BOSTON – On Monday evening at the TD Garden, Adam Gaudette was playing with purpose. He wanted to fulfill a childhood dream and he wanted to continue playing with a chip on his shoulder after being snubbed by USA Hockey for a spot on the Olympic roster.
Mission accomplished. The Braintree, Mass., native recorded a hat trick to help lift Northeastern to the school’s first Beanpot since 1988. He finished the tournament with a two-game total of four goals, two assists and 11 shots on goal.
“It means so much,” said Gaudette. “I’ve been coming to these games ever since I was younger. When I realized I had an opportunity to play college hockey, I wanted to play at a Beanpot school. Everyone chomping at the bit to win a Beanpot made it all the more special.”
“It’s something I dreamed of ever since I was a little kid. It’s a dream come true,” Gaudette continued.
By the end of the second period, there was little doubt Gaudette had earned the MVP award. His goal with four seconds left in the middle frame gave the Huskies a 4-1 lead over Boston University, the monster of the tournament, champions 30 times.
Gaudette’s second goal of the night, that power play marker that put the final dagger in the Terriers, came from a nearly impossible angle. He loves to shoot. He’ll fire pucks from anywhere on the sheet and it pays off.
Gaudette, who played prep school hockey at nearby Thayer Academy, capped off his hat trick and all-around splendid tournament with an empty net goal that sent the Husky partisans into a complete frenzy.
The way the sequence played out was a perfect microcosm of the type of player Gaudette is. He started out the race for the loose puck well behind Boston University defenseman Chad Krys. However, he caught up to and beat the Terrier defender to the puck before depositing it into the back of the twine.
“He’s tenacious. He’s gritty. He just never gives up. There’s second effort in every shift. When he gets into the offensive zone, his eyes light up even more because of the opportunity to score,” said Northeastern coach Jim Madigan, who was an assistant on the 1988 team.
Gaudette has a tendency to step up when there’s a trophy on the line at the home of the Boston Bruins, the NHL team he grew up cheering for. The junior now has nine goals and three assists in six career Beanpot games. He had two goals and an assist in two games here his freshman season when the Huskies won their first Hockey East Tournament since 1988.
“He knows we’re counting on him offensively. He’s a determined player. That determination and drive that one percent of players has is the reason he’ll be able to play at the next level. It’s that ‘it’ factor and he has it,” said Madigan, a former amateur scout with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
On Monday night Gaudette matched Tim Sheehy and Billy Hogan of Boston College for most goals in a Beanpot career. They both accomplished the feat five decades ago. His three goals also helped him take over the national lead in goal scoring with 24 on the season. His 47 points is tops in the country and his 10 power play tallies is good for second. Could Monday's MVP trophy foreshadow a potential Hobey Baker Award come April?
Inexplicably omitted from the U.S. Olympic team, Gaudette could have contributed in any number of roles for the red, white and blue. He’s not perfect. His skating might not be pretty, but he flat out gets to pucks. He doesn’t always go to the right spot in the defensive zone and he sometimes takes a penalty that might make Madigan want to pull his hair out. But, at the end of the day, the positives far outweigh the negatives.
Gaudette, a prized prospect of the Vancouver Canucks, is more determined than ever to prove people wrong. The fifth round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft is set on making USA Hockey regret its decision.
“Not making the Olympic team drove me a little more,” said Gaudette.
“I’d rather win the Beanpot. The Beanpot is way more special to me than being on the Olympic team. My family and friends were here and it’s something I’ll remember forever. I got to do it with a group of guys that I can call my family,” he explained.
Gaudette certainly would have helped USA Hockey in Pyeongchang, but fortunately for Northeastern, he was on Causeway Street to help the school end a 30-year curse.
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