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SBN College Hockey’s Jeff Cox tweeted last night that Boston College defenseman Josh Couturier will transfer.
Former Junior Bruins defenseman Josh Couturier is leaving Boston College. Look for him to end up north off 95 at another Hockey East school.
— Jeff Cox (@JeffCoxSports) July 22, 2016
Cox later indicated that the school he’s referring to was UNH. Couturier was initially a Northeastern commit before flipping to Boston College and enrolling last season.
Over the course of his freshman year, Couturier struggled to find consistency in his game and firm up his spot on the depth chart. Couturier ended up playing in a total of 33 games for BC, though he did not play in the Frozen Four.
Couturier scored two goals and added three assists in 2015-16, showing occasional flashes of the two-way skill that brought him attention of colleges as a player for the Boston Jr. Bruins and the Des Moines Buccaneers. UNH’s up-tempo style of play is likely a solid fit for Couturier and will allow for a smooth transition in to the next phase of his career.
With four defensemen joining the program this fall, there was likely to be a logjam for playing time, though that logjam has eased with the departure of Couturier and Ian McCoshen. That said, this group is going to be extremely inexperienced next season.
Best of luck to Josh in 2016-17 and beyond.