BOSTON — After a few years, college hockey players in Greater Boston get familiar with the Beanpot.
Still, the nerves are there a bit every year, understandably even more so for first-year students. So, the onus falls on the captains to make sure the underclassmen are adequately prepared for whatever the four-team tournament might throw at them.
Some players have the benefit (or drawback, depending on how you look at it) of growing up watching and dreaming of playing in the Beanpot. But for others not from the area, it’s a whole new animal for them to get used to as they gear up for more big games over the next month-plus.
In terms of getting geared up for the tournament, which begins Monday, few are in the position that Boston University’s Patrick Curry is. The Terriers have a whopping 13 freshmen listed on the roster, just two of which are from New England.
Things can unravel quickly for ill-prepared teams, and Curry detailed the message he plans to send to his teammates in the days leading up to the tournament.
“The biggest thing I want to emphasize is to stay in the moment,” Curry said at Monday’s Beanpot Media Day. “Obviously in these games there’s a lot of distractions. You have both teams bringing student sections in and it gets pretty hectic there, and sometimes you can let your emotions get the best of you. So just making sure you stay even-keeled and stick with it.”
The tournament begins Monday at 5 p.m. ET with Northeastern taking on Harvard. That game will be followed by BC/BU.
