By Kate O’Brien
Boston University News Service
Seven members of BU’s 2024-25 men’s ice hockey team, the school’s most successful season in a decade, have made a name for themselves at the professional level. Quinn Hutson, Ryan Greene, Shane Lachance, Matt Coppani, Tom Willander, Jack Hughes, and Devin Kaplan have all landed themselves a spot at several NHL training camps.
Will these former Terriers earn a permanent spot in the league this season?
2024-25 co-captain, Ryan Greene, found his name on the Chicago Blackhawks’ preseason roster. Greene is one of the few in this group with previous NHL experience; he signed his three-year entry-level deal last April following BU’s loss during the National Championship and played two games in a Blackhawks uniform.
Throughout his three seasons with the Terriers, he recorded 105 career points and appeared in 118 games. He was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie team and later earned a spot on the Hockey East Third Team All-Star roster for two consecutive seasons. He had points in several crucial playoff games and helped lead the Terriers to the 2025 National Championship game in St. Louis, Missouri.
Greene’s co-captain for the 24-25 season, Shane Lachance, earned his captaincy during his sophomore season at BU. Lachance was the first sophomore in program history to wear the “C” on his jersey.
Lachance tallied 57 points and 80 games during his time in the scarlet and white. He was named the Friendship Four player of the tournament when BU took down the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame to win the championship game in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 2024.
Lachance’s decision to become a Terrier was no surprise, as he and his family hold a strong history with the school. His father, Scott Lachance, played at BU and his grandfather, Jack Parker, was the beloved head coach of the Terriers for 40 seasons.
Lachance was originally drafted in 2021, 186th overall by the Edmonton Oilers. The New Jersey Devils acquired the rights to his contract in the spring of 2025. His name is now on training camp rosters for the 2025-26 Devils’ season.
Quinn Hutson joined the Terriers in 2022 as a freshman. He had 28 points in 29 games, scoring an impressive seven game-winning goals. One of them was an overtime goal against Providence College in the Hockey East Semifinal. He played in all 40 games his sophomore season and set a new career high of 36 points.
During his junior year and final season with the Terriers, he earned a whopping 50 points in 38 games. He was named a Hockey East Second Team All-Star and a New England Division 1 All-Star. He led the Terriers in goals and points, scoring the overtime winning goal in the NCAA Toledo Regional final against Cornell.
The Hutson name has a strong connection to BU, as Quinn’s brothers Lane and Cole are also Terriers — both with impressive careers at BU. Hutson was undrafted and later signed an entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers in April of 2025 following the Terriers’ historic season. He made his NHL debut on April 14th against the Los Angeles Kings.
Matt Coppani was also drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in 2023, going 216th overall. Coppani played three seasons at Merrimack College under Scott Borek, tallying 70 points in 92 career games, and helped lead the team to the NCAA tournament in 2023.
He came to BU for his senior season, playing in all 40 games and putting up 24 points. He played a solid and impactful season for the Terriers, scoring three notable goals in the 2025 NCAA Tournament and helping them reach the National Championship.
Jack Hughes played two successful seasons at Northeastern, where he earned Hockey East All-Rookie honors during his freshman year in 2021-22, scoring 16 points and another 16 points in 32 games for his sophomore season.
Hughes transferred to BU in his junior year, playing 28 games and scoring a career-high 19 points. He appeared in all 40 games during his senior year, earning a new career high of 25 points, and was named to the NCAA Toledo All-Regional Team. He was drafted 51st overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2022 NHL Draft. He signed a two-year deal with the Ontario Reign, the Kings’ AHL affiliate team, in Late June of 2025, and his name was seen on preseason training camp rosters for the Kings this August.
Devin Kaplan was selected 69th overall in 2022 by the Philadelphia Flyers. He played three seasons for the Terriers, from 2022 to 2025. In his freshman year, he appeared in all 40 games and tallied 23 points. He was named to the Hockey East All-Tournament team after earning two points in the Terriers’ overtime win versus Merrimack in the Hockey East title game.
During his sophomore season, he appeared in 37 games and matched his career high 23 points. In his junior year, he had 18 points in 38 games. He scored twice in the Beanpot semifinal game against Harvard and had an assist in every Frozen Four game. He signed his three-year entry-level contract with the Flyers in April 2025 and made his debut in their game against the Buffalo Sabres this past April.
Tom Willander, from Stockholm, Sweden, played two seasons for the Terriers from 2023 to 2025. He is a powerful defenseman, earning 25 points in his freshman season and being named a Hockey East Second Team all-star. He had a goal and an assist in his collegiate debut against UNH. He played 39 games in his sophomore season, only missing one to represent his country in the World Junior Championships.
He was named Hockey East Second Team All-Star for the second season in a row and tallied an impressive 23 points as a defenseman. He was drafted 11th overall in 2023 by the Vancouver Canucks, signing his three-year entry-level contract with the Canucks in May 2025 after BU’s season had concluded.
All seven of these former Terriers had a tremendous and impactful role, helping to give BU its most successful season in a decade. Their success has propelled them to the professional level, and it will be fascinating to see how their talent plays out throughout the 2025-26 NHL season. Will these seven names be found on final NHL rosters in October?
