The 70th annual men’s Beanpot kicks off on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023, as the four Boston college hockey powers meet at TD Garden in a battle for the city’s bragging rights.
A Boston hockey tradition, the Beanpot has given the city some exciting memories, between thrilling matchups and glimpses at the game’s future stars. The tournament’s history between Boston University, Boston College, Harvard and Northeastern has seen heated rivalries play out on the ice, marathon overtimes and more.
Here’s everything you need to know heading into the historic men’s college hockey tournament.
2023 Beanpot schedule
This season’s edition of the tournament will pit Boston College against Harvard in the first semifinal matchup, followed by a 2022 rematch between defending champion Boston University and Northeastern. The winners will square off in the championship the following Monday after the consolation game.
LATEST RANKINGS: Click or tap here for the latest USCHO poll
Below is the schedule for this season’s men’s Beanpot (all times ET).
Monday, Feb. 6, 2023:
Monday, Feb. 13, 2023:
- Consolation game, 4:30 p.m.
- Championship game, 7:30 p.m.
Previewing this year’s tournament
This season’s Beanpot truly feels wide open. BU has been scorching hot of late, surging up to No. 3 in the rankings leading into the semifinals, while Harvard is a top-10 team. Northeastern has fallen off a bit since the start of the season, but they are beginning to return to form. As for BC, they’re more than capable of giving any team fits in a single-elimination format.
The first semifinal matchup showcases the pesky Eagles against the formidable Crimson.
No. 8 Harvard (15-6-1, 13-4-0 ECAC) is 7-3-0 since Jan. 1, falling 3-0 to No. 2 Quinnipiac at home last time out on Friday. Against Beanpot teams, Harvard is 1-1-0 with a 4-3 overtime loss to BU on Dec. 29 and an 8-4 win over Northeastern on Jan. 1. They rank top-10 in both goals for (3.6) and against (2.4) per game, while boasting a top-10 penalty kill as well (85.5 percent). Individually, Sean Farrell (12-22–34) and Alex Laferriere (13-24–27) have taken off this season, while the team’s top goal-scorer, Matthew Coronato (14-11–25), and top defenseman, Henry Thrun (5-18–23) are each point per game players as well. In goal, Mitchell Gibson remains solid with a .919 save percentage, a 2.24 goals against average (GAA) and one shutout on top of a 9-5-1 record.
As for BC (9-10-6, 5-7-5 HEA), they’re 2-4-1 since the new year, settling for a tie with No. 15 UMass Lowell on Friday before taking the extra point in the shootout. The Eagles are yet to face Harvard this year. Against Northeastern they’re 1-1-2 with a 2-1 loss on Jan. 31, and against BU, they’re 1-2-0, winning a 9-6 barn-burner in December before suffering a sweep last weekend. BC is scoring 2.7 goals per game but allows 2.8. On special teams, the power play (23.2 percent) has been solid. Phenom Cutter Gauthier has led the way with 23 points (13g, 10a) in 21 games, while veterans Nikita Nesterenko (5-16–21) and Trevor Kuntar (9-10–19) have added complementary production. Graduate Mitch Benson has posted a .903 save percentage, a 2.71 GAA and one shutout as the starter.
FROZEN FOUR: Click or tap here for everything you need to know about the 2023 men’s Frozen Four
In the nightcap, the Terriers look to defend their crown against last year’s runner-up Huskies.
BU (20-6-0, 14-4-0 HEA) is coming off a 5-3 win at Maine on Friday. They have been red hot for over a month, riding a seven-game win streak as part of a 12-2-0 stretch since the start of December. The Terriers have faced each of the other Beanpot programs, going 1-1-0 against Northeastern, 2-1-0 against BC and 1-0-0 versus Harvard. They’re tied for the most goals per game in the nation (4.2), giving up 2.7, and both special teams units have been right about average. Forward Matt Brown (12-25–37) and freshman defenseman Lane Hutson (9-26–35) headline as a pair of Hobey Baker candidates, while veterans and youngsters alike are contributing balanced production further down the lineup. Between the pipes, local kid Drew Commesso will get his first shot in the Beanpot, posting a .909 save percentage and 2.67 GAA. Backup Vinny Duplessis has key experience as well after a sensational run in last year’s tournament en route to the championship.
As for the Huskies (13-10-3, 11-5-2 HEA) have recovered from a skid to close out the first half, going 6-3-0 since the holiday break. They fell to UConn in overtime at home on Friday. Northeastern had the split with BU earlier in the season, in addition to the 1-1-2 marker against BC and the 8-4 loss to Harvard at the start of January. NU is scoring 3.1 goals per game, allowing 2.5, while the 85.3 percent penalty kill has been the bright spot on special teams. Individually, captain Aidan McDonough (17-15–32) and Justin Hryckowian (13-15–28) have paced the Huskies, in addition to secondary production from players like Gunnarwolfe Fontaine Sam Colangelo. In the crease, Devon Levi is putting up another stellar season, more than capable of stealing any given game with a .927 save percentage, 2.38 GAA and four shutouts.
Recapping the 2022 Beanpot
BU claimed their first title since 2015 with a nail-biting 1-0 win against Northeastern in last year’s final. Forward Dylan Peterson scored the game-winning goal, finishing a 2-on-1 with Jamie Armstrong, while goaltender Vinny Duplessis backstopped the Terriers with 19 saves. It was the second tournament in a row, and third of the last four, that saw BU face the Huskies in the championship.
CHAMPIONS: How BU beat Northeastern to win the 2022 Beanpot
The Terriers reached the final by taking down Harvard, 4-3, to kick off the semifinals, while NU defeated BC, 3-1.
The Eagles and Crimson skated to a 3-3 tie in the consolation game.
All-time history
The Beanpot began in the 1952-53 season at Boston Arena (now Northeastern’s Matthews Arena). The first edition of the tournament was played in December 1952 before it moved to the old Boston Garden in 1954, becoming the yearly headliner on the first two Mondays of February. It has been at TD Garden (formally the Fleet Center) when it replaced the old Garden in the mid-90’s.
Boston University leads the Beanpot with 31 titles all-time, thanks to last year’s victory. The Terriers dominated the tournament for the better part of five decades from the 1960’s through the 2000’s, including a four-peat from 1970 to 1973 and a six-peat from 1995 to 2000.
Boston College is right behind with 20 Beanpot championships in their history. The Eagles had a ton of success in the 2010’s, winning five in a row from 2010 to 2014. BC also won seven of nine tournaments between 2008 and 2016.
Meanwhile, Harvard holds 11 titles all-time. The Crimson won the first ever Beanpot over BU in 1952. Their most recent championship came in 2016, which was their first since 1993, ending a 23-year drought.
SCOREBOARD: Click or tap here for the latest scores around Division I men’s hockey
Northeastern checks in with six championships in their history. Recent history has heavily favored the Huskies as they won three in a row from 2018 through 2020 before coming a goal away from a four-peat last season. 2018 marked their first title in 30 years (1988). 1988 marked their first time winning the tournament after 27 tries.
Below are the all-time results:
| Year | Winner | rUNNER-uP | tHIRD Place | foURTH place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Harvard | Boston U. | Boston Col. | Northeastern |
| 1954 | Boston Col. | Harvard | Boston U. | Northeastern |
| 1955 | Harvard | Boston Col. | Boston U. | Northeastern |
| 1956 | Boston Col. | Harvard | Boston U. | Northeastern |
| 1957 | Boston Col. | Boston U. | Harvard | Northeastern |
| 1958 | Boston U. | Northeastern | Harvard | Boston Col. |
| 1959 | Boston Col. | Boston U. | Harvard | Northeastern |
| 1960 | Harvard | Boston U. | Northeastern | Boston Col. |
| 1961 | Boston Col. | Harvard | Northeastern | Boston U. |
| 1962 | Harvard | Boston U. | Boston Col. | Northeastern |
| 1963 | Boston Col. | Harvard | Northeastern | Boston U. |
| 1964 | Boston Col. | Boston U. | Harvard | Northeastern |
| 1965 | Boston Col. | Boston U. | Northeastern | Harvard |
| 1966 | Boston U. | Harvard | Boston Col. | Northeastern |
| 1967 | Boston U. | Northeastern | Boston Col. | Harvard |
| 1968 | Boston U. | Harvard | Boston Col. | Northeastern |
| 1969 | Harvard | Boston U. | Boston Col. | Northeastern |
| 1970 | Boston U. | Boston Col. | Harvard | Northeastern |
| 1971 | Boston U. | Harvard | Boston Col. | Northeastern |
| 1972 | Boston U. | Harvard | Boston Col. | Northeastern |
| 1973 | Boston U. | Boston Col. | Harvard | Northeastern |
| 1974 | Harvard | Boston U. | Northeastern | Boston Col. |
| 1975 | Boston U. | Harvard | Northeastern | Boston Col. |
| 1976 | Boston Col. | Boston U. | Harvard | Northeastern |
| 1977 | Harvard | Boston U. | Boston Col. | Northeastern |
| 1978 | Boston U. | Harvard | Boston Col. | Northeastern |
| 1979 | Boston U. | Boston Col. | Northeastern | Harvard |
| 1980 | Northeastern | Boston Col. | Harvard | Boston U. |
| 1981 | Harvard | Boston Col. | Boston U. | Northeastern |
| 1982 | Boston U. | Boston Col. | Northeastern | Harvard |
| 1983 | Boston Col. | Northeastern | Boston U. | Harvard |
| 1984 | Northeastern | Boston U. | Boston Col. | Harvard |
| 1985 | Northeastern | Boston U. | Harvard | Boston Col. |
| 1986 | Boston U. | Boston Col. | Harvard | Northeastern |
| 1987 | Boston U. | Northeastern | Boston Col. | Harvard |
| 1988 | Northeastern | Boston U. | Boston Col. | Harvard |
| 1989 | Harvard | Boston U. | Boston Col. | Northeastern |
| 1990 | Boston U. | Harvard | Boston Col. | Northeastern |
| 1991 | Boston U. | Boston Col. | Northeastern | Harvard |
| 1992 | Boston U. | Harvard | Boston Col. | Northeastern |
| 1993 | Harvard | Boston U. | Northeastern | Boston Col. |
| 1994 | Boston Col. | Harvard | Boston U. | Northeastern |
| 1995 | Boston U. | Boston Col. | Northeastern | Harvard |
| 1996 | Boston U. | Northeastern | Boston Col. | Harvard |
| 1997 | Boston U. | Boston Col. | Northeastern | Harvard |
| 1998 | Boston U. | Harvard | Boston Col. | Northeastern |
| 1999 | Boston U. | Northeastern | Boston Col. | Harvard |
| 2000 | Boston U. | Boston Col. | Harvard | Northeastern |
| 2001 | Boston Col. | Boston U. | Northeastern | Harvard |
| 2002 | Boston U. | Northeastern | Boston Col. | Harvard |
| 2003 | Boston U. | Boston Col. | Harvard | Northeastern |
| 2004 | Boston Col. | Boston U. | Northeastern | Harvard |
| 2005 | Boston U. | Northeastern | Boston Col. | Harvard |
| 2006 | Boston U. | Boston Col. | Harvard | Northeastern |
| 2007 | Boston U. | Boston Col. | Northeastern | Harvard |
| 2008 | Boston Col. | Harvard | Boston U. | Northeastern |
| 2009 | Boston U. | Northeastern | Boston Col. | Harvard |
| 2010 | Boston Col. | Boston U. | Northeastern | Harvard |
| 2011 | Boston Col. | Northeastern | Harvard | Boston U. |
| 2012 | Boston Col. | Boston U. | Harvard | Northeastern |
| 2013 | Boston Col. | Northeastern | Harvard | Boston U. |
| 2014 | Boston Col. | Northeastern | Harvard | Boston U. |
| 2015 | Boston U. | Northeastern | Boston Col. | Harvard |
| 2016 | Boston Col. | Boston U. | Northeastern | Harvard |
| 2017 | Harvard | Boston U. | Northeastern | Boston Col. |
| 2018 | Northeastern | Boston U. | Harvard | Boston Col. |
| 2019 | Northeastern | Boston Col. | Harvard | Boston U. |
| 2020 | Northeastern | Boston U. | Harvard | Boston Col. |
| 2022 | Boston U. | Northeastern | Boston Col. | Harvard |
