John E. Sokolowski-Imagn ImagesFrom College teammates to NHL teammates, Gabe Perreault and Drew Fortescue are living out the dream.
After both Perreault and Fortescue were selected by the New York Rangers in the 2023 NHL Draft, they began their collegiate hockey careers at Boston College.
Their friendship was sparked long before the day they were drafted by the Rangers and teamed up at Boston College though.
Playing for the U.S. National Development Program in the years leading up to their draft, Perreault and Fortescue began to forge a strong bond.
“We’ve been teammates ever since NTDP, so we got to play four years together straight,” Fortescue said. “He's obviously one of my best friends. We’re really close. We’ve just spent a lot of time together over the past couple of years.”
That bond was solidified while they played for one of the top collegiate hockey programs in the country.
“Everyone was super close,” Perreault said of his Boston College teammates. “Whatever year it was, it didn't really matter your age or your class, everyone was super close. We all built relationships that we're gonna remember forever.”
It was also their shared interest in being part of the Rangers organization that helped bring the two teammates closer together. Perreault revealed that he actually stayed with Fortescue and his family last summer in Pearl River, New York.
Perreault decided to join the Rangers and sign his entry-level contract with the Rangers after his sophomore season, while Fortescue opted to return to Boston College for his junior season.
Over the course of this year, Perreault and Fortescue remained in contact, as Perreault shared advice regarding his time in the NHL to Fortescue, who was preparing to make the jump to professional hockey.
Once his junior season came to a close in March, Fortescue signed his entry-level contract and immediately joined the Rangers, reuniting with Perreault.
“It’s super cool that we are both here together,” Perreault said. “Hopefully, we can be here together for a long time.”