Introduced to the sport by his father, Boys Hockey Co-Captain Louis Beaulieu ’26 began his journey playing ice hockey at the age of four, starting free skates at two years old.
The competitive nature of hockey, Beaulieu shared, has been what has kept him coming back to the sport. Additionally, he noted his enjoyment of the sport being rooted in collaboration.
“From a very young age, I was always very competitive, and winning was always really appealing and fun to me. In hockey, I knew I could find that. So, that competitive aspect of hockey, it’s really fun to me, being able to compete every day, and being part of a team is also a big part of it,” said Beaulieu.
As a Co-Captain, Beaulieu explained that he strives to lead by example and serve as a pillar of support for his teammates.
“I’m not the loudest leader. I show examples more than I tell people what to do. I also try to support people more individually. When [my teammates] are going through hard times individually, I try to talk to them and help them navigate those hard times by giving them advice or telling them about my journey through Andover,” said Beaulieu.
Boys Hockey held a camp in the summer for its athletes to prepare for the upcoming season and academic calendar. Beaulieu explained how he, alongside his Co-Captains, sought to use the event as an opportunity to form lasting relationships among new and returning athletes.
“During the summer, we had a team camp, and that is when the team gets to know each other. As [Co-Captains], we try to bring the group together and make them feel welcome as quickly as possible by spending time together and creating connections. Throughout the season, the hockey team is a great example of how a team can become a family. Very quickly into the season, even before the actual hockey starts, the team always does a great job of including everyone. That has been part of the reason that the team feels more like a family than just a team,” said Beaulieu.
Beaulieu, according to Maxim Krasovsky ’27, highly influences his teammates through his overall behavior and experience on the team.
“In the off-season, [Co-Captains] Louis [Beaulieu], David O’Neill [’26], and [Alexander] Small [’26] all run practice. During the season, [Beaulieu] is one of the older guys, so he tries to show people how they should be behaving, especially at the start of the season,” said Krasovsky.
Jack O’Dell ’28 corroborated Beaulieu’s presence on the team as a role model. Yet, O’Dell also elaborated on how the Co-Captain leads vocally.
“He just sends a message by how he acts. He’s never goofing around. He’s always serious with what he does, and the younger guys on the team realize that and try to incorporate that and into their lives,” said O’Dell.
O’Dell continued, “Among the players on the team, he just reminds us of how hard we have worked in the offseason, workouts, and practices. He just lets us know that we have worked hard, we can be here, and we can execute if we just play the right way and hold true to our standards,” said O’Dell.
Reflecting on his captainship and time on the team, Beaulieu shared that seeing younger athletes develop was particularly meaningful.
“My proudest moment as a [Co-]Captain and Senior on the team is seeing some of the younger guys and the new guys improve, adapting to the rhythm of the game [and] adapting to the style of prep hockey. [I enjoy] seeing them thrive on the ice,” said Beaulieu.
