( Above Photo Credit:  DobberProsepcts )

By Mark Allred             Follow Me On Twitter @BlackAndGold277

Word out of the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island last night during the Providence Bruins and Hartford Wolf Pack game was the Boston Bruins are expected to send 2015 fourth-round draft pick Jesse Gabrielle back to the Canadian Juniors. The 5′-11″ 205-pound left winger has struggled in his first professional season in the American Hockey League only producing four points in 21 games played. Speculation of the Gabrielle move came yesterday when his rights with the Western Hockey Leagues Prince George Cougars were traded to the Regina Pats where Jesse spent some time after being traded from the Brandon Wheat Kings in the 2014-15 season.

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As mentioned above, the gritty Gabrielle is no stranger to the Canadian Junior ranks in the WHL appearing in 250 contributing 209 points. His best seasons in the tough western developmental league came in 2015-16 when he contributed 40-35-75 numbers in 72 games, then followed those efforts up with a 35-29-64 year in 2016-17. The trade and placement back in the WHL with Regina is an interesting move because the team and city are to host the 2018 Mastercard Memorial Cup an end of the year four-team round-robin tournament featuring the Ontario Hockey Leagues J. Ross Robertson Cup winner, Quebec Major Junior Hockey Leagues President’s Trophy winner, and the WHL’s Ed Chynoweth Cup. The city that is fortunate enough to host this popular event automatically gets involved in this tournament and this will be the second time since the inception of the four-team event in 1982 that Regina, Saskatchewan will host the festivities.

This year marks the 100th year of the Memorial Cup and in an article published shortly after hearing the great news by the official Regina Pats website, Shaun Semple, President and CEO of the Brandt Group of Companies and Chair of Regina’s Host Organizing Committee said “Our local team worked hard to put together a great bid, and we are extremely excited, and honoured, to be able to host the 100th Mastercard Memorial Cup,” also adding “We’ve got some great ideas and plans, and we look forward to the opportunity to engage with junior hockey fans across the country, as we celebrate this historic centennial year.”

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Regardless of the festivities being held in Regina this year, this opportunity for Gabrielle should be a positive move for both organization and player as developing kids for the professional ranks has never been more important. Although Jesse might be disappointed with the return to a lower-level of play, I expect him to carry a high level of professionalism and cease the opportunity at hand to work hard and prove to the Bruins Brass that he should be a factor in returning to the AHL as a better all-around asset that can contribute offensively with more consistency that many folks that follow him close know he can do. I wish nothing but the best for the young talented player and will do my best to keep folk updated with any news made in his return to the WHL.

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