TO ANYONE FAMILIAR with Sacha Boisvert growing up, his hockey career has been anything but a surprise.
The Trois-Rivières, Quebec, native first put on skates when he was two and a half years old. His father, Jimmy Boisvert, noticed his agility almost instantly. By the time he was three, he was skating with seven-year-olds. By age five or six, it was clear that he was better than the other kids his age.
“I said to my wife, we’re going to invest time and money in the early age to give him a chance to do something,” said Jimmy.
As Boisvert continues to make a noticeable leap each season, the certainty in his game still rings true.
Boisvert spent the final two years of his junior career with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks. In his first season, he put up 45 points (17 goals, 28 assists) in 57 games. A year later, Boisvert became more than a point-per-game player, tallying 68 points (36 goals, 32 assists) in 61 games, helping lead the Lumberjacks to an Eastern Conference Finals appearance.
“Everybody knew right when we started working with him,” said Parker Burgess, Boisvert’s head coach at Muskegon. “You obviously saw the talent and strength and just the raw power in his game.”
Those two seasons led to Boisvert being selected 18th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks, two spots ahead of his new teammate Cole Eiserman.
“Getting to be in Vegas for the draft and see him get drafted in the first round was one of the best experiences I’ve had as a coach,” said Burgess.
Boisvert lit up the scoresheet in his lone season at North Dakota, leading the Fighting Hawks in goals (18) and points (32) en route to earning the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Rookie of the Year award.
Burgess was asked if he was surprised to see Boisvert perform well enough to be named the NCHC Rookie of the Year.
“Not surprised at all,” Burgess responded. “I would’ve been surprised if he wasn’t.”
BOISVERT LEFT HIS HOMETOWN in Quebec when he was 14. That decision was made when he was 12. The destination? Mount Saint Charles Academy in Woonsocket, R.I.
Mount Saint Charles — which has become a talent factory, producing 34 NHL draft picks and numerous other collegiate players — was home to Boisvert for two seasons. The reasoning for the move, as Jimmy put it, is that “the kind of hockey is more physical in Boston than Quebec.”
“I said to my wife, ‘Listen, he needs to be there because in Quebec, he has the skills and he has the speed, so he needs to put on a little bit of grit,” said Jimmy. “When he arrived at Mount Saint Charles, his play changed.”
It was also at Mount Saint Charles, 50 miles southwest of Agganis Arena, that Boisvert developed an affinity for BU hockey. On free weekends, he joined some of his teammates and attended Terriers games with them.
Ultimately, Boisvert chose North Dakota over BU coming out of the USHL.
“It was a very big decision for him to go to NoDak and choose against BU,” said Jimmy.
Boisvert had been heavily recruited for years by former North Dakota head coach Brad Berry, and ultimately went in that direction.
“I think if we were the staff three years ago, had a little bit more time, I think he had some ties [to BU],” said BU associate head coach Joe Pereira.
But despite Boisvert’s productive season a year ago, the Fighting Hawks missed the NCAA tournament, and Berry was fired at the end of the year.
That decision opened Boisvert’s mind to transferring.
“After the last game, I was excited going back with the guys and everything,” said Boisvert. “And then the coaching change kind of made me rethink the whole process.”
And once Boisvert settled on transferring, there was only one possible destination.
“I really had one school in my mind. It was coming to Boston University,” Boisvert said.
BOISVERT HAS NEVER shied away from physicality. In fact, boxing helped him come out of his shell.
Jimmy is a boxing coach, so Boisvert grew up around the boxing gym, watching people spar in the ring.
His hockey skill was undeniable, but he was a bit shy growing up. When Boisvert was eight years old, Jimmy told one of his boxers exactly that, to which the boxer responded that Sacha should get in the ring to build his confidence.
Boisvert followed the advice, competing in three fights in one month, including one in front of 1,000 spectators. Jimmy stated that Boisvert had an added ‘swagger’ afterwards.
“When I grew up, it gave me a lot of confidence,” said Boisvert of boxing.
While Boisvert never stepped back into the ring competitively after that month, opting to spend his time on the ice instead, boxing remains a part of his routine. He quickly found a gym in Brighton, Boston Boxing & Fitness, where he has spent time in the lead-up to the season opener.
That physicality has translated to the on-ice game, where Boisvert embraces contact. He was named an assistant captain in his second season at Muskegon and was not afraid to drop the gloves. Boisvert racked up a whopping 86 penalty minutes that season.
“He had five or six fights,” said Burgess. “Sometimes it was standing up for his teammates. Sometimes it was to create energy for the team.”
“And of the ones he did have,” Burgess continued, “I can’t remember him losing any.”
AS BU SEARCHES for its sixth national championship, and first since 2009, Boisvert will be a key piece.
He is described by coaches as a 200-foot center, showcasing the ability to play in all three zones, with an elite shot.
“Anytime you get a player from the NCHC who was rookie of the year to come in, the expectations are high,” said Pereira. “He’s a great player.”
In the Scarlet and White scrimmage, he operated as a top-line center, flanked by Eiserman and freshman Ryder Ritchie. Boisvert should feature heavily on the power play as well. He netted five goals on the man-advantage a season ago.
“He stepped in as a freshman and was a huge part of our team,” said senior Owen McLaughlin, a North Dakota transfer who came to BU alongside Boisvert. “I expect him to take another step and keep getting better.”
Boisvert is ultra-competitive by nature, a trait that will lend itself to being a leader in the locker room.
“He’s going to help us from a leadership standpoint,” said head coach Jay Pandolfo. “I know he wasn’t here last year, but you can just see it in practice, how hard he competes.”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s practice, workouts, games, like, he kind of has one level, and he’s not afraid to pull his teammates along with him,” Burgess added.
For Boisvert, his eyes are set on winning a national championship, helping BU get over the Frozen Four hurdle it has fallen at in each of the last three seasons.
“The goal is to win a championship and do all I can to help this team go there,” said Boisvert.
Boisvert will likely have one season to achieve that goal before leaving Commonwealth Ave. for the Windy City.
When asked whether his son would spend multiple seasons donning the Scarlet and White or head off to the NHL at the conclusion of the year, Jimmy answered honestly.
“One year,” said Jimmy, bluntly. “That’s the plan. He’s gonna win the championship with BU. So after that, go to Chicago.”
Editor’s note: This story is part of the Daily Free Press’ annual Hockey Issue. Physical copies are available around campus starting Friday, October 3rd and will be handed out at both the men’s and women’s home openers.
