Getting to know Boston College men’s hockey: #5, Casey Fitzgerald

The countdown to Boston College hockey continues. We move on to day two by introducing you to junior defenseman and co-captain Casey Fitzgerald.

Name: Casey Fitzgerald

Number: 5

Position: Defense

Class Year: Junior

Background: Casey is part of a seemingly unbroken chain of brother acts on the BC hockey team, dating back to approximately 1722. With Ryan Fitzgerald’s graduation, Casey carries forth the family name.

Fitzgerald is going to be one of the most important players on the team this season. With only one senior on the team, grad transfer Kevin Lohan, the juniors are going to be looked to for leadership.

Fitzgerald seems well-positioned to take on a leadership role. A skilled skater and two-way defenseman, Fitzgerald was drafted in the third round of the NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres in 2016.

Fitzgerald's point outut decreased from 27 his freshman year to 22 last season (5-17--22), but the caveat being that the team in general was lower-scoring. Fitzgerald made huge strides in the defensive portion of his game and seemed to get better and better at making the right decision on when to carry the puck vs. when to make an outlet pass, and when or when not to pinch. His talent led to a spot on the gold medal winning USA world junior team, for which he played in 7 games and posted a 0-3--3 line.

2017-18 Outlook: Fitzgerald is likely to lead the way in ice time for BC defensemen this season and he’ll be especially crucial on special teams. He’s going to be asked to play a bigger defensive role on a team that lost stalwart Scott Savage, and also contribute on offense after losing several of the team’s top scorers to graduation. No pressure, right?

Fun Fact: The Fitzgeralds are cousins of fellow BC brother act, the Hayes’.

Official BC Interruption Player Hashtag: #PuttinOnTheFitz