Very rarely do we see college hockey players show up with little fanfare, dominate as a freshman, and then continue that success through their entire collegiate career. But that is exactly what Dylan Hryckowian did in his three years as a Northeastern Husky. Arriving in 2023 out of Cedar Rapids, known to many as simply “Justin’s younger brother,” Dylan would embark on one of the greatest three-year stretches Northeastern fans have seen in the modern era of Husky hockey. Now, 100 games and 107 points later, Hryckowian has parlayed his success into his first professional contract, signing an entry-level contract with the Dallas Stars; the same organization that his brother signed with out of Northeastern and has seen success early in his professional career.
Hryckowian burst onto the scene as a freshman by working his way quickly onto the top line, playing right wing alongside brother Justin and transfer senior Alex Campbell. He was one of the fastest skaters on the team from day one, outpacing many of his teammates and most of the competition on a night-in, night-out basis, but it was his play with the puck not on his stick that impressed fans the most, showcasing the tenacious forechecking and stick-checking abilities that the Hryckowian brothers became synonymous with. He would tally his first collegiate point in the second game of the year against Bentley, and add his first collegiate goal one period later in a 5-2 Huskies win at Matthews Arena. More of a distributor than a finisher as a freshman, he finished the season with 34 points (7 goals), tying Huskies legend Kevin Roy for the fourth-best freshman season in the last forty years. He helped Northeastern win the 2024 Beanpot. But fans, coaches, and Hryckowian himself knew he had more to offer.
As a sophomore, Hryckowian stepped out of the shadow of his older brother and emerged as a scoring force for the Huskies, more than doubling his goals output en route to scoring 17 tallies and totaling 36 points, third-best on the team that season. He delivered signature performances in a 4-2 home win against #3 Boston College, where he tallied two goals and an assist, and also on the road in a victory against Quinnipiac where he scored his first (and only) collegiate hat trick in the program’s second-ever victory over the Bobcats, and in Hamden to boot. No Husky has completed a hat trick since as of this writing. His season was punctuated by his heroic double overtime goal at Merrimack in the Hockey East Quarterfinals to send Northeastern back to TD Garden and the Hockey East Semifinals for the first time in three years. He would add a goal in that game against Maine to get the Huskies on the board early in the second period.
Finally as a junior, Hryckowian saved arguably his best performance for last. As an assistant Captain, he once again set a new career-high in scoring, with 37 points (15 goals), finishing his career with 107 points in exactly 100 games, and with his brother became just the second pair of brothers to score 100 points in their Northeastern career in the program’s 94 seasons, joining the legendary duo of John and Nolan Stevens. He would notch a personal-best seven-game points streak in the second half of the season Hryckowian is the 55th player to hit the 100 point plateau at Northeastern, and is just the 24th player to do so in three seasons or fewer. He also became the first player since Hobey Baker Award winner Adam Gaudette (2015-2018) to score 30 points in three consecutive seasons at Northeastern. He actually led Hockey East in conference scoring for most of the season until an untimely shoulder injury knocked him out of the running, finishing fourth, and would have been just the second Husky ever to lead in that category. He would be named a Hockey East First Team All Star and a Second Team AHCA/CCM Hockey All American after the season.
There was always an expectation that Hryckowian would follow the path set by his brother and head to the pro ranks after his junior season. Northeastern Hockey Blog was told privately that Hryckowian had multiple suitors in both the Eastern and Western Conferences in the NHL, but he was always hoping for one specific franchise to come calling- and they eventually did. Hryckowian would sign his ELC with Dallas in mid-March, joining the organization where his brother thrived in the AHL en route to being named AHL rookie of the year, and just completed an incredibly successful rookie season in the NHL. Dylan will look to follow his brother’s example again, and has already shown that he belongs. In his first 12 games as a professional hockey player with the Texas Stars, Hryckowian notched 6 points (3 goals) in the regular season and added 3 assists in 5 playoff games. There is every reason to believe that he will become a valuable member of Texas next season and make his was to Dallas in short order.
NUHB was once told by a coach “I wish I could go to war with a team of 18 Hryckowians.” Dylan Hryckowian’s stellar Huskies career closes the book on the family’s impact on Northeastern hockey on the ice as players, but their legacy permeates through the locker room, culture, and identity of the program. Speed; tenacity off the puck; finishing ability; playmaking ability; discipline; playing larger than your size; being willing to contribute on the powerplay, penalty kill, up the lineup, down the lineup; from Justin to Dylan, the brothers did it all at Northeastern and are the exact type of players every program in the nation wishes they could sharpie into their lineup. Northeastern hockey is lucky to have had Dylan Hryckowian to continue that legacy and cement what it means to play Husky hockey. A coach’s dream and an eternal fan favorite, we look forward to watching him succeed in the pro ranks.
Congratulations Dylan on signing your first professional contract!
As always, go Huskies!
