Difference makers are the players coaches turn to in the biggest moments, who kids want to grow up to be and who fans pay to see.
New England men's college hockey will have plenty of those players this season.
From the Boston University Terriers to the reigning national champion Quinnipiac Bobcats, there will be prospects making a difference.
Here are the top difference makers in New England this season.
Lane Hutson, Boston University
Hutson’s not only the biggest difference maker in New England, but also he probably holds that distinction across college hockey. As a freshman last season, the Montreal Canadiens second-round draft pick led Hockey East in scoring and tied for seventh in the country with 48 points (15 goals, 33 assists). With the puck on his stick, he is dynamic with a capital D.
Macklin Celebrini, Boston University
Is it a stretch to tout a player as a difference-maker before he’s even played a game in college? Not if that player is Celebrini. The BU freshman has been a big-time player at every level, and college will be no different.
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Scott Morrow, UMass
While Morrow returning to Amherst for his junior season is great news for the Minutemen, the rest of Hockey East no doubt would have rather seen him turn pro with the Carolina Hurricanes, the team that drafted him in the second round in 2021. Morrow drives the UMass offense from the back end. He led the team in points last season with 31 in 35 games. Not many defensemen in college hockey make as many plays in the offensive zone as he does.
Matthew Wood, UConn
Wood was just 17 years old for most of last season, the youngest player in the NCAA. His youth didn’t hold him back as he led UConn in points with 34 (11 goals, 23 assists) in 35 games. Wood, often compared to former Huskie Tage Thompson, is just scratching the surface.
Collin Graf/Jacob Quillan/Sam Lipkin, Quinnipiac
Quinnipiac has produced some terrific lines during its rise to national prominence over the past dozen years and associate head coach Joe Dumais has seen them all. So when he says the Graf-Quillan-Lipkin trio is the best of the bunch, it carries some weight. After delivering the electrifying OT goal that won the national championship in April, Quinnipiac’s big line is back for more.
Ryan Leonard/Will Smith/Gabe Perreault, Boston College
These three freshmen — all first-round NHL draft picks in June — put up record numbers while playing on the same line with the U.S. National Team Development Program. If the Eagles coaching staff decides to keep them together, there’s a very good chance they’ll do some damage this season.
Hunter McDonald, Northeastern
McDonald had the kind of freshman season that made you wonder why he wasn’t selected until the sixth round (by Philadelphia) in 2022. He’s a shutdown defender with NHL size at 6-foot-4 and a mean streak. Offensive studs such as Celebrini of BU and Smith of BC can expect to see a lot of McDonald when they face Northeastern this season.
Alex Jefferies, Merrimack
Merrimack made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2011 and Jefferies played a pivotal role, leading the team in points with 41 (14 goals, 27 assists) in 38 games. His decision to return for his senior year is a big win for coach Scott Borek (Swampscott, Mass.) and his staff.
Cutter Gauthier, Boston College
Gauthier, a strong skater who looks to shoot at every opportunity, will be a force for BC again this season. Philadelphia’s first-round pick (seventh overall) in 2022, he recorded a team-high 37 points (16 goals, 23 assists) in 32 games as a freshman. Gauthier was one of the top offensive threats for the United States team at the World Junior Championship and finished his season by scoring seven goals in 10 games playing against men at the World Championship.
Lynden Breen, Maine
Breen’s specialty is blue-collar goals. The junior free agent, who attended development camp with the Vancouver Canucks this summer, finished last season strong with 13 goals in the last 13 games and led Hockey East in goals with 21. His performance in a 3-2 overtime win against Merrimack in February was one of the high points of the Black Bears’ season. He potted two shorthanded goals on the same penalty to tie the game in the third period, then assisted on the game-winning goal in OT.
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Honorable mention: Norm Bazin, Lowell
OK, he’s not a player, but you better believe he makes a difference. Few, if any, coaches in college hockey do more with less year after year than Lowell’s Bazin. His roster is never dotted with NHL draft picks or potential top free agents, but the River Hawks always are a team to be reckoned with. In 12 years under Bazin, Lowell has made seven trips to the NCAA tournament and won three Hockey East championships. Opponents know the River Hawks will be difficult to play against and will have excellent goaltending.
