BOSTON - The Boston University men's ice hockey will enter this weekend's season opener as the consensus No. 1 team in the country, as the Terriers are the top-ranked team in the USCHO.com preseason poll that came out on Sept. 25 and the USA Hockey/The Rink Live preseason poll that was announced on Oct. 2.

This is the first time since the 1995-96 season that BU has been voted as the preseason No. 1 squad in the nation and it is the sixth time since 1984-85, the first year of Hockey East, that BU enters the season as the top-ranked team in the country. The Terriers were last ranked No. 1 in any poll on Jan. 23, 2017. BU received 17 first-place votes in the USCHO poll and tallied 16 first-place votes in the USA Hockey/The Rink Live poll. The full preseason polls are below.

The Terriers will play six games against teams ranked in the preseason top-10, including a home matchup against No. 2/3 and defending national champion Quinnipiac on Nov. 22. BU will also host No. 7/8 North Dakota for a weekend series on Nov. 3-4 and welcome No. 6 Boston College to Agganis on Jan. 27 in the back end of a home-and-home series against the Eagles, who are also their first-round opponents in the Dunkin' Men's Beanpot. In total, the Terriers will play 18 games against schools featured in the preseason top 20 as well as an additional six games against teams that received at least one vote.

BU brings back 15 letter winners from last year's team that won the Hockey East regular-season and tournament titles and advanced to the Frozen Four for the 23rd time in program history. Among the returners is sophomore Lane Hutson, a First Team All-American and Walter Brown Award winner as the top American-born player in New England. Hutson is one of seven Terrier returners who recorded 20 or more points last season.

The Terriers will begin their 2023-24 campaign this Saturday, Oct. 7, when BU travels to Bentley. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

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USCHO.com Preseason Poll
1. Boston University (17 first-place votes)
2. Quinnipiac (22)
3. Minnesota (10)
4. Denver
5. Michigan (1)
6. Boston College
7. North Dakota
8. St. Cloud State
9. Michigan State
10. Michigan Tech
11. Cornell
12. Western Michigan
13. Ohio State
14. Merrimack
15. Harvard
16. Penn State
17. Minnesota Duluth
18. Providence
19. Northeastern
20. Notre Dame

Also receiving votes: UConn 100, Minnesota State 97, Northern Michigan 81, Wisconsin 74, Nebraska Omaha 45, Alaska 40, UMass Lowell 31, Arizona State 30, Clarkson 22, RIT 17, Colorado College 13, Maine 10, Colgate 9, AIC 7, Bemidji State 6, Bowling Green 6, St. Thomas 4, Canisius 3, St. Lawrence 3, Sacred Heart 2.

USA Hockey/The Rink Live Preseason Poll
1. Boston University (16 first-place votes)
2. Minnesota (6)
3. Quinnipiac (12)
4. Michigan
5. Denver
6. Boston College
7. St. Cloud State
8. North Dakota
9. Michigan State
10. Western Michigan
11. Michigan Tech
12. Merrimack
13. Harvard
14. Cornell
15. Ohio State
16. Penn State
17. Minnesota Duluth
18. Northeastern
19. Notre Dame
20. Providence

Also receiving votes: UConn 68, Minnesota State 66, Northern Michigan 44, UMass Lowell 32, Wisconsin 31, Colorado College 22, Alaska 19, Arizona State 14, Nebraska Omaha 10, AIC 8, Colgate 8, RIT 8, Canisius 3, Bemidji State 3.