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Eeli Tolvanen announced today that he has committed to Boston College to play hockey. The 17 year old winger spent the 2015-16 season with the Sioux City Musketeers in the USHL. He previously played for teams in his native Finland, and recently played for Finland's gold medal winning U18 team. He led the World U18 tournament in goals scored with 7 goals in 7 games.
Tolvanen played 49 games for the Sioux City Musketeers this season and was second on the team in scoring. He scored 17 goals and picked up 21 assists. Tolvanen recorded on 12 minutes of penalty time in his 49 games. Reports list him as a fast, strong skater that sets himself up in good positions. Tolvanen is currently projected to go in the 1st or early 2nd round at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. If he does come to BC, he will add some strong talent to a team with a lot of steady, four year players.
One of Tolvanen's older brothers continues to play in Finland, while his brother Atte just finished his first season playing for Northern Michigan. Be warned that Tolvanen will be eligible for this summer's CHL draft, so he is a potential flight risk.