Marc McLaughlin knows a thing or two about leadership. He was a captain of his Cedar Rapids team in the United States Hockey League. He won the Curt Hammer Award as the USHL’s Gentleman of the Year in 2018.
Now the North Billerica, Mass., native has been named a captain, for the second straight year, at Boston College.
“I’m honored and honestly humbled, especially at a place like BC, such a historic program. I’m definitely a lead-by-example type of leader. I try to be vocal when it’s called for,” he said. “When your peers believe in you, that’s one of the greatest honors.”
The 6-foot, 205-pound center was one of 28 players invited to the Boston Bruins’ 14th annual Development Camp, Aug. 2-6, at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton.
A lifelong fan of the Bruins, two of his favorite current players are Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.
Marchand showed off his leadership skills and Capt. McLaughlin was taking notes. Marchand was scheduled to talk to the group about what it takes to play in the NHL and Boston’s team culture.
He didn’t stop there. When it came time for a cycling test, Marchand didn’t stop by and watch. He jumped on a bike and underwent the grueling test with players much younger and much more unproven than he is.
“That’s one of the coolest things I saw at camp,” McLaughlin said. “We got an inside look at what it takes to be a great player. That first day Marchand showed great leadership. The top guys set the example for the other guys.”
On the ice, McLaughlin didn’t look out of place against some of Boston’s top prospects, as well as other collegians.
“I think it went very well,” he said. “There were a lot of smart hockey minds there. I think I made a good impression so I was happy. There was definitely good hockey.”
McLaughlin, 22, ready to embark on his senior season, staged a terrific campaign.
Playing on a team ranked No. 1 in the nation for much of the season, McLaughlin finished as BC’s second-leading scorer with 24 points in 24 games. He netted 10 goals and posted a plus-16 rating. Only Matt Boldy (Millis, Mass.) had more points.
“We had such a great team last year. It all starts with hard work,” he said. “I was happy with how the year went. I was happy with the strides I made. A little bit more confident, a little bit more possession with the puck.”
While McLaughlin’s offensive production soared, he didn’t forget about his defensive duties. He was named Hockey East’s Best Defensive Forward.
“It means a lot,” he said. “I definitely take a lot of pride in playing the 200-foot game and taking care of the ‘D’ zone first.”
McLaughlin has been a hard-working player since enrolling at The Heights. He posted 20 points, in 73 games, over his first two seasons. He felt he could provide more offense. Then he went out and did it last season.
The end of BC’s season left a sour taste in his mouth. In a Hockey East semifinal on home ice, the Eagles led UMass Lowell, 4-1, entering the third period only to lose 6-5 in double overtime, a gut punch. Then BC, which had national title aspirations, was bounced in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament by St. Cloud, 4-1.
“It’s motivation going into next year,” McLaughlin said. “Every year coach (Jerry) York talks about how we chase trophies, that’s what we do at BC. We expect to hit the ground running.”
Boston College has attracted a quality freshman class and added four graduate transfers, giving the Eagles an older look. But there’s no getting around it. Goaltender Spencer Knight (Florida), and forwards Alex Newhook (Colorado) and Mike Hardman (Chicago), who jumped into the NHL following last season, will be tough to replace.
Boldy will be looking to crack Minnesota’s lineup after scoring 18 points in 14 games for the Wild’s AHL affiliate after BC was eliminated by St. Cloud.
McLaughlin comes from a hockey family.
His father, Walter, played for Burlington High. His brother Sean, 29, skated for Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. His sister, Kristine, 27, played one season at the University of New England.
“They’ve definitely been huge role models for me,” he said of his siblings.
His mother, Jill, never played organized hockey but she played a huge role in getting McLaughlin interested in the sport. When he was 3, she took him to the Hallenborg Memorial Pavillion in Billerica to skate.
He spent his freshman year at Billerica High, but never laced up the skates for the Indians, opting to stay with his travel team. After two seasons of prep hockey at Cushing Academy, he moved to the Midwest to join Cedar Rapids of the USHL.
Gentleman. Leader. Captain. There are many ways to describe McLaughlin. He’d like to add one more before he embarks on a pro career.
National champion.
