Get to Know Boston College’s 2019 NHL Entry Draft Prospects

This weekend is the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Unlike football or basketball, being draft does not mean hockey players have to go pro - they still retain their NCAA eligibility and may choose to go pro with the team that drafted them at any time during college.

The Eagles have a number of recruits who are draft eligible this year, including a couple of projected first round picks. Get to know them below!

Matthew Boldy: Boldy is BC’s top recruit this season, and most mock drafts have him as a top 10 pick. The 6’2” forward will be a freshman next fall (assuming he doesn’t go pro, fingers crossed). Boldy hails from Millis, Massachusetts and has spent the past 2 seasons playing for the USNTDP. This past year was third on the U18 Team with 33 goals and fourth on the squad with 48 assists and 81 points.

Drew Helleson: Helleson, who will be joining the Eagles’ squad in 2020-21, is a big defenseman from Michigan. He plays for the USNTDP. Helleson still has some developing to do to fill out his frame and improve the physical aspect of his game, but he has strong hockey sense and is a skilled puck handler. Helleson is projected to be drafted in the second round, although some projections have him going late in the first or early in the third.

Spencer Knight: Knight, who will join BC in the fall, is the top goaltender in the 2019 Draft. He has spent the past two seasons with the USNTDP, but is a Connecticut native who played for Avon Old Farms before joining Team USA. This past season, Knight recorded a goals against average of 2.36 and a save percentage of .913. Mock drafts have him going anywhere between 19th and 32nd.

Alex Newhook: Newhook, who is the brother of BC women’s hockey’s superstar recruit Abby Newhook, is a 5’10” center from Canada. Newhook, like Boldy, is projected by many to be a top 10 pick this year. He scored 5 goals in 7 games for Canada’s U18 team during worlds, and he led the entire BCHL with 102 points and 64 assists this year. If Newhook lives up to his potential (and doesn’t immediately go pro) he should be a huge asset for the Eagles.

Marshall Warren: Warren is a 5’11” defenseman who will be joining BC hockey this season. He played in New Jersey before joining the USNTDP for the 2017-18 season. Warren had 34 points (8g, 26a) for the U18 team this past year and is known as a defenseman who is comfortable jumping up front to help set up scoring chances when needed. He is projected to be drafted in the 4th round.

Danny Weight: Weight, who is the son of longtime NHL player Doug Weight, is eligible for the 2019 Draft but is not currently projected as a draft pick. Weight will be playing for the Penticton Vees in the BCHL next season and will head to Boston College in 2020. He played 41 games for the U.S. National U18 Team this season as a forward and recorded 8 goals and 9 assists for his team. We should get a better sense of Weight’s prospects as a player next year, and it is hard for anyone who isn’t a superstar to shine with the USNTDP.

Henry Wilder: Wilder is another goaltender recruit with Spencer Knight, though he’s expected to join the Heights for the 2020-2021 season. Wilder is ranked #14 among North American goalies in this year’s draft rankings, and is described by HockeyProspect.com’s Russ Bitely as an “athletic tender, technically sound in positioning & rebound cntl, good glove, makes good reads.” It’s tough to get a read on where he might go in the NHL draft, but given that 29 goalies were taken last year (which, granted, was a lot), he’s certainly got a shot to have his name called.