He also recalled the Beanpot opener against Harvard on Feb. 3. After the Terriers tied the score at 3 with less than a minute left in the second period, BU had the puck in the offensive zone with the clock winding down, and put a shot on net that was blocked by Harvard goalie Steve Michalek. The puck was deflected toward the boards, and as Rodrigues raced toward it, he turned his head around to steal a look at the time remaining.
“You know how many college players would do that? Zero,†Quinn said. “I rewinded it three times and I’m like, ‘Look at this, he’s looking at the clock.’ That’s NHL intelligence.â€
Whether Rodrigues gets the opportunity to use that intelligence in the NHL remains to be seen. No team holds his rights, making him a free agent as soon as BU’s season is over. Clubs might wish he were a little bigger (5 feet 11 inches, 176 pounds), but size doesn’t always tell someone’s story.
“Someone’s going to sign him,†said Quinn. “He’s going to play in the National Hockey League.
“I don’t know how long, but he’s going to play a game in the NHL. What he does with it, I don’t know. But someone’s going to call him up, because he’s too good of a player not to get a crack at the NHL.â€