Three Terriers Selected at 2018 NHL Draft
June 23, 2018 | Men's Ice Hockey
DALLAS – Highlighted by two top-15 picks, the Boston University men's ice hockey team had three forwards selected in the 2018 NHL Draft this weekend at American Airlines Center.
Rising sophomore Brady Tkachuk was the first American taken, going fourth overall to the Ottawa Senators, and incoming freshman Joel Farabee was taken 10 picks later by the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday evening. Another incoming forward was selected on Saturday as Jake Wise - a Reading, Massachusetts, native - had his name called by the Chicago Blackhawks in the third round (69th overall). Farabee and Wise were two of the top five scorers last season for the U.S. National Under-18 Team.
Tkachuk and Farabee became the 18th and 19th BU players to be taken in the first round of an NHL Draft and there have been nine Terriers taken in the opening round over the past four years, the most of any NCAA school. Seven current or future NCAA players were selected on Friday and BU was the lone school to have more than one in the group.
The only Terriers to be ever be selected higher than Tkachuk were Rick DiPietro (first overall in 2000) and Jack Eichel (second overall in 2015). Scott Lachance was also picked fourth overall in 1991. Tkachuk and his father, former BU and NHL standout Keith, became the first-ever father-son duo to play in the NCAA and become NHL first-round picks.
As a freshman last season, Tkachuk finished fourth on BU's squad in points with 31 on eight goals and a team-best 23 assists. He won a bronze medal with Team USA at World Juniors and went on to earn a spot on the Hockey East All-Rookie Team. The winger led the Terriers in shots with 131 - the most of any NCAA freshman - and finished second on the squad in plus-minus at +15.
Farabee served as captain of the U.S. Under-18 Team last season and finished second in goals (33), assists (43) and points (76) in 62 games. He helped Team USA win a gold medal at the 2017 Under-18 World Championship, where he recorded six points (3g, 3a) in seven games, including two goals in the gold-medal game
Wise, a center, registered 43 points (11g, 32a) in 38 games with the U.S. National U-18 Team in 2017-18. That included nine goals and 19 assists in 18 USHL contests. He and Farabee captured a silver medal with Team USA at this year's U-18 World Championship. Wise recorded five points (1g, 4a) in seven games during the tournament.
BU has now had 172 players selected in NHL drafts since 1970.
For the eighth time in the past four years, a Terrier is selected in the first round of the NHL Draft! Congrats, Brady! #ProudToBU pic.twitter.com/Y66eUzGo2x
— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) June 23, 2018
Make it two first-round picks tonight! Incoming freshman Joel Farabee from @USAHockeyNTDP goes 14th overall to the @NHLFlyers! #ProudToBU pic.twitter.com/1sZoa3p42s
— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) June 23, 2018
The first Terrier picked on day 2 is incoming freshman Jake Wise! The @USAHockeyNTDP standout gets taken 69th overall by the @NHLBlackhawks. #ProudToBU pic.twitter.com/GWS1uHBY5G
— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) June 23, 2018
