The NCAA college hockey March to the Frozen Four this season begins this week after the 16-team tournament bracket was announced on Sunday afternoon. Generally, there is a huge Boston Bruins connection to the tournament with prospects for fans to keep an eye on, but this year is going to be different.
Boston College had what some consider a down season, where they fell off the NCAA Tournament bubble late in the season. They needed to win the Hockey East Tournament this past weekend to gain a berth. They lost in the semifinals, 4-3, in overtime to UConn, which eliminated them. Merrimack, the No. 8 seed in the tournament, gained the automatic bid from Hockey East after upsetting UConn in Saturday night's championship game.
After the BC loss, the James Hagens watch officially began for the Bruins and their fans. However, despite the Eagles and their slew of Bruins draft picks on their roster, there are still some other prospects of the Black and Gold who made the tournament.
Handful of Bruins prospects punch ticket to NCAA Tournament
There are three teams that Boston fans will want to keep an eye on this week when the tournament begins. Will Zellers and the University of North Dakota will open the tournament against Merrimack on Thursday night at 8:30 in the Sioux Falls Regional. Acquired at the trade deadline last season from the Colorado Avalanche in a deal that sent Charlie Coyle to the Mile High City, Zellers has 18 goals and 30 points this season in 35 games UND.
Cornell and Ryan Walsh, who has 10 goals and 23 assists in 35 games this season, will play the University of Denver on Friday in Loveland, Colorado, in the Regional on Friday at 6 p.m EST on ESPN+.
Finally, Quinnipiac has two Bruins prospects headed to the big dance in forward Christopher Pelosi and defenseman Elliott Groenewold. Pelosi has 17 goals and 16 assists for the Bobcats this season in 33 games. Groenewold is a defenseman who has six goals and 19 points in 38 games. Quinnipiac will play Providence at 5 p.m. in the Sioux Falls Regional on ESPN+. Let the games begin!