Eichel Wins Stanley Cup with Vegas Golden Knights
June 14, 2023 | Men's Ice Hockey
LAS VEGAS - Former Boston University men's ice hockey standout Jack Eichel is now a Stanley Cup champion after he helped lead the Vegas Golden Knights to a 9-3 win over the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday night.
Eichel was sensational in the clinching game, recording three primary assists to finish his first postseason appearance as the league leader in both assists (20) and points (26). Eichel's 26 points is the most by any former Terrier in the Stanley Cup playoffs, surpassing fellow Cup champions Chris Drury and Nick Bonino's 18-point efforts. Bonino's 18 points came during his first of two straight Cup victories with Pittsburgh in 2016 while Drury, a Cup winner with Colorado in 2001, notched 18 points with Buffalo in 2006.
No other player has recorded more assists in his first five Stanley Cup Final games than Eichel, whose eight Cup Final assists moved into a tie with Larry Murphy and Mikko Rantanen. Eichel tied for the league lead with four three-point games in this year's playoffs. He totaled three multi-point games in the Cup Final, seven multi-point games in the postseason and recorded at least one point in 15 of Vegas' 22 playoff games.Lift that Cup, Jack!#ProudToBU pic.twitter.com/X6oOUowTzG
— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) June 14, 2023
Eichel will become the 11th different Terrier to see his name on the trophy, with Kevin Shattenkirk the most recent Terrier to hoist the Cup as a player in 2020 with Tampa Bay. In total, a Terrier has lifted the Stanley Cup on 15 different occasions, as Bonino and Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan won twice with Pittsburgh, current Terrier head coach Jay Pandolfo won twice with New Jersey and Scott Young won one Cup each with Pittsburgh and Colorado.
In addition to Eichel lifting the Cup as a player, former Terrier Peter Ahola was part of the Golden Knights' Cup-winning staff as a European scout.
Eichel was terrific all year for Vegas, recording 66 points (26g, 39a) in the regular season. In 476 NHL games (excluding playoffs), Eichel has scored 180 goals and added 266 assists for 446 points. He was a career-best plus-26 in the regular season and followed that with a plus-14 performance in the postseason.
As a Terrier, Eichel put together one of the finest freshman seasons in college hockey history. The 2015 Hobey Baker Award winner led the nation in points (71) and assists (45) and guided the Terriers to the Hockey East regular-season and tournament titles as well as the school's 30th Beanpot crown. Eichel, who set the BU record for points by a freshman, was named the most valuable player of the Hockey East tournament before pushing BU all the way to the NCAA championship game. He was named to the CCM All-America First Team and was tabbed as USA Hockey's College Player of the Year.
Terriers on the Stanley Cup
1991 - Scott Young (Pittsburgh Penguins)
1992 - Shawn McEachern (Pittsburgh Penguins)
1993 - Ed Ronan (Montreal Canadiens)
1996 - Scott Young (Colorado Avalanche)
2000 - Jay Pandolfo (New Jersey Devils)
2001 - Chris Drury (Colorado Avalanche)
2003 - Jay Pandolfo (New Jersey Devils)
2007 - Joe DiPenta (Anaheim Ducks)
2016 - Nick Bonino, Mike Sullivan - Head Coach (Pittsburgh Penguins)
2017 - Nick Bonino, Mike Sullivan - Head Coach (Pittsburgh Penguins)
2018 - Alex Chiasson (Washington Capitals)
2020 - Kevin Shattenkirk (Tampa Bay Lightning)
2023 - Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights)
