This captain's relentless drive fuels his team's success, determined to bring Boston College its first national championship since 2012.
You always want certain qualities in a captain. Communicative, determined, competitive are some that come to mind.
It is safe to say that Lukas Gustafsson brings all of that to the table, with capitalization in competitiveness.
“I hate to lose,” he said in an interview with The Hockey News, “I’ll do whatever it takes to win.”
Gustafsson is a left handed shooter who wears #8 in his fourth year with the program. (Photo: Boston College Athletics)Gustafsson, who is part Swedish but was raised in Alpharetta, Georgia, is one of three senior Eagles to wear the C on #13 Boston College, a team that has won nine of its last eleven.
He has been a victor in numerous realms, as recently a Hockey East regular-season champion this past season. Boston College has won the last two regular-season championships as well as the Hockey East tournament championship back in 2024 when they downed rival Boston University 6-2 at TD Garden.
Gustafsson eyes a national championship in his college career, and he feels confident that Chestnut Hill is the place to make that magic happen.
“There’s a lot of national championships here,” he said. “Something I wanted to obtain in my college career is a national championship, and I felt this is a great school to do it at.”
He was a winner entering the NCAA, coming off a Clark Cup Championship with the Chicago Steel of the USHL back in 2021, his first year in junior hockey. He only saw 14 games in that season, but contributed in two Clark Cup playoff games in what was eventually a series win over the Fargo Force to claim it.
The Chicago Steel with the Clark Cup in Gustafsson's first year with the team. (Photo: USA Hockey)That team featured unreal stars, like Sean Farrell. Matt Coronato, Josh Doan, Jackson Blake, and Adam Fantilli, who is now well known with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The following year with the Steel, Gustafsson became a key piece. He saw action in 45 more games and tallied on 34 more points than the previous season. He started to really showcase a defenseman who can get it done on both ends of the ice.
“I’d say I’m an offensive defenseman,” He said when asked about his style of play. “I’m trying to build on both ends as well, trying to be a stay-at-home defenseman too.”
Gustafsson learned that type of offensive ability as a blueliner from a common theme among college players now: He learned from the pros. Today’s defensemen and their versatility are impacting the next generation of skaters.
“I like watching big defensemen that like to skate, and even smaller defensemen that can move the puck,” He said. “Adam Fox and Cale Makar are just some of them I like to watch.”
Entering now his fourth season with Boston College, he has played a total of 129 games and racked up 59 points, with the most impressive stat being his plus/minus of 38. It goes to show the double-edged weapon he can bring to the table.
The team he leads will return to play on January 9th in an exhibition with Stonehill, looking to start out on the right foot when it comes to play in 2026.