Patrick Eaves was a dominant forward for the Boston College Eagles from 2002 to 2005. He had a standout junior year in 2004-2005, where he was a Top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. That season, Eaves led his team with 48 points on 19 goals and 29 assists and was named the Hockey East Player of the Year and an AHCA First-Team All-American. He also helped lead the Eagles to a Hockey East regular season and tournament championship.

Following his successful college career, Eaves went on to play professionally, spending 14 seasons in the NHL with six different teams, including the Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, and Dallas Stars. He was a versatile and hardworking player, known for his strong two-way game and ability to score. In the 2016-2017 season, he had a career-high 32 goals, splitting the season between the Dallas Stars and Anaheim Ducks. Eaves finished his NHL career with 132 goals and 110 assists in 633 games.