The Boston Bruins recently dipped into the NCAA free-agent market, bringing in Dalton Bancroft from Cornell University on a one-year, entry-level contract with a cap hit of $950,000 at the NHL level. For the remainder of the 2024-25 season, Bancroft has joined the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) on an amateur tryout agreement.
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The Bruins join several other teams who have been active on that front, including the Edmonton Oilers, who brought in Quinn Hutson, among other players, and the Toronto Maple Leafs, who signed Luke Haymes. Bancroft reportedly had interest from several other teams around the NHL but ultimately chose to join the Bruins’ organization. With that, here is everything to know about the Bruins’ new prospect.
Bancroft’s Playing Career So Far
Bancroft was born in Madoc, Ontario, on February 26th, 2001. In the 2016-17 season, he played with the Quinte Red Devils at the U16AAA level, scoring 17 goals and adding 19 assists for 36 points through 25 games. That same season, he played one game at the U18AAA level and one in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) with the Trenton Golden Hawks, going pointless in both games.
In the 2017-18 season, he played just three games at the U18AAA level, scoring five goals and adding one assist for six points. He spent the majority of the season in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL) with the St. Marys Lincolns, where he scored 21 goals and added 18 assists for 39 points through 42 games. He also played two more games in the OJHL, where he was held pointless.
In the 2018-19 season, he played 51 games in the OJHL, split between the Wellington Dukes and the Trenton Golden Hawks, scoring seven goals and adding 13 assists for 20 points. He remained with the Golden Hawks for the 2019-20 season, where he scored 20 goals and added 21 assists for 41 points through 41 games, maintaining an impressive point-per-game average.
In the 2020-21 season, Bancroft played in the Maritime Junior Hockey League (MJAHL) with the Amherst Ramblers, scoring 14 goals and adding 11 assists for 25 points through 22 games. He returned to captain the Golden Hawks in the 2021-22 season, where he exploded offensively, scoring 37 goals and adding 55 assists for 92 points through 54 games, which comes out to a 1.70 points-per-game average.
He joined Cornell University in the NCAA for the 2022-23 season, where he remained for three seasons. Over those three seasons, he scored 36 goals and added 43 assists for 79 points through 103 games, which comes out to a 0.77 points-per-game average. Since joining the Bruins in the AHL, he has one goal.
Bancroft’s Future With the Bruins
The Bruins seem to be heading toward a rebuild, but the best-case scenario is they can retool their roster this offseason and try to bounce back by making a push for the playoffs in the 2025-26 season. Bancroft is a skilled forward with offensive upside at the NHL level and could have a chance to make the Bruins’ roster out of training camp next season. Having him play some professional games in the AHL this season to get him used to the pace is a smart move from the organization, and with a strong summer, he could be a threat at the NHL level right away.
Bancroft’s contract is only a one-year deal, so I would assume the expectation between him and the Bruins is that he gets a chance in the NHL next season. If there were other teams interested in bringing him in, it’s safe to assume that part of the negotiation process was his ability to play with the Bruins right away next season. Either way, I think Bruins fans will be seeing a lot of Bancroft next season and should be happy with the style of play he brings to their lineup.
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