BU Men's Hockey Quarter Century Team
With the input of over 20 current and former BU media members, broadcasters, and longtime fans, the BU Men's Hockey Quarter Century First and Second Teams have been selected
The past 25 years of BU Hockey has seen the Terriers rise and fall and rise again, from the return to the Frozen Four after a 12-year absence en route to a 5th National Championship to the “Never Again” season to a revitalization and Frozen Four three-peat. The past quarter century saw 235 Terriers take the ice and 4 head coaches behind the bench—the most in a 25-year span since 1950-1975, which also saw 4 (Harry Cleverly, Jack Kelley, Leon Abbott, and Jack Parker).
Huge thanks to the Voice of Agganis Arena, Nick Bove for his narration of the reveal video
Quarter Century First-Team
The First-Team features 3 Hobey Baker Winners, 3 Walter Brown Award winners, a combined 7 First-Team All-American Honors, 3 Hockey East Players of the Year, 2 Tim Taylor (NCAA Rookie of the Year) Award Winners and 2 National Champions.
Forwards
Jack Eichel (2014-15) — 21 votes
In his sole season as a Terrier in the 2014-15 season, Eichel set the program record for points by a Freshman with 71, after scoring 26 goals and recording 45 assists. A Member of the Hockey East All-Rookie Team, All-Hockey East First-Team, and a 1st Team All-American, he became the first Terrier to lead the nation in scoring since Herb Wakabayashi in 1966-67. The third Terrier to win the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, Eichel became just the 2nd freshman to earn the honor. Jack Eichel also won the USA Hockey College Player of the Year and the Tim Taylor (NCAA Rookie of the Year) Award—at the time just the 2nd Terrier to do so. Along with winning a Beanpot, Eichel also won the Hockey East Tournament, earning the William Flynn Tournament MVP award in the process. He was also the 3rd player to be named Hockey East Rookie and Player of the Year in the same season.
Macklin Celebrini (2023-24) — 20 votes
The only Canadian on the Quarter Century Team, Macklin Celebrini is the first freshman Terrier since Mark Fidler in 1977-78 to score 30 goals in a season. Celebrini earned Hockey East All-Rookie Team, All-Hockey East First-Team honors and was named a 1st Team All-American. The 2023-24 Hockey East Player and Rookie of the Year, became the youngest player ever to win the Hobey Baker Memorial Award.
Nick Bonino (2007-10) — 16 votes
A member of the 100 Point Club, Nick Bonino spent 3 seasons in the Scarlet and White recording 45 goals and 72 assists, totaling 117 points. The 2009 Beanpot MVP scored the game tying goal with 15.4 seconds left in the 3rd period of the 2009 National Championship game en route to the Terriers 5th National Championship Title.
Defensemen
Lane Hutson (2022-24) — 21 votes
The two time First-Team All-American, smashed the program record for points by a freshman defenseman with 48 points in the 2022-23. In the same season, Hutson became the first ever defenseman to claim the Hockey East Scoring Crown. The first Terrier since 2009 to win the Walter Brown Award, scored the game winning overtime goal to give BU their 10th Hockey East Tournament Title, earning tournament MVP honors in the process. In two seasons in Scarlet and White, Hutson scored 30 goals and recorded 67 assists for 97 total points.
Matt Gilroy (2005-09) — 20 votes
The 3-time Beanpot Champion and Captain of the 2009 National Champion Terriers, Matt Gilroy, became the 2nd Terrier to win the Hobey Baker Award in 2009. The 2009 Walter Brown Award winner, scored 25 goals and recorded 67 assists, totaling 92 points in Scarlet and White. After joining the team as a walk-on, Gilroy went on to be a 3 time All-American, two of which were First-Team selections. He was also a member of the All Hockey-East 1st all four years as a Terrier.
Goalie
John Curry (2003-07) — 14 votes
In goal, John Curry, who set the program record for career goals against average with 2.07 and career save percentage with a .923. The 2007 Walter Brown Award winner—the first Terrier goalie to do so since Cleon Daskalakis in 1984—and Hockey East Player of the Year, backstopped the Terriers to 3 straight Beanpot titles, going 5-0 in the tournament, including allowing just 1 goal on 64 shots faced in the 2007 tournament to earn MVP and Eberly Award honors. Curry possessed a 59-29-15 record with 13 shutouts.
Coach
Jack Parker (1972-2013) — 15 votes
Though he retired in 2013, Parker led the Terriers to 280 wins in the Quarter Century, including a national championship in 2009, 2 Hockey East Tournament Titles, 3 Hockey East Regular Season titles, and 6 Beanpot titles. He was twice named Hockey East Coach of the Year and earned the Spencer Penrose Award in 2009.
Quarter Century Second-Team
The Second-Team features 2 National Champions, a USA Hockey College Player of the Year, 3 Captains, 3 First-Team All-Americans, 3 Second-Team All-Americans, a Hockey East Rookie of the Year, and a Hockey East Tournament MVP.
Forwards
Colin Wilson (2007-09) — 13 votes
A Hobey Baker Finalist in 2009, Colin Wilson was named the USA Hockey College Player of the Year the same season. With 29 goals and 61 assists for 90 career points as a Terrier, Wilson was named the Hockey East Rookie of the Year in the 2007-08 season and was the Hockey East Scoring Champion in 2008-09. Wilson became the first Terrier since Chris Drury in 1997-98 to record 50 points in a season during the 2008-09 season. He earned First-Team All-American honors en route to the 2009 National Championship.
Danny O'Regan (2012-16) — 12 votes
The leader in goals and points in the quarter-century with 66 and 154, respectively, Danny O’Regan led the Terriers in scoring his freshman (2012-13) and senior years (2015-16). He earned Second-Team All-American honors as a senior in 2015-16. O’Regan was one of 7 players since 1998 to record 50+ points in a season, doing so in the 2014-15 season.
Evan Rodrigues (2011-15) — 9 votes
Second only to his line mate, Jack Eichel, with 61 pts, Evan Rodrigues finished 2nd nationally in points in 2014-15 to cap off his BU career as a senior—one of only 3 Terriers since 1996-97 to record 60 points in a season. He was a member of the 2nd Team All-Hockey East in two seasons as a Terrier in 2012-13 and 2014-15. Rodrigues finished his time in Scarlet and White with 42 goals and 79 assists, for 121 points, with over half of his points coming as a senior. He also tied the program record with 6 assists vs. UMass-Amherst on January 30th, 2015—the most in a game since Ron Anderson vs. Merrimack on January 4th, 1972.
Pete MacArthur (2004-08) — 9 votes
A Second-Team All-American as a senior, Pete MacArthur is one of two players on the Quarter Century Teams to play at Walter Brown Arena and is the only one to score at both Walter Brown and Agganis Arena. His 64 goals and 154 points are second among Terriers in the quarter-century, only behind O’Regan. MacArthur who captained the 2007–08 Terriers was the team’s scoring champion in 3 of his 4 seasons in Scarlet and White and was named to a Hockey East All-Star Team in all four years at BU—All Rookie-Team in 2004-05, 2nd Team All-Hockey East in 2005-06 and 2006-07, and 1st Team All-Hockey East in 2007-08.
Defensemen
Matt Grzelcyk (2012-16) — 17 votes
Beanpot Hall of Famer and 2015 Beanpot MVP, Matt Grzelcyk, scored the game winning goal in the 2015 Beanpot Championship game to give the Terriers’ their first title since 2009. The two time captain—2014-15 and 2015-16—Grzelcyk twice earned First-Team All-American honors in the same seasons. In his 125 games in Scarlet and White, he scored 26 goals and 69 assists, totalling 95 points.
Kevin Shattenkirk (2007-10) — 9 votes
Captain of the 2009–10 Terriers, Kevin Shattenkirk, scored 18 goals and recorded 60 assists for 78 points in his 3 seasons at BU. Shattenkirk recorded the primary assist on the National Championship winning goal in 2009. A Second-Team All-American in 2008-09, he was 3rd on the team in goals (7), assists (21), and points (28) among defensemen.
Goalie
Jake Oettinger (2016-19) — 13 votes
Oettinger nearly matched First-Team Goalie John Curry, statistically nearly exactly. He possessed a 58-40-11 record, including 13 shutouts. He matched Curry’s program record .923 SV% and recorded a 2.34 GAA—3rd best in program history. The 2008 Hockey East Tournament MVP, recorded the 3rd most career saves with 3054, 1 behind Sean Fields for 2nd with Kieran Millan holding the record with 3768. In 2018-19, Oettinger recorded the most saves in Scarlet and White by a goalie not named Kieran Millan—who recorded 1110 in 2011-12 and 1085 in 2010-11—with 1076.
Coach
Jay Pandolfo (2022-Pres.) — 6 votes
A national champion as a player, Jay Pandolfo returned to Comm Ave in 2021-22 as an associate head coach before being elevated to head coach the following season. Under Pandolfo, the Terriers accumulated an 81-35-4 record. After reaching 4 straight Frozen Fours as a player, Coach Pandolfo led the Terriers to the Frozen Four in each of his 3 seasons behind the bench. The 2023 Hockey East Coach of the Year, led the Terriers to a Hockey East Regular Season Title and Hockey East Tournament title in his first season. In the 2024-25 season, the Terriers claimed their first Beanpot title in the Pandolfo Era, becoming the 7th straight Terrier head coach to do so.
Others Receiving Votes
Forwards
Clayton Keller (2016-17)—5 votes, Wilmer Skoog (2019-23)—4 votes, Quinn Hutson (2022-25)—3 votes, Bobo Carpenter (2015-19)/Brandon Yip (2005-09)—2 votes, Alex Chiasson (2009-12)/Brady Tkachuk (2017-18)/Charlie Coyle (2010-12)/Chris Connolly (2008-12)/Chris Higgins (2005-09)/David Van der Gulik (2002-06)/Joe Pereira (2007-11)/Jordan Greenway (2015-18)/Matt Brown (2021-23)/Ryan Greene (2022-25)/Trevor Zegras (2019-20)—1 vote
Defensemen
Charlie McAvoy (2015-17)—7 votes, David Farrance (2017-21)—3 votes, Colby Cohen (2007-10)/Freddy Meyer (1999-03)—2 votes, Adam Clendening (2010-12)/Case McCarthy (2019-24)/Dan Spang (2002-06)/David Warsofsky (2008-11)/Domenick Fensore (2019-23)/Ryan Whitney (2001-04)—1 vote
Goalies
Kieran Millan (2008-12)—10 votes, Sean Fields (2000-04)—3 votes, Drew Commesso (2020-23)—1 vote
Coaches
David Quinn—1 vote
Notes on the Quarter Century Teams:
Matt Gilroy (#97) and Macklin Celebrini (#71) wore two of the 4 highest uniform numbers in program history
Macklin Celebrini is the only player on either team to win 0 team trophies as a Terrier
Jack Eichel is the only member of the First-Team not to be teammates with any other member of the First-Team while Jake Oettinger is the only player on either team not to have a teammate on either Quarter Century Team
The First-Team includes all 3 Terriers to win the Walter Brown Award this quarter century—Curry, Gilroy, Hutson
The teams feature 4 Beanpot MVPs and 3 Hockey East Tournament MVPs
John Curry is the only member of the First-Team to play a game at Walter Brown Arena—Eichel played an exhibition there against BU as a member of Team USA—playing in the last game before Agganis Arena opened as well as the opening game at Agganis Arena
Both First-Team defensemen were teammates with one of their brothers at BU—both of which were forwards—Lane played with brother Quinn and Matt played with brother Kevin
Quarter Century Players under Jack Parker:
First-Team: Nick Bonino, Matt Gilroy, John Curry
Second-Team: Pete MacArthur, Kevin Shattenkirk, Colin Wilson, Danny O'Regan (1 seasons), Evan Rodrigues (2 seasons), Matt Grzelcyk (1 season)
Quarter Century Players under David Quinn:
First-Team: Jack Eichel
Second-Team: Danny O'Regan (3 seasons), Evan Rodrigues (2 seasons), Matt Grzelcyk (3 seasons), Jake Oettinger
Quarter Century Players under Jay Pandolfo:
First-Team: Lane Hutson, Macklin Celebrini
Ballot Breakdown
It isn't until you sit down and look at this list of illustrious names that you come to appreciate the rich history of Boston University Hockey. We've been lucky for the past quarter-decade to see so many deep postseason runs, so many winning seasons, and so many future NHL stars.
So how do you whittle down the list to the best of the best? Do you favor the talented one-and-dones because of who they become in the NHL, or do you reward the three or four year players who shined in college and became bedrocks of the program? Do you focus on the players who made and even won championships on strong rosters, or do you try to spotlight the players that elevated themselves during the leaner years? And of course, are you spreading the love to the players from 20 years ago and not being biased towards the more recent successful seasons?
-Nick Bove, Agganis Arena PA Announcer (2018-present)
If you want to make your voice heard we are also running a fan vote.
Conclusion
It was truly a joy to put the BU Men’s Hockey Quarter Century Team together. I was amazed not only by the amount of people that agreed to participate but also their genuine enthusiasm to be asked. It says a lot about the BU community and Terrier Nation as a whole. I want to thank all those that participated from longtime bloggers like Rick Sacks and Matt Dresens, to longtime fixtures of the BU Hockey gameday experience like the Voice of Agganis Arena, Nick Bove, and Terrier Nation’s Top Cryptid, Brian Zive (a.k.a. Sasquatch), to longtime fans like BurntBoats and Jeff Simon among others, to the broadcasters who give the people at home a better understanding of the game.
A special thanks to the heart and soul of BU Hockey media, the student beat writers, these men and women work tirelessly to balance coursework and in-depth coverage of the Terriers through the highs and lows of the program. They made up a good chunk of the voters from Scott McLaughlin to Conor Ryan to Brady Gardner and Patrick Donnelly to Caroline Fernandez and Belle Fraser to Mitch Fink, their times on the BU Men’s Hockey Beat stretch from 2009 to 2025 and their coverage will always be an important part of the history and legacy of BU Hockey.
Thank you to all those who made the past 25 years of Terrier Hockey exciting: the players, the coaches, SIDs, the BU Band, the Dog Pound, rinkside reporters, broadcasters, photographers, videographers, and fans young and old. Here’s to another great quarter century of BU Hockey. GO BU!