Johnny Gaudreau, Noah Hanifin Make Make NHL All-Star Game

Johnny Gaudreau and Noah Hanifin received NHL All-Star nominations earlier Wednesday afternoon, coming just a few days after Thatcher Demko received AHL All-Star honors. Gaudreau and Hanifin will be the only Eagles represented at the All-Star ceremonies, while Demko will be the only BC grad at the AHL weekend.

Gaudreau has reached his fourth All-Star game in his young career, is on pace for his first season averaging over one point per game, and is only 24-years old. He is doing all of this in the midst of a very turbulent season in Calgary, where the owner is threatening relocation and the team is on the outskirts of the playoff hunt. He also scored one of the more disgusting goals of the season in a shootout against the Minnesota Wild. He has not lost his hands.

(As an aside, Gaudreau was part of the one of the best moments in NHL All-Star Game history along with Flyers’ winger Jakub Voracek. Here it is in all its glory)

This was the first All-Star nomination for Hanifin, who has put together a very impressive season in front of...let’s call it, shaky goal tending. Hanifin has seven goals and 14 assists in 42 games, easily the most among the defesemen on the Carolina Hurricanes. Hanifin was a one-year player at BC who wouldn’t have looked out of place had he skipped right to the NHL, and this could be the first of many All-Star Game appearances for him.

Thatcher Demko is sporting an impressive .925 save percentage with the Utica Comets of the AHL and is considered a major part of the future for the Vancouver Canucks. Demko was a phenomenal goalie for BC in his three years on the Heights, and is considered among the best prospects in the Canucks’ system. He has been called up to the NHL a few times, but has not yet appeared in a game. That could well change this season.

Boston College was the only NCAA team with more than one player represented on the NHL All-Star rosters this year. Jack Eichel (BU), Jonathan Quick (UMass), and Connor Hellebucyk (UMass Lowell) round out the Hockey East representatives. Rookie phenom Brock Boeser (North Dakota) and former Bruin Blake Wheeler (Minnesota) make up the rest of the seven NCAA players who will take part in the weekend ceremonies.

Best of luck to Johnny, Noah, and Thatcher in their respective All-Star ceremonies. May you be joined by several more Eagles in the coming years.