, 16 assists and 32 points in 19 games and first in the conference with 13 goals, 12 assists for 25 points in 12 games. Macklin represented Canada in the IIHF World Junior Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, and is projected to be the first player taken in the 2024 NHL Draft.
“It’s his preparation, he is prepared and trains really hard in the offseason and during the season so he is prepared for this grind,” said Pandolfo. “That is kind of who he is and how he does things.
“With him, even if he is in a bit of a rut, you might not notice it because he competes so hard all the time and he is so productive.”
Three of the USA Hockey-record seven BC players at World Juniors on the gold medal-winning U.S. team are freshmen who were 2023 NHL first-round draft picks and play on the same line.
Center Will Smith was taken fourth by the Sharks, right wing Ryan Leonard was selected by the Capitals with the eighth pick and Rangers grabbed left wing Gabe Perrault with the 23rd pick. Over the course of 21 games, the trio have combined for 32 goals, 59 assists and 81 points.
“They are really good and it is pretty simple, there is not any other way to put it,” said BC center Jack Malone, a graduate transfer from Cornell. “It seems like they do it every night making plays.
“They came on the first week or two, if you want to call that a transitional period for them, the first couple of games. But ever since then they have stepped up for us in big ways, which is very hard to do for three freshmen.
“They are three 18-year-olds coming into college hockey and have only gotten better as the year has gone along. They are a very impressive trio and they definitely step up to the plate when they can.”