When the New York Islanders selected teammates and Boston University-commits Cole Eiserman and Kamil Bednarik at the 2024 NHL Draft, fans’ memories immediately returned to the 2015 NHL Draft. In 2015, the team chose best friends Mat Barzal and Anthony Beauvillier with their first two selections before they developed into strong NHL forwards. This is not to say Eiserman and Bednarik are guaranteed to develop into what Barzal and Beauvillier became, it is fun to compare both “bromances” since they share many parallels.
Barzal and Beauvillier’s Friendship
In 2018, Barzal and Beauvillier sat down with NHL.com’s Cory Wright for an interview. The two discuss how they were roommates at Team Canada’s Under-18 development camp and Beauvillier helped pack Barzal’s suitcase following an injury. From there, they became friends and rose the ranks in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Months later, both were drafted by the Islanders in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft and “jumped into each other’s arms when they met on the concourse in orange and blue” following Beauvillier’s selection at 28.
Barzal and Beauvillier both attended their first NHL camps together in the 2015 summer and made Team Canada as 18-year-olds for the 2016 World Juniors the next season. The year after that, Beauvillier made the NHL roster while Barzal returned to the Seattle Thunderbirds. However, their time apart did not last long.
Barzal made the NHL roster the following season, proceeding to score 22 goals and 85 points en route to winning the Calder Memorial Trophy. Alongside Beauvillier, the two spent the next five seasons on Long Island, making two deep playoff runs in the 2020 and 2021 Playoffs. While Beauvillier was traded for Bo Horvat at the 2023 Trade Deadline, his friendship with Barzal played a key role in the development of each of their NHL careers.
Eiserman and Bednarik’s History Together
Since Eiserman and Bednarik have only played for the United States Developmental Program (NTDP) instead of a major CHL team, they have received less media attention. However, from what we do know, they share a tight bond. Bednarik has centered Eiserman for the better part of their two seasons with the NTDP, and they are both committed to Boston University for the 2024-25 season.
