NCAA Profile: John Gaudreau

Boston College Eagles left wing John Gaudreau has a number of achievements on his resume; at the young age of 19, he has experience in the USHL and NCAA Division I hockey. He’s a 2011 NHL draft choice of the Calgary Flames, has won a Frozen Four tournament and, most recently, won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championships.

A native of Carney’s Point, New Jersey, John Gaudreau began his USHL career with the Dubuque Fighting Saints in 2010 after playing the majority of his days in the Jersey area.

As a rookie, he scored 72 points (36-36) in 60 regular season games with the Fighting Saints. Gaudreau went on to appear in 11 playoff games with Dubuque, scoring 11 points (5-6) in that stretch. Before leaving the USHL for college, Gaudreau was awarded several honors. He was named to the USHL All-Star Game and second team, was a Clark Cup champion and received rookie of the year honors for the 2010-11 USHL season.

That productive season saw him drafted 104th overall by the NHL’s Calgary Flames in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Gaudreau attended Flames training camp that fall before joining Boston College for his first year with the Eagles.

As a freshman, Gaudreau played in all 44 games with the Eagles and earned 44 points (21-23) during the regular season. The year included a career-high four-point game on October 8 and twice capturing a plus-3 (October 8, February 6).

The season culminated with Gaudreau and the Eagles winning a Frozen Four championship. He earned All-Hockey East Association rookie team honors, was named Beanpot MVP and Most Valuable Player of Hockey East and earned an invitation to Team USA’s evaluation camp for the World Juniors.

Returning to the Eagles for his sophomore season, Gaudreau has 11 goals and 12 assists in 14 games so far this season.

The newest honor that Gaudreau can add to his list of accomplishments is a gold medal with Team USA at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championships. Carrying his offensive power over to the international stage, he led the American team with seven goals and two assists in seven games played during the tournament and was named one of the top three players on the US team by coach Phil Housley.

In addition, he was named one of the top forwards overall in the tournament, led all forwards in goal-scoring and had a goal and three assists in the USA’s crucial win over Canada on January 3 to push the American team into the gold medal game.

According to an article from the USHL, John ‘Johnny Hockey’ Gaudreau is the first player to ever win a Clark Cup, an NCAA title and a World Junior Championship gold medal – and this is just the beginning for the 19-year-old.

Gaudreau and the BC Eagles return to action on January 11 with a home game against New Hampshire at 7 p.m.