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Coming Along Nicely : College Hockey News

Not Enough : College Hockey News

November 25, 2022
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Despite Ups and Downs Early, Gauthier and BC Learning Quickly

by Anthony Travalgia/CHN Reporter (@A_Travalgia)

After an eighth place Hockey East finish last season, the retirement of coach Jerry York and loss of core players such as Drew Helleson, Jack McBain and Marc McLaughlin, a lot of questions surrounded Boston College entering the 2022-23 season.

While the Eagles are off to a 4-5-2 start (4-3-1 in Hockey East), they believe they’ve played much better than their record indicates. 

Returnees such as Colby Ambrosio, Trevor Kuntar and Nikita Nesterenko have been key drivers to Boston College’s start, but it’s been freshman Cutter Gauthier that has given the Eagles the shot in the arm they’ve needed.

Gauthier committed to Boston College in August of 2020 with hopes of playing for coach York. 

“Obviously playing for the most winningest coach of all time in college hockey was a good part and good chunk of why I came out here,” Gauthier said. “But I think it was the culture, the winning culture, the facilities, the city itself — Boston, the campus and the school. All those things had a role of why I committed here and Jerry York was the cherry on top.”

Instead it’s a different famed alum, Greg Brown, in his debut year as an NCAA coach. Brown’s coaching career begin at his alma mater in 2004, where he served as an assistant coach under York until he was promoted to associate coach in 2012. 

After winning a few national championships behind the Eagles bench, Brown left Boston College to take an assistant coaching job with the New York Rangers in 2018, then spent the 2021-22 season as head coach of USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints.

Through 11 games at Boston College as head coach, Brown has done just as he has at his previous stops: get the most out of his young players.

Two of the three Eagles who are tied for the team lead in points are freshmen, one of those being Gauthier.

“It was unfortunate that I couldn’t be coached by such a legend, but super happy that Greg Brown filled in and he’s been nothing but the best, especially recently. He’s played at the highest level so he knows what it takes to get there and he’s coached at the highest level, too,” Gauthier said.

“To have that experience at the NHL level and translate it down to college to help me get better and better every single day has been a huge…

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