Boston College Professional Athletes

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.

Chris Kreider Finds a New Home — and Two Eagle Teammates Await

Chris Kreider's time with the Anaheim Ducks lasted exactly one season before cap math caught up with him. With training camp on the horizon, the Ducks mutually agreed to terminate the veteran forward's contract — which carried a $6.5 million cap hit with one year remaining — placing him on waivers for that purpose. The move was financially driven: Anaheim needed room to re-sign restricted free agent Cutter Gauthier, another Boston College product, whose new contract demanded significant cap space.

Kreider cleared waivers and hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent. Speculation linked the 35-year-old to several New York-area teams, given his long tenure with the Rangers, but ultimately it was the Montreal Canadiens who landed him. The Canadiens announced a one-year deal worth $2.15 million — a steep discount from his previous cap hit, but a contract that keeps the veteran winger in the NHL for the 2026-27 season.

The fit makes some sense for Montreal. The Canadiens reached the Eastern Conference finals last season and are operating in a window where veteran depth can complement a young core. Kreider brings physicality, a proven scoring touch, and postseason experience to a locker room trending upward.

He'll also have familiar company. Montreal's roster already includes two fellow Eagles: defenseman Mike Matheson and forward Alex Newhook, giving Boston College a three-man presence on what could be one of the more interesting rosters in the East this season.

The Gauthier Connection

The ripple effect of Kreider's departure from Anaheim runs directly back to Chestnut Hill. Gauthier's contract situation was the catalyst for the entire sequence — the Ducks needed cap flexibility, and Kreider's $6.5 million hit was the most logical place to find it. Gauthier, a left wing who has developed into one of Anaheim's core pieces, remained unsigned as camp approached, with his deal among the most closely watched RFA negotiations in the league.

The Ducks also retain Drew Helleson and Nikita Nesterenko on their blue line and forward group, respectively, keeping the BC pipeline flowing in Anaheim even as Kreider moved on.

Perreault Draws High-Profile Comps

On the other side of the league, Rangers winger Gabe Perreault — another Eagle — continued to generate buzz in New York. The rising forward drew comparisons to established NHL forwards, a sign that expectations are climbing for the young Boston College product heading into his sophomore NHL campaign.

The week served as a reminder of just how broadly Boston College talent is distributed across the NHL: from a 35-year-old veteran resetting his career in Montreal to prospects still carving out their foothold in the league. Kreider's resilience in finding a new deal after an unexpected roster cut is the headline, but the Eagles' depth across the Association is the bigger story.

Two Boston College alumni are making noise across the NHL this week — for very different reasons — as the league's training camps draw near.

Perreault: The Debate Rages in New York

Gabe Perreault heads into the 2026–27 season as both a source of genuine optimism and a flashpoint for disagreement among NHL evaluators. The Rangers winger has been positioned as a potential answer to New York's persistent scoring woes, with the case for him centering on his offensive instincts and production trajectory since leaving Chestnut Hill.

But the hockey analytics community isn't quite lining up behind him yet. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic ranked Perreault 35th on his U23 player rankings — a notable placement, but one that slots him well outside the elite tier of young forwards, and well below where Rangers fans might hope to see him. The gap between optimistic projections and sober evaluations is exactly the kind of tension that tends to define a player's make-or-break preseason.

For a Rangers team that has struggled to generate consistent offense, Perreault's development arc matters. If he can push past the skeptics' ceiling, New York has a legitimate secondary scorer to build around. If not, the scoring questions that plagued the club last season don't go away quietly.

Gauthier: A Big-Money Standoff in Anaheim

While Perreault's situation is a debate among pundits, Cutter Gauthier's is a hardball negotiation with real stakes attached. The Ducks forward remains unsigned as training camp approaches, and the hold-up is straightforward: the number is going to be large.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, appearing on NHL Network, acknowledged he had heard "rumors of some progress" in talks between Gauthier and Anaheim — but tempered any optimism quickly, noting it's "going to be a big number. It's going to be a really big number." That framing signals Gauthier's camp is pushing for a contract that reflects top-end forward value, and the Ducks are weighing just how much to commit to a player still proving his consistency at the NHL level.

Gauthier, acquired via trade from Philadelphia, was one of the more high-profile young forwards to change addresses in recent memory. The Ducks have already invested heavily in his potential; the question now is how that bet gets priced out on a long-term deal. A prolonged holdout would be a disruptive start to what Anaheim hopes is a pivotal developmental season.

Around the Rest of the Eagles

Elsewhere in the BC alumni network, defenseman Mike Matheson remains a subject of chatter in Montreal, where the Canadiens are navigating a quietly eventful offseason, per Sportsnet's Eric Engels. Matheson's role and future with the club appear to be part of ongoing internal discussions as the Habs continue their rebuild — though nothing concrete has emerged publicly.

The BC pipeline into the NHL remains one of the deeper ones in college hockey, with over 30 alumni currently on NHL rosters. This week, it's a Rangers winger and a Ducks holdout driving the conversation — and both storylines will find resolution, one way or another, when pucks start dropping in training camp.

A Boston College Eagle Flies East

Twelve NHL seasons. Five franchises. And now, a new country.

Kevin Hayes, one of the more durable Boston College products to reach professional hockey, has signed with a KHL club after his stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins, closing the book on a lengthy North American career. For Eagles fans who tracked Hayes from Chestnut Hill to the big leagues, it's a bittersweet moment — and a meaningful one.

Hayes, a forward who broke in with the Chicago Blackhawks before notable runs with the Rangers, Flyers, and Penguins, never became a household star, but he carved out the kind of longevity most college hockey players can only dream of. Twelve seasons in the NHL is a career by any measure. The move to the KHL isn't a retreat so much as a continuation — a veteran seeking ice time and a paycheck on his own terms, in a league that welcomes experienced North American talent.

The transition is worth noting for what it says about the pipeline BC has built. Hayes is far from the only Eagle making noise in professional hockey right now. The 2026–27 roster landscape features Boston College alumni spread across the league — from Cutter Gauthier with the Anaheim Ducks to Matthew Boldy in Minnesota, Ryan Leonard in Washington, and Gabe Perreault suiting up for the Rangers. Will Smith continues to develop in San Jose, while Noah Hanifin anchors the blue line in Vegas. It's a deep, active alumni class.

But Hayes's departure from NHL rosters marks the end of something specific: a direct line from BC's early-2010s programs to the top league in the world. He was part of a generation that helped cement the Eagles' reputation as a legitimate NHL feeder program, not just a college hockey powerhouse.

What's Next for the Eagles' Active NHL Contingent

With Hayes now in the KHL, the BC alumni spotlight shifts fully to a younger wave. Gauthier, Leonard, Smith, and Perreault represent the program's current and future face in the pros. Thatcher Demko, meanwhile, continues to navigate his situation with the Vancouver Canucks, where the team recently signed Chris Driedger to a PTO — a development that adds roster intrigue around the BC netminder heading into the 2026–27 season.