The Boston College Eagles had a VIP in the house to watch them take on Boston University in the Beanpot championship.
Washington Capitals winger Ryan Leonard, a former BC standout, was in the stands at TD Garden on Monday night to watch the Eagles take down Cole Hutson and the Terriers. The 6-2 victory for BC was their first in the midseason tournament since 2016.
Leonard posted his view of BC’s celebrations to his Instagram Story, adding five eagle emoji. The 21-year-old forward, who sat in a box at the game with former Eagles linemates Gabe Perreault and Will Smith, is back home in the Boston area after the NHL paused play for the 2026 Winter Olympics last week.
Leonard and Hutson, a Capitals 2024 second-round pick, squared off in last year’s final, with BU coming out on top. Hutson, who scored the game-winner in that game, was held off the scoresheet in a losing effort on Monday.
The Terriers scored the first goal of the game just 2:15 into the first period through forward Brandon Svoboda. The team’s fortune quickly turned from there, though, as the Eagles scored four unanswered and only needed three of those strikes to win the championship.
James Hagens, an oft-linemate of Leonard’s last year, took home MVP honors after notching five points (2g, 3a) in the two Beanpot games.
Hutson has had a tough time matching his high-scoring freshman season with the Terriers on a much weaker BU squad that appears likely to miss this season’s NCAA tournament. The team is now just 13-14-2 this year and unranked nationally.
After their loss to BC on Monday, Hutson, who has 25 points (8g, 17a) in 28 games, could have just five games left in his sophomore campaign. Just as they did with Leonard last year, the Washington Capitals will likely be surveying Hutson’s situation closely as they try to lure him out of college with a professional contract.
The Terriers will be looking to bounce back in their next game against New Hampshire on Friday night.
