The future for a pair of Hockey East stars has become slightly more clear, per reports from Mike Morreale of NHL.com. The news comes as such: Oliver Wahlstrom will indeed play for Boston College this fall, while sophomore left wing Brady Tkachuk is expected to make a decision on whether or not he’ll return to Boston University...
The future for a pair of Hockey East stars has become slightly more clear, per reports from Mike Morreale of NHL.com.
The news comes as such: Oliver Wahlstrom will indeed play for Boston College this fall, while sophomore left wing Brady Tkachuk is expected to make a decision on whether or not he’ll return to Boston University by August 12.
While Wahlstrom, a Yarmouth, Maine, native, committed to the Eagles back on May 22, his destination for the 2018-19 season was still in doubt due to being the 11th overall pick of the New York Islanders at the 2018 NHL Draft. As for Tkachuk, The St. Louis, Mo., native, was the fourth overall pick of the Ottawa Senator’s in June’s NHL Draft. He's made clear his desire to soon follow in his father (Keith) and brother's (Matthew) pro footsteps.
Wahlstrom, currently at the World Junior Summer Showcase, played the past two seasons for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (NTDP) in Plymouth, Mich., where he racked up gaudy point totals. The big, powerful forward has a lethal shot from the right wing.
Formerly committed to Maine and Harvard, Wahlstrom’s ability to positively impact the Eagles can’t be overstated. He’s the type of talent that can be a difference-maker for a college program. Boston College is coming off consecutive first place finishes in Hockey East, but has failed to make the NCAA Tournament since 2016.
Multiple sources have stated they believe Tkachuk will return to BU. That could change with a dominant performance at the World Junior Summer Showcase, per one source. Many believe that the current state of the Ottawa Senators – along with the Terriers promoting Albie O’Connell from associate head coach when David Quinn left for the New York Rangers – are both working in BU’s favor to keep Tkachuk on Commonwealth Ave. for one more season.
Tkachuk and Wahlstrom are expected to play major roles for the U.S. at the 2019 World Junior Championship, which will be held in Vancouver this December and January.
