Men’s Hockey: Terriers Return to the Ice for Home Opener Against Long Island

Featured image by Holly Gustavsen

By Jenny Chen

174 days ago, the Terriers’ season ended in heartbreak — losing in the NCAA Championship game 6-2 to the Western Michigan University Broncos.

This weekend, Boston University Men’s Ice Hockey (0-0-0, 0-0-0 HEA) start the journey of climbing up the mountain again as they open up their 2025-2026 season at Agganis Arena facing the Long Island University Sharks (0-0-0) on Saturday night.

The spotlight will once more be on the Coles.

Sophomore defenseman Cole Hutson is the top returning scorer, putting up 14 goals and 34 assists for 48 points last year. He was second on the team only to his older brother, now Edmonton Oilers forward Quinn Hutson, and scored the most of any freshman in the entire country. 

Hutson also won the Tim Taylor Award for the most outstanding freshman in the NCAA and was named New England and Hockey East Rookie of the Year, while collecting First Team All-American, New England All-Star, and Hockey East First Team and All-Rookie honors. 

Sophomore forward Cole Eiserman recorded 25 goals last year, leading all freshmen in the NCAA. He also registered 11 assists for 36 points total, and stands second in returning scorers. 

Both were named alternate captains in September, along with junior forward Jack Harvey, and junior defenseman Gavin McCarthy, who will captain BU.

Additionally, a group of 12 freshmen and two transfers highlight this year’s Terriers.

Sophomore forward Sacha Boisvert and senior forward Owen McLaughlin join BU from the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks as their top two scorers from last year, with Boisvert collecting National Collegiate Hockey Conference Rookie of the Year honors as well.

Four of the 12 freshmen — Carter Amico, Conrad Fondrk, Jack Murtagh, and Charlie Tretheway  — come to Boston from the U.S. National Development Team Program, and Ryder Ritchie, who enters BU’s program from the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Western Hockey League, is the Terriers’ first recruit from Canadian major-junior hockey.

With its season opener against the Sharks, this will be BU’s first-ever matchup against Long Island University whose program was promoted to NCAA Division 1 only five years ago.

The Sharks will be led by senior forward and captain Casey McDonald and alternates senior forward Brett Ryland, senior defenseman AJ Casperson, junior forward Heath Armstrong, and senior defensemen Trevor Griebel. 

Long Island’s top returning scorer is J.R Peridion, who scored 4 goals and assisted 14 times for 18 points.

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. on Oct. 4 at Agganis Arena with streaming available on ESPN+ and TSN+.