Boston College men’s hockey inks four new commits for 2023

Boston College men’s hockey has added four new commitments currently slated to start in the fall of 2023:

• Perhaps the most interesting name on the list is Ryan Leonard, an Amherst native and brother of former UMass-Amherst star John Leonard. Ryan cited his desire to play in Boston as a key factor in his decision, per the Hampshire Gazette:

“Nothing against UMass. I know John loved it there, and the coaching staff is unbelievable. It’s nothing against the program, that just hasn’t been my dream,” Ryan Leonard said. “My brother’s dream was to play in front of his hometown. I wanted to play in the Beanpot.”

He also considered Boston University and Northeastern but landed quickly on the Eagles and Chestnut Hill.

“I love the campus,” said Leonard, 16. “I fell in love the day I first saw it.”

Leonard, a 5’9’’ left-shot forward, is headed to Plymouth, Michigan to join the USNTDP Under-17 team, after previously playing for Pope Francis Prep. Neutral Zone ranks him as a 4.5-star recruit and the #7-ranked player of birth year 2005.

• Another US U-17-bound commit is 6’0’’ defenseman Aram Minnetian, a native of Woodcliff Lake, NJ who has spent the last two seasons at Bergen Catholic High School in New Jersey. Minnetian is a top prospect out of New Jersey in his age group and is a compelling player to keep an eye on as he progresses through the USNTDP ranks.
  Minnetian is also rated 4.5 stars by Neutral Zone and is their #5-ranked recruit for the 2005-born class.
• A third USNTDPer is Drew Fortescue, another defenseman - already 6’3’’ 190 at the age of 16. He’s from Pearl River, NY and has played at Don Bosco Prep, and will be starting with the US U-17 team this year. Fortescue was selected in the 12th round of the 2021 OHL draft by the Kitchener Rangers, but announced via Twitter that he elected the college route.

Fortescue is Neutral Zone’s #20-ranked recruit in his class, with a 4-star ranking.

• BC also added a local prospect in Nolan Joyce, a 5’11’’ defenseman from Dedham, MA, who has played at St. Sebastian’s and for the Boston Jr. Eagles. College Hockey Inc.’s database lists him as a 2023 arrival, which would make him 19 upon arrival on campus; EliteProspects lists him as 2022. Obviously, these things are always fluid and subject to change. Nolan Joyce is rated as a 3.75-star prospect by Neutral Zone; by way of comparison, the recently-departed Harrison Roy, who was a solid spot contributor to the fourth line in his freshman season, was a 3.75-star as well.

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With players this young, it’s difficult to project out just what their role or prominence will be by the time they arrive at BC, but this is a good mix of players who have gotten CHL and national team attention, and local players with promising backgrounds (including the very-local Joyce).

Congrats to all four and good luck on the rest of your development before arriving at BC!