After completing his last season as a Suffolk University Ram, men’s hockey goalie CJ Hapward made his Federal Prospects Hockey League debut as a Binghamton Black Bear.
As a Black Bear Hapward currently has a 2-0 record, saving 40 of 47 shots that went his way.
The process to go pro originally started in February, when the Black Bears organization reached out to Hapward gauging his interest in joining the team. The Black Bears being the first team to reach out to him was something he remembered when it came time to decide his future.
“After the season ended, I got contacted by a couple teams. I reached back out to Binghamton and they said they’d want to have me. That week of Spring Break I drove up here and have been with the team since,” said Hapward.
By joining the team, Hapward became the first-ever collegiate goalie signing made by Binghamton.
“That’s super cool. I’m really appreciative and happy. So far I’ve absolutely loved the coaches, the team, the guys and the setup we have here. It’s all been great, I couldn’t be more happy,” said Hapward.
Hapward made his Black Bears debut Mar. 14 against the Danbury Hat Tricks in a 4-3 winning effort, recording 22 saves. He recalled the night before this game, where he was balancing the nerves and excitement of playing his first game at the professional level in front of thousands of fans.
“It was more excitement. I had pregame jitters the night before trying to fall asleep,” said Hapward. “It was a home game luckily so I just stuck to the normal routine, got to the rink, and just treated it like any game this year.”
Back at Suffolk, men’s hockey co-captain and former teammate Thomas Dempsey wasn’t surprised by Hapward’s adjustment to the pro-game thus far, noting how he believes that Hapward’s game is built for the next level.
“He got a win. He’s defensively sound, he’s a great goalie, he doesn’t let many rebounds out. He’s very technical, he’s probably one of the smoothest goalies I’ve ever played with. His skillset is made for the professional level,” said Dempsey. “I think he’s going to excel if he keeps investing in himself and stays confident in his abilities. We all know he can do it and find success at the professional level.”
With the jump to the pros also came a jump in competition, playing with and against top players from across the nation. Hapward noted that this newfound competition is helping him improve as a player, even while practicing with his new teammates.
“It’s been an adjustment, but a really encouraging adjustment. You want the best competition. Just being able to practice with them every day, get better, and play in some games has been awesome,” said Hapward.
Hapward recalled playing in front of roughly 4,000 passionate fans during his debut, a new experience that he grew ecstatic about.
“I felt pretty good once I got on the ice. It was super cool playing in front of all the fans, it was an unbelievable atmosphere. I love that we got the win, which was great,” said Hapward.
Crediting the Suffolk Athletics program, Hapward remains appreciative of everyone who helped get him to this point in his career.
“I absolutely loved our coaching staff, starting with coach McEachern. He’s done so much for this program to get us where it is now,” said Hapward. “Our goalie coach Ed Walsh is incredible. He’d go through game film with me, run goalie skates with all the goalies, even with Binghamton I’ll talk with him regularly and get his opinion on things. All of this was super beneficial to me developing as a person, student and on the ice.”
In just two years at Suffolk, Hapward notched over one thousand saves, stopping nearly 93 percent of shots that came his way. Dempsey noted just how big of a presence Hapward was during his two seasons with the team.
“It gives you more confidence when you have someone of that standard who plays the position so well to do what the team needs on any given basis. The confidence is tremendous knowing you have a goalie in the net to make the saves you need and then some.” said Dempsey. “He reinstates that positive energy, knowing that it’s a team sport. He was a big piece of the puzzle, having him back there gave everyone confidence.”
Becoming such a big presence in the net caused Hapward to be a major factor in bringing the men’s hockey team to the playoffs for the first time since 2021-22.
Hapward’s play this past season was good enough to earn him All-Conference of New England Second Team honors along with sophomore defenseman Josh Milso. They were the first to earn these honors since 2018.
Dempsey noted that the leadership Hapward brought to this young team is something that’ll be deeply missed.
“While he didn’t have the captain patch on his jersey, we all looked up to him as if he were a captain. He brought a lot of veteran leadership and experience to the team, especially for the younger guys,” said Dempsey. “He was a big part of our team. He definitely was able to help us out, not only on the ice but at school. He’s a great teammate and a great friend.”
With Hapward moving on to the professional level, there’s now a huge presence left in the net that the Rams will have to fill.
“It’s a position that will be filled. We have three sophomore goalies right now, so it’ll be interesting to see how that dynamic plays out with CJ leaving,” said Dempsey. “There’s definitely some big shoes to fill, but I have full confidence in our other net-minders that they’ll fill in where they can and take on CJ’s role.”
Hapward gave advice for collegiate players who may take inspiration from his success in going from the collegiate level to the professional level.
“Keep trusting yourself and doing the right things. Have a good process, good tools to do your best,” said Hapward. “Even if things aren’t going your way, just stick with it. There can be cases where you’re not starting as much, but do things that are in your control to get better because you never know when your time will come.”
