While there is still time before the NCAA season officially kicks off on Oct. 5, many programs have held summer practices and are gearing up for the academic year practices. Some have improved with draft-eligible players entering the locker room, some have seen some transfer out or go the pros, and some have even lost student-athletes to graduation.
Related: Bruins Have Something Special With Prospect Dean Letourneau
In the 2023-24 season, the Boston Bruins had close to the league lead for most draft picks playing in college hockey. Following the draft in 2024, they gained four freshmen including one first-round pick at No. 25 overall.
The Bruins have players at just about every year in college from freshmen to seniors, the freshman class is where we start.
The Bruins Have High Hopes for Their Freshman Class
Of all the players who were drafted by the Bruins and are still in college hockey, the freshmen make up four of their 12 draftees. Half of them are from the 2024 Draft, and the other half are coming in from the 2023 Draft.
One comes by way of the first round in 2024, the team’s first pick in the opening round since 2021. The other two come via the third round in 2023, and two in the fourth round of both 2023, and 2024, respectively.
Each pick has their own unique style of play that they bring to the table for each program they join in 2024, but with Boston’s first pick in the first round, it was a slam dunk, to say the least.
Dean Letourneau – Boston College (Forward)
In the first round, the Bruins drafted forward Dean Letourneau. He will make it a trio of Bruins draft picks at Boston College in the 2024-25 season, but he projects to be a star from day one.
After his final season at St. Andrew’s College (Prep) where he posted 61 goals and 66 assists (127 points) in a season where he played 56 games, it’s safe to say he was both a first-round talent and also would have his pick of where he wanted to play college hockey. Letourneau decided to commit to the Eagles, who were ranked at the top of the NCAA for much of the 2023-24 season and even made it to the national title game.
Letourneau will presumably get the majority of looks from Bruins’ management, seeing as he will be right up the road in Chestnut Hill. How long he plays at BC remains to be seen. He will stick out from the pack, standing at 6-foot-7, and will look to carry his goal-scoring prowess across the border from La Brier Family Arena to Conte Forum.
2024-25 stat predictions: 37 games, 20 goals, 22 assists
Elliott Groenewold – Quinnipiac University (Defenseman)
While Elliott Groenewold will not garner the same type of attention that Letourneau will receive as a first-round pick, he will still get some looks playing an up-and-coming program at Quinnipiac University as a fourth-round draft pick.
Among the Bobcats additions was University of Massachusetts defenseman Aaron Bohlinger, who may play well with Groenewold, seeing as they both have similar styles of play. Groenewold scored five goals, and collected 11 assists (16 points) in his final season with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. Elite Prospects describes him as an “off-puck defender” who “when defending the rush, pivots early.”
Groenewold will be an 18-year-old freshman when the season begins for Quinnipiac, and will likely play at least two seasons before the Bruins sign him to any sort of entry-level contract depending on where his offensive numbers sit.
2024-25 stat predictions: 30 games, two goals, eight assists
Christopher Pelosi – Quinnipiac University (Forward)
After postponing his commitment to the Bobcats, Christopher Pelosi will join Groenewold and make his long-awaited NCAA debut in the 2024-25 season after his final season in the United States Hockey League with the Sioux Falls Stampede.
In his final season, Pelosi scored 21 goals and registered 34 assists (55 points) in 56 games. In addition to his offensive numbers, Pelosi held a plus-24 plus/minus rating when he was on the ice. He will bring a strong goal-scoring presence for Quinnipiac going into a season that saw them exit the NCAA tournament in the second round.
Pelosi could be one to keep an eye on in his freshman season in Hamden, but going from the USHL to the NCAA could be an adjustment for him.
2024-25 stat predictions: 34 games, 12 goals, 15 assists
Beckett Hendrickson – University of Minnesota (Forward)
Much like the aforementioned Pelosi, Beckett Hendrickson joins a program at the University of Minnesota that is looking to right the ship, and make it past the second round in the NCAA tournament.
Hendrickson will bring with him a high-scoring prowess as well as an ability to find the right player at the right time. In 59 games in the USHL split between the Stampede, and time without Pelosi for the Dubuque Fighting Saints, he scored 27 goals while racking up 37 assists (64 points). He also held a plus-25 plus/minus rating.
Hendrickson will look to bring the Golden Gophers back to their glory days, and has the potential to be a big fixture on a program that lost Jaxon Nelson, who signed an entry-level contract with the Bruins following the season.
2024-25 stats predictions: 38 games, 17 goals, 21 assists
There Is Plenty to Look Forward to in 2024-25
From Letourneau to Hendrickson, the Bruins have plenty to look forward to with their freshmen joining the NCAA ranks. While there will be a learning curve for some of them, all are quality players and prospects to watch throughout the season. Letourneau may get the most looks, but some emphasis may be highest on those who delayed a season and played an extra season in the USHL to see if the time before college had an impact on them.
All of the freshmen will get some good looks from the Bruins’ brass to see how they progress in their first season. Some may get more than others, but for now, it’s up to the players to see whether they live up to expectations lined up for them.
