Boston College Professional Athletes

Boston College has never had trouble producing NHL talent, and the opening week of the 2026-27 season is a reminder of just how deep that pipeline runs. From Madison Square Garden to Montreal to Anaheim, Eagles alumni were everywhere — with mixed but compelling results.

Perreault's Breakout Is Real

The most-watched BC alum this week was Gabe Perreault, who entered the season as one of the league's consensus breakout picks and did nothing to dampen the hype in New York. The Rangers winger has been living up to the billing early, drawing attention as one of the more dynamic young forwards in the Eastern Conference. That makes Friday's 3-1 loss to Washington a frustrating footnote — Perreault finished the night at minus-1 — but one game doesn't derail a narrative that's been building since training camp. The larger arc remains intact: this is a player people are watching closely, and for good reason.

Kreider Fills the Void in Montreal

On the other side of that Rangers-Capitals game, BC's most prominent Canadien had a bigger week. Chris Kreider, signed in the offseason to add veteran presence to Montreal's rebuild, has quickly become more valuable than anticipated. When young star Ivan Demidov went down with an injury, the Canadiens' depth was immediately stress-tested — and Kreider answered. He scored a power-play goal to pull Montreal within one in a dramatic late-game rally that sent things to overtime against Nashville, and his work on a new line alongside Alex Newhook and Josh Anderson drew praise even in a loss. Montreal didn't come away with two points in either game this week, but Kreider and Newhook — another BC product — gave the organization something to feel good about in the process.

Matheson, meanwhile, had a quieter week. He drew a penalty late in the Nashville game that opened the door for the Predators' go-ahead power-play goal, a costly moment in a 5-2 final.

Boldy Delivers for Minnesota

Matt Boldy put together the most statistically clean performance of any BC alum in the period. The Wild winger posted a goal and an assist in Minnesota's 4-1 win over the Panthers on Saturday, finishing with a plus-2. It's the kind of multi-point, high-impact game that has defined Boldy's trajectory as one of the better young power forwards in the Western Conference.

Gauthier and Nesterenko Shine in Anaheim

The Ducks were one of the week's better stories, and BC had a hand in it. Cutter Gauthier scored two power-play goals in Anaheim's 3-2 overtime win over Florida on Sunday — a statement performance for a player who's developing into a genuine top-six presence on the West Coast. Later in the week, linemate Nikita Nesterenko also found the scoresheet in the Ducks' 5-1 dismantling of Winnipeg, giving BC two contributors on one of the NHL's more intriguing young rosters.

Around the League

Ryan Leonard chipped in an assist and finished plus-2 in Washington's 5-3 win over Pittsburgh — a win that doubled as Alex Ovechkin's final home opener. James Hagens picked up an assist in Boston's 5-1 victory over Philadelphia. And Joseph Woll, now in a Flyers uniform after being traded from Toronto, had a rough debut against his old organization, surrendering five goals in that same blowout — including one just 10 seconds into a separate start against Carolina's Sebastian Aho.

It's one week. But for BC, it's a week worth watching.

Alex Tuch arrived in Washington with something to prove. On Friday night, the Boston College product made sure nobody forgot his name.

Tuch scored twice in his first game as a Capital, powering Washington to a 5-2 opening-night victory over the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes. The performance was immediate and emphatic — a two-goal debut against the reigning champs is about as loud a statement as a new arrival can make.

The former Sabres winger joined Washington in an offseason trade after five seasons in Buffalo, reuniting with one of the league's marquee franchises. His debut also carried a historical footnote: Tuch matched a piece of Alex Ovechkin history in the process, a nod to the kind of first impression that tends to stick. Ovechkin himself was on the ice, picking up an assist to open his 22nd NHL season — but on this night, it was the Eagle from Chestnut Hill who commanded the spotlight.

Other BC Alumni to Watch

Tuch wasn't the only BC name generating buzz around the league this week.

Goaltender Joseph Woll (Flyers) drew attention for a highlight-reel stop that's already being called a save-of-the-year candidate. Woll, who was traded to Philadelphia from Toronto in the offseason, has faced a tough early stretch with the Flyers — the team dropped its first two games before facing Carolina on Saturday — but the BC product has flashed the form that made him coveted in the first place.

In Montreal, Chris Kreider and Mike Matheson are both adjusting to life with the Canadiens. Kreider, who signed with Montreal in the offseason, spoke enthusiastically ahead of his debut about the team's chemistry and what he sees as "something really special" developing with his new linemates. Matheson, meanwhile, drew a $5,000 fine from the league for roughing Ottawa's Ridley Greig — a minor blemish, but a sign the veteran defenseman isn't shying away from the physical side of the game.

Out west, Will Smith (Sharks) put together a standout performance, scoring a pair of goals in San Jose's 4-3 overtime win over the Florida Panthers. Smith's linemate Macklin Celebrini added three assists in the same game, with the two young Sharks combining for a dominant showing against a Panthers squad that still boasts championship pedigree. Casey Fitzgerald is listed on that same Panthers roster as a defenseman — a BC connection on the opposing blue line.

The Week's Verdict

The story of the week, without question, belongs to Tuch. A two-goal debut against the defending champions, a tie to Ovechkin franchise lore, and a win that sent an early message to the rest of the Eastern Conference — Boston College's newest Capital made the most of his first shift in a new sweater. The Eagle has landed in D.C., and the landing was anything but quiet.

Boston College Alumni Report: NHL Preseason, Sept. 20–26

Chris Kreider hasn't played a game yet for the Montreal Canadiens, but he's already sold on the city.

The longtime Boston College product — who spent his entire NHL career with the New York Rangers before signing with Montreal this offseason — spoke to media this week about his first impressions of Canadiens fans ahead of the team's home opener. His verdict: a ton of passion. For a veteran winger who's spent years in a major market, the enthusiasm of the Montreal fanbase clearly registered as something special, and Kreider made no effort to temper his excitement about the new chapter.

It's a significant move for a franchise leaning into its rebuild. Kreider joins fellow Eagles Alex Newhook and Mike Matheson on the Montreal roster, giving Boston College a notable three-man presence in the NHL's most storied hockey market. Newhook, who re-signed with the Canadiens this offseason as part of Montreal's wave of contract extensions, figures to be a key piece of the club's emerging core alongside Ivan Demidov and others. The Eagles-to-Canadiens pipeline is quietly becoming one of the more interesting alumni threads in the league.

Woll Thriving in Philadelphia

Across the preseason slate, BC goaltender Joseph Woll delivered an early statement in his new home. Now with the Philadelphia Flyers after being traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs this offseason, Woll turned aside 28 shots to backstop a 2-0 preseason shutout of the Boston Bruins. Matvei Michkov scored, but the real story was the Eagles netminder controlling the crease with authority. The Flyers are counting on Woll to anchor their goaltending, and the early preseason returns look promising.

Leonard Gets Caught in the Crossfire

It was a rougher week for Ryan Leonard in Washington. The Capitals winger found himself at the center of an ugly moment in a preseason matchup against the Flyers, when Flyers prospect Andrew Cristall cross-checked Flyers defenseman Hunter McDonald in the face — a retaliatory act after McDonald had checked Leonard. Cristall was ejected. Leonard himself wasn't the instigator, but the sequence underscored the physical edge that tends to follow him into games. The incident offered an early reminder that the league's preseason intensity can escalate quickly, even when the standings don't count.

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The week as a whole reinforced just how broadly Boston College talent is distributed across the NHL landscape. From Kreider turning the page in Montreal to Woll cementing himself as a Flyers cornerstone to Leonard drawing attention in Washington, the Eagles' footprint across the league is deep — and the regular season hasn't even started yet.

Boston College has long been one of college hockey's premier pipelines to the NHL. This week, the alumni network cashed in — loudly.

Three former Eagles signed major NHL contracts this offseason, and Sports Illustrated reports that Ryan Leonard and Cutter Gauthier have joined Alex Tuch on the top-10 list of biggest contracts ever signed by former NCAA players — a remarkable concentration of Eagles money at the top of that leaderboard.

Gauthier Locks Up Anaheim

The headline deal belongs to Gauthier. The Anaheim Ducks signed the former BC standout to a six-year, $81 million extension — $13.5 million AAV — just as training camp was set to open, ending what became a wire-to-wire negotiation. Gauthier, who was still on a restricted free agent tender, reacted publicly after the signing and expressed his commitment to the Ducks' rebuild. The deal immediately raises the stakes for both sides: Anaheim is betting that Gauthier is a cornerstone of their next competitive window, while analysts at The Hockey News are already asking whether the contract creates salary cap complications down the road. Elliotte Friedman noted on Sportsnet that the contract carries unique structural details worth watching as the Ducks' payroll evolves around their young core.

Leonard Gets the Capital Treatment

In Washington, Ryan Leonard's deal drew attention for a different reason. Sportsnet reported that the 21-year-old received "special treatment" at Capitals practice after signing an $84 million contract — a signal that the franchise views him as a foundational piece alongside their next generation of talent. Leonard's deal lands him squarely among the richest contracts ever signed by a player coming out of the college ranks, cementing BC's week as one of the most lucrative in the program's history.

Newhook Commits to Montreal

The third piece of the trifecta is Alex Newhook, who signed a four-year, $22.2 million extension ($5.55 million AAV) with the Montreal Canadiens. The 25-year-old, a former first-round pick and Stanley Cup champion with Colorado, has built himself into a reliable middle-six center in Montreal. Speaking to the media after signing, Newhook was direct about his reasoning: "I didn't want to be anywhere else," he said, citing the chance to be part of what the Canadiens are building. The extension runs through the 2030–31 season.

Newhook isn't the only former Eagle in Montreal this season. Chris Kreider, who signed with the Canadiens this offseason, suited up in the preseason and spoke about his focus on playing with speed and pushing the pace. Kreider told reporters that Montreal was aggressive in negotiations and that the prospect of playing for a passionate fanbase sealed his decision.

Demko Still Sidelined

Not all BC news from the week was celebratory. In Vancouver, Thatcher Demko — the Canucks' starting goaltender — was not a full participant at training camp, with Sportsnet reporting that backup Kevin Lankinen is expected to shoulder a significant portion of the early-season workload as a result. Demko's health situation bears watching as the regular season approaches.

The Bigger Picture

Three Eagles. Three major contracts. One week. For a program that has churned out NHL talent for decades, this stretch serves as a reminder of just how deep the BC pipeline runs — and how much pro scouts continue to trust what comes out of Chestnut Hill.