“I would have loved to play one more game for BU,” Hutson said. “It happened very quickly, but it was pure emotion.”
While many graduating seniors hope to use what they learned in college to land a full-time job and begin their professional careers, Hutson and others, like Boston College sophomore Cutter Gauthier, are giving a leap into the world of work. Once the college hockey season ends in March or, for some lucky teams, the second weekend in April after the Frozen Four, players may decide to turn pro. It’s a transition like no other in men’s professional sports.
A day after BC lost in the national championship game, Gauthier signed with the Anaheim Ducks and quickly made his way to Anaheim in time to appear in the team’s final game of the season, earning an assist.
Other transitions are not so hectic. After Providence lost in the quarterfinals of the Hockey East tournament, Woburn native Riley Duran took a few days to decide whether he would return for his senior year or sign with the Bruins. He decided to turn professional and appeared in 11 games with the Providence Bruins, scoring two goals and two assists.
He initially continued to live in his dorm, before accepting the Bruins’ offer to stay in an Airbnb as the school year was ending, although he didn’t move out completely.
“I went back and forth looking for clothes every day,” Durán said. “I still went to see my friends a couple times a week and watched the Oilers games. My roommate is a big Edmonton fan, so I go there and make sure he doesn’t break anything.”
Billerica native Marc McLaughlin had a similar experience when he signed with the Bruins after his senior year at BC in 2022. Since the Bruins’ practice facility, Warrior Arena, is a short drive from the Chestnut Hill campus , McLaughlin continued to live in his dormitory that spring. He helped the young forward maintain some normality while making adjustments and scored a goal in his NHL debut.
“I hung out with my friends from time to time, kept life the same and then played for the Bruins,” McLaughlin said with a laugh. “But I think that helped a lot. I think if I had stayed alone in a hotel, it would have been a bit lonely. I thought it was nice to stay in the dorm. All my things were there. It was ok.”
A warning: no helmets
Aidan McDonough packed the essentials for his trip west when he signed with the Vancouver Canucks at the end of Northeastern’s 2023 season, one in which he earned All-American honors. The Milton native knew he would soon return to Boston to attend his graduation ceremony.
His six games in Vancouver would be eventful, as he scored his first NHL goal in his second game. That was after his first game, in which he did the traditional rookie skate in which he took the ice to warm up, without a helmet, while his new teammates waited to join him.
“I just remember going out to warm up and I went to put my helmet on, and one of the older guys was like, ‘Hey, you don’t have a helmet,’” McDonough recalled. “So I went out and was lucky enough to have like 10 or 15 friends and family there from home. “They were able to come out and watch the game, and seeing them all on the glass in that first round was incredible.”
Hutson would do the same in his first game with the Canadiens. His BU teammates made the trip to Montreal the next night for their second game, also against Detroit. Hutson’s favorite player growing up in Chicago was Patrick Kane, who now skates for the Red Wings. His former Terrier companions couldn’t wait to ask him about the experience.
“I just said, ‘Yeah, it’s not that bad,'” Hutson joked. “It was great”.
The memories may be a little further back for Kevin Shattenkirk, but they seem just as vivid. The Bruins defenseman turned pro after his junior season at BU in the spring of 2010, he signed with the Avalanche and played three games with the Lake Erie Monsters before moving up to Colorado the following season.
“Honestly, you have no idea what to expect,” Shattenkirk said. “Going from university to that locker room is very strange. At this point you’re dealing with men, playing with guys who have kids and families.
“The other thing is you go to a team that has two or three games left in the season, and they’ve been fighting each other all year, so it’s a little strange when you come in and take over a guy.” place only to play three games.
“Lake Erie was out of the playoffs at the time, so I think those guys were ready to close the door on the season. Next thing you know, you’ve got a couple of young guys walking in full of fire. You have to lower it a little.
“Overall, everyone was great to us. “They kept us involved.”
Mason Lohrei signed with the Providence Bruins after his sophomore season following Ohio State’s loss to Quinnipiac in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. He credited the organization for being patient and giving him a few days to make his decision.
“It’s definitely a crazy time,” Lohrei said. “You’re like in a blender for a while. On the one hand, you are closing the book and the next day you are opening a new one. You try to take it day by day. I kept trying to improve. It’s great, all the experiences that hockey brings you.”
Getting that close look
There are off-court adjustments as well. The college scene, attending classes and completing assignments, is more structured than the professional lifestyle, particularly during the season.
“You show up at the track, you do your thing, you go out and practice, then you do your training,” Lohrei said. “When you’re done, you’re done. “You have nothing else to do.”
“It was crazy,” Shattenkirk said. “I remember being on tour in Grand Rapids and my roommate was going out the night before the game with some guys for a few beers. In college, that was very strange to me. He was in bed and asleep.”
In most cases, newcomers appear in only a few games before the season ends. But the benefits go far beyond that, giving players an idea of what to expect when they head to their first training camp later in the summer. Seeing the pros up close, seeing their habits and what they do to stay on the ice, it’s all part of the learning curve.
Having success early on can also build confidence, and it’s not just about scoring.
“You look for little victories throughout the game,” Shattenkirk said. “You realize you can drop back and maybe do a front check or make a breakaway pass, then you realize you can join the rush.
“I think just realizing that you can play in those games and that your strengths work at that level, it gives you the confidence that if I work at this level, I can do it.”
After recording an assist in each of his first two games, it appears Hutson is ready for the next level, but the two-time All-American isn’t taking anything for granted.
“It’s very good,” Hutson said. “Now I know I could potentially play at that level, but you don’t do it for two games, you have to do it for 82.”
Follow Andrew Mahoney @GloboMahoney.
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