When freshman Brian Boyle first put on skates as a three-year-old, it would have been difficult to predict where the sport would take him. Now, 14 years later, this first-round NHL draft pick stands at 6'7", 225 lbs. and is one of the most highly-coveted players on head coach Jerry York's hockey squad.
And why not? The NHL's tallest player stands at 6'9", so someone standing relatively close to that height, such as Boyle, is surely a hot commodity.
"I think [my height] helps me out a lot," said Boyle, "but in some ways it's bad. In North Dakota, the refs let a lot of things go [such as] a couple of sticks broken over my back. But it's always good. It's a definite advantage in a lot of ways."
Since arriving at the Heights, Boyle has already made a positive impact. On Friday night versus Notre Dame, he played center on the third line along with sophomore wingman Stephen Gionta and junior Ryan Murphy. In his first six games, Boyle already has a goal and an assist.
After graduating from St. Sebastian's Prep with a league-high 63 points in his senior year, Boyle was drafted by a major junior team in Quebec. He had a tough choice to make between honing his skills in the junior leagues and play in NCAA Division-I competition. Among the college teams recruiting him were Harvard, Dartmouth, and Northeastern.
"Deep down the entire time I was thinking, 'I'll wait and see if BC recruits me,'" said Boyle. "I was always following BC [as a kid]. I've always wanted to come here. It's ... a dream come true."
But heads weren't only turning to look at Boyle at the college and junior level. Before the 2003 NHL Draft, Boyle met with 28 of the 30 teams in the National Hockey League.
"I had a pretty good idea of who liked me," said Boyle. "I just wanted to get in the earliest that I could."
Making the trek to Nashville, Boyle had his name called as the 26th pick in the first round by the LA Kings. While this was obviously a positive, being called up by the club would also mean automatically losing his eligibility to play at BC.
Spring Break
