Men’s ice hockey tops USCHO preseason poll

boston – For the first time since the 1995-96 season, the Boston University men’s ice hockey team was voted the No. 1 preseason team in the country, with the Terriers coming out on top. USCHO.com 2023-24 season poll.

This is the sixth time since 1984-85, Hockey East’s first year, that BU has entered the season as the top-ranked team in the country. The Terriers were ranked first in any poll on January 23, 2017. BU received 17 first-place votes and earned 946 points. The full preseason poll is below.

The Terriers will play six games against teams ranked in the preseason top 10, including a home game against No. 2 and defending national champion Quinnipiac on Nov. 22. BU will also host No. 7 North Dakota in a weekend series on Nov. 22. 3-4 and welcome No. 6 Boston College to the Agganis on Jan. 27 for the back end of a home-and-home series against the Eagles, who are also their first-round opponents in the men’s Beanpot at Dunkin’. In total, the Terriers will play 18 games against schools that appeared in the preseason top 20 plus six additional games against teams that received at least one vote.

BU returns 15 letter winners from last year’s team that won Hockey East’s regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the Frozen Four for the 23rd time in program history. Among those returning is a second-year student Lynn Hutson, winner of the First Team All-American Award and the Walter Brown Award as the best American-born player in New England. Hutson is one of seven Terrier returners to score 20 or more points last season.

The Terriers will begin their 2023-24 campaign on Saturday, October 7, when BU travels to Bentley.

USCHO.com preseason poll

1. Boston University (17 first place votes)
2. Quinnipiac (22)
3. Minnesota (10)
4. Denver
5. Michigan (1)
6. Boston College
7. North Dakota
8. St. Cloud State
9. Michigan State
10. Michigan Tech
11. Cornell
12. West Michigan
13. Ohio
14. Merrimack
15. Harvard
16. Pennsylvania
17. Minnesota Duluth
18. Divine Providence
19. North-east of the country
20. Notre Dame

Also receiving votes: UConn 100, Minnesota State 97, Northern Michigan 81, Wisconsin 74, Nebraska Omaha 45, Alaska 40, UMass Lowell 31, Arizona State 30, Clarkson 22, RIT 17, Colorado College 13, Maine 10, Colgate 9, AIC. 7, Bemidji State 6, Bowling Green 6, St. Thomas 4, Canisius 3, St. Lawrence 3, Sacred Heart 2