BOSTON — Years from now, the 18,258 fans who were at TD Garden will either be glad they saved the roster poster from the 2024 Beanpot or they’ll wish they had.
There is currency among sports fans to be able to say they saw an athlete before they became a superstar. Monday’s second semifinal game between Boston University and Boston College offered a treasure trove of potential future stars playing in an NHL building in front of a sold-out crowd. Those posters are proof of being there, all that’s officially left in a world with few programs and no ticket stubs anymore.
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In most games having four second-round picks and four third-rounders on the ice would be notable, but this one featured those plus five players who were already first-round picks and 17-year-old Macklin Celebrini, who is the consensus projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft pick.
Boston’s annual neighborhood college hockey tournament is always a special event, a uniquely Massachusetts sports experience, no matter how good each of the teams is from year to year. The first semifinal between Northeastern and Harvard, who are both under .500 was an overtime classic. Beanpot history is loaded with memorable games and tremendous performances both by future NHL stars and guys whose career peaked in college.
Alumni and casual fans who aren’t following the weekly movement in the Hockey East race, pay attention to the Beanpot games. This was the third time BC and BU have played in the last 11 days, but because it was a Beanpot game it will get more attention. And the added viewers saw talent on the ice for the No. 1 Eagles and No. 3 Terriers that could go down as some of the best assembled in a Beanpot matchup between the two forever rivals.
On Monday that talent showed up more than on paper. If Macklin Celebrini lives up to his projection, fans in the Garden will be able to say they saw his dazzling first period that featured two terrific goals in the Terriers’ 4-3 win.
Those goals will leave fans of the Sharks, Blackhawks and Ducks daydreaming about seeing him score those goals in their sweater if the draft lottery goes their way. Rangers fans can draw similar excitement from Eagle freshman Gabe Perreault, their No. 1 pick last year, scoring two big goals as BC tried to rally.
Years from now the rosters on the back of that poster will be a reminder that Ryan Leonard (Capitals, No. 8 overall pick), Cutter Gauthier (Ducks, 5th overall), Will Smith (Sharks, No. 4), Tom Willander (Canucks, No. 11) and Celebrini were all on the ice together before being old enough to buy a beer in this country.
But a great thing about the Beanpot is that even for guys who might have NHL playoffs and All-Star games in their futures, these consecutive February Mondays matter.
Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy has played in the Stanley Cup final and is in the midst of a $76 million contract. But on Monday afternoon he was feeling wistful about college.
“It’s the biggest thing from my college career that I get nostalgic over. Until you play in one, you don’t really understand the pride that goes into it and the rivalries. Two years playing it it, I didn’t get to win it unfortunately but I’ll remember those games.”
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While the fans in the building will be able to say they remembered seeing Macklin Celebrini on Monday, he’ll remember the night too.
“It was pretty special stepping out there for the first time. You see the student sections and all the people there and you know what it means to our school and our program,” Celebrini said. “It’s pretty special. It’s exactly what I thought it would be like.”
Follow MassLive sports columnist Matt Vautour on Twitter at @MattVautour424.
