Alright, we are back with some more updates. I know you all are dying to know how bad my golf game is- the one good round I had last month lost to a net 59 best ball. Not fun. Anyways, let's take a dive into the important stuff.
Last week was the first time 2006 birthdates could commit to NCAA schools. This was a new rule put in place a few years ago, one that I certainly think made a lot of sense given how early some kids were committing. Remember when T.J. Walsh (BC) and Jake Wise (BU) committed so early? Thankfully, those days are over and I think it is beneficial for the player and the programs.
BC received a commitment right away from Matthew Frost, a forward who currently lives in Virginia but is originally from Western Canada. The Waterloo Black Hawks made Frost the top overall pick in the USHL draft this past spring. Frost recorded 62 points in 58 games this past season for the Selects 16U team. The scouting website, Neutral Zone, describes Frost- "he processes the game quickly and makes split second decisions to either take ice or get pucks to teammates. He slips in and out of coverage in the offensive zone and gets to areas before the puck does". Neutral Zone rated Frost as a 4.25/5 star prospect. Frost will likely spend two years in the USHL before heading to Chestnut Hill in the fall of 2024.
For a week, Frost was BC's only commit in the 2024 class, but that changed tonight as incoming NTDP forward Teddy Stiga committed to the Eagles over Harvard and Boston University. Stiga, who played this past season for Belmont Hill, recorded 21 points in 23 games last season. Neutral Zone describes Stiga, rated as a 4.5/5 prospect, as a "high IQ forward with soft, patient hands and a quick first step who led his high school team to its first prep championship appearance in over 25 years. He is agile, light on his feet but has deceptive balance in a crowd and able to get off checks against bigger opponents". Stiga will accelerate and play for the US National Development Team for two years before coming to BC in 2024.
So, these are two major recruiting victories for the staff. I got some messages over the past few days lamenting how well BU has been recruiting since the "signing period" began a week ago and while the Terriers have assembled a heck of a class, led by Macklin Celebrini, I think BC has done a nice job of adding two forwards who will, if all goes right, contribute right away. Of course, you have to hope that these players continue to develop while they're in the USHL, but if all goes according to plan, they will arrive at BC ready to hit the ground running with a plethora of talent surrounding them.
Essentially, BC's future success is going to come down to whether or not they can 1- continue to recruit at a high level (thanks, captain obvious) and 2- if they can get their best players to stick around for more than a year. For example, BC's 2023 recruiting class, headlined by Will Smith and Ryan Leonard, is one of the best in program history, but if players like Trevor Kuntar, Nikita Nesterenko, Colby Ambrosio, and of course, Cutter Gauthier all bounce after this season, BC is going to be heavily reliant on freshmen right off the bat. Gauthier is already on the record as saying he plans on signing with Philadelphia after this season. If they can keep some players around while adding some of the highly rated prospects they already have in the pipeline, they are going to be a contender again, sooner rather than later.
As for the rest of BC's 2024 recruiting class, I would not be shocked if the keep the total number lower than normal. The prospect everyone wants to know about is Cole Eiserman of Newburyport, but I would be very, very surprised if he ended up at BC. I would keep my eye on two prospects- Aidan Park, a forward out of Los Angeles and Shattuck St. Mary's. BC has had some recent success getting players from Southern California- Jack St. Ivany and Aidan Hreschuk come to mind. The other name I am watching is James Hagens, from New York. I would be surprised if Hagens ended up anywhere but Harvard, given that his brother is committed to the Crimson, but expect BC to make a run here.
As for the current roster, I have one update. BC will add graduate transfer Christian O'Neill, who previously played for Princeton. O'Neill, another Belmont Hill product, recorded 12 points in 30 games for the Tigers last season. O'Neill's dad, Jeff, played at BC from 1988 to 1992. I expect O'Neill, a forward, will slot in on the third line- likely at left wing.
That is all I have for now. As we get closer to the season, I hope to have more stories up on here. As always, the best way to get updates is from our Twitter handle @BCHockeyblogger. Hit em straight!
