The news is out — on Monday afternoon, the New York Rangers agreed to terms with forward Gabe Perreault on a three-year, entry-level contract following the conclusion of Boston College's play in the NCAA men's ice hockey championship at the Manchester Regional.
But alongside Perreault at Boston College is Drew Fortescue, the World Juniors and has also been drafted by the Rangers. And with all the attention on Perreault, that begs the question — who is Fortescue?
#NYR have agreed to terms with forward Gabe Perreault on a three-year, entry-level contract.
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 31, 2025
Full details: https://t.co/tmeZMPThFY pic.twitter.com/Zr2TUFQrTu
Drew Fortescue
As for Fortescue, he may get less of the attention with how exciting of a player Perreault is, but he will without question be an essential incoming Blueshirt.
While Perreault was was drafted 23rd overall, Fortescue was selected by the New York Rangers in the third round with the 90th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Fortescue fits a different profile than Perreault: A rangy, stay-at-home defenseman who still had a pretty good run for his 18-year-old season, playing mostly second-pair minutes for a BC team that fell just short of its goal and just short of making these two Rangers prospects, plus Will Smith, Ryan Leonard, Cutter Gauthier and goalie Jacob Fowler, double champs for the season.
Fortescue moved up coach Greg Brown’s depth chart to the top pair with BC captain Eamon Powell. In their return trip to the previously mentioned World Juniors with the U.S. squad, Perreault was on the left side of the top line with his BC linemates Hagens and Leonard; Fortescue was on the top defense pair with electric Wild prospect Zeev Buium.
Fortescue has been a consistent part of the Eagles' top defense pairing, alongside the team’s captain Eamon Powell. A Pearl River, N.Y., native the Rangers drafted in the third round of the 2023 draft, Fortescue may have had two fewer points this year than he did his freshman year (10 as a freshmen, eight as a sophomore), but he found the back of the net more, contributing four goals and four assists this year, whereas all 10 of his points last year were assists.
Standing at 6'2" and weighing 180 pounds, the New York native is no doubt excited to come back home. In his freshman season he skated in 40 games, posting a plus-13 rating and 31 blocked shots.
Fortescue signing on the dotted line isn't a matter of if, it's a matter of when. And he could really add something as a fellow-Blueshirt defenseman.