If you had to draw up a national championship team on paper, Boston College's 2003-04 team would have been it; very few losses to graduation, a great goaltender coming back, and a legendary coach shopping for another season of Beanpot glory and a NCAA tournament run.
Well, you win on ice, not paper, but BC did finish first in the Hockey East, win the Beanpot, and advance to the Frozen Four for the fifth time in seven years. An A- would be a fair grade. Now on to next year's chances of high marks.
First, the players that are leaving BC. Leading scorer Tony Voce (29 goals) and defensive anchor JD Forrest are both graduating in May. Also trading in helmets and pads for caps and gowns are captain Ben Eaves, forwards Ty Hennes and Justin Dziama, and defenseman Brett Peterson.
Voce's departure leaves a massive gap in BC's offensive firepower, which struggled down the stretch. Looking to pick up the slack will be Ryan Shannon and Patrick Eaves, the other lone Eagles to reach double figures in goals this year, with 15 and 18, respectfully.
No one will be more affected by actions off the ice next season than Eaves. Having been drafted by the Ottawa Senators, he has the talent to go pro next season, but if he does, he may find that he has no team. The NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is set to expire after the playoffs, and many experts anticipate a lockout, putting the chance of seeing any NHL team in an arena next year at slim to none. One of the issues facing the NHL is overexpansion, and the natural solution being proposed is contraction. Two of the league's teams have already skated within a blue line of bankruptcy, and one of them is Ottawa. Should that happen, Eaves could find himself without a contract as a free agent, and a stellar 2004-05 season at BC could make him a very sought-after player after graduation.
Last offseason, BC had no major gaps to fill to graduation, but still came up winners in the recruiting wars by nabbing 6'7" defenseman Brian Boyle, who was drafted in the first round by the Los Angeles Kings. This year, the Eagles have spread their talent more evenly. Eight players have been identified as targets, and thus far two have already signed national letters of intent. Mike Brennan, 5'11", from Smithtown, NY, and 6'3" Todd Perry from Ingleside, Ontario and the Canadian Junior Hockey League, look to form BC's defensive tandem of the future.
Spring Break
