The Boston College men's hockey team has lost its top scorer to the professional ranks. Rising freshman forward Will Smith signed an entry-level NHL contract this week with the San Jose Sharks, who drafted him fourth overall last summer, forgoing the final three seasons of his college career.
Smith, from Lexington, Mass., led all NCAA Division I skaters last season with 46 assists and 71 points, and was sixth nationally with 25 goals. He also set BC freshman records for assists and points in a single season, passing former NHL player Ken Hodge, Jr., and is now 10th all-time for most points recorded in a single season among all classes, edging out former NHL player Kevin Stevens.
As a collegiate rookie last season, Smith, 19, guided BC to a school-record 34 total wins and both the Hockey East regular-season and tournament titles, including a personal four-goal, five-point outing in a 6-2 victory over rival Boston University in the conference championship game. He also earned Hockey East All-Rookie, First All-Star Team, All-Tournament, and Tournament MVP accolades, and was a First Team All-America selection and a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award given to the nation's top Division I player.
Smith also helped the Eagles to the Providence NCAA regional championship this spring, recording assists in wins over Michigan Tech and Quinnipiac, and then scored two goals in a triumph over Michigan at the NCAA Frozen Four in St. Paul. BC then fell to Denver in the national championship game, the Eagles' first appearance in the NCAA title contest in 12 years.
A six-foot, 181-pound product of the U.S. National Team Development Program in Michigan, with whom he tallied 51 goals and 127 points in 2022-23, Smith was also a member of this year's World Junior Championship gold medal U.S. squad in Sweden, and recently skated for the fifth-place American team at the 2024 IIHF World Championship in Czechia.
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