Two Rangers draft picks claim Hockey East Championship with Boston College
On Saturday night, two of the New York Rangers top picks from the 2023 NHL Draft were raising the Hockey East Trophy high overhead as Boston College defeated rival school Boston University 6-2.
Forward Gabe Perreault (1st Rd, No. 23 Overall) and defenseman Drew Fortescue (3rd Rd, No. 90 Overall), helped BC win their 12th Hockey East Championship, and first since 2012, in a dominant 60-minute performance.
BC was led by forward Will Smith (San Jose Sharks, 2023, No. 4 Overall), who scored five points (four goals, one assist). He’s part of a freshman line that also includes Perreault (one goal, two assists) and Ryan Leonard (two assists).
“Three freshmen, on one line, it’s special to create that much offense,” BC coach Greg Brown said. “The fact that they played together last year [for the U.S. NTDP] helped. They didn’t have a break-in period at the start of the year. They all see the game very similarly. When they’re on the move, they move the puck quicker than the D can read and react to it.”
Both teams will compete for the NCAA Title beginning later in March.
Rangers picks Gabe Perreault and Drew Fortescue win Hockey East
No. 1 BC (31-5-1) routed No. 5 ranked UMass on Friday by an 8-1 score and obviously had enough in the tank to defeat No. 2 ranked Boston University the next night.
Despite missing a month of action with an undisclosed injury, Perreault returned to register seven points (three goals, four assists) in two tournament contests. His point streak is now at 18 games, and is the longest active streak in the NCAA.
This season, his stats are staggering with 57 points (18 goals, 39 assists) in 32 NCAA games. As a U19 prospect (under the age of 19), his points per game average of 1.78 ties him for second with NHL superstar Jack Eichel over the last 30 years. At this current rate, Perreault stands a good chance to surpass Adam Fanitilli’s mark of 1.81.
Meanwhile, Fortescue is having a solid season as a two-way defenseman for BC. The Pearl River, NY native has registered seven points (four goals, three assists) in 36 games to date with a +13 rating.
Success is not foreign to these two promising prospects. Back in January, they claimed Gold with Team USA at the 2024 World Junior Championship in Sweden. Perreault finished the tournament with 10 points (three goals, seven assists) and Fortescue notched four points (one goal, three assists) in 7 games.
A trip to the Frozen Four appears to be their next likely destination.
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