By: Tim Dumas | Follow me on Twitter @TimDumas
The playoffs have already started in major junior hockey, and four prospects within the Boston Bruins organization are three games into their postseason runs. Frederic Brunet, Ryan Mast, Brett Harrison, and Jackson Edward were all drafted by the Bruins in either 2021 or ‘22 and are playing for teams in Canada.
Brunet, a fifth-round pick (132nd overall) last year, plays for the Victoriaville Tigres of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League after a midseason trade from the Rimouski Oceanic, where he was team captain. Brunet, 19, is a 6-foot-3 left-shot defenseman, and his team trails Drummondville two games to one with game four Tuesday night.
The QMJHL’s second-highest-scoring defenseman (73 points in 66 games) during the regular season, Brunet has two points in three playoff games. He was named the league’s Defenseman of the Month for January, totaling 16 points in 10 games. He was also named QMJHL Player of the Week on February 6 after totaling six points in two games.
Brunet, who Rimouski traded for first- and second-round draft picks, does not have a contract with the Bruins.
Mast is a right-shot defenseman for the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League. The 6-foot-4, 20-year-old was a sixth-round pick (181st overall) by the Bruins in 2021 and was signed to a three-year, entry-level deal in July of 2022.
The Sting lead their playoff series with the Guelph Storm three games to none. Game four is Thursday.
Mast is in his third full season in Sarnia, playing 168 regular-season games. He scored eight goals during the 2022-23 season to go with 22 assists and was a +26.
Like Brunet, Harrison was also traded midseason. After starting with the Oshawa Generals, where he was a first-round pick (19th overall) in 2019, Harrison, 19, was dealt on January 3 to the Windsor Spitfires for six future draft picks. The 6-foot-3 center was leading Oshawa in scoring (33 points in 27 games) at the time.
Windsor is the No. 1 seed in the OHL’s Western Conference playoffs but trails the No. 8 Kitchener Rangers three games to none, with game four on Thursday. Harrison was drafted by the Bruins in the 2021 third round (85th overall) and signed a three-year deal that runs through 2024-25.
Harrison has 167 points in 180 regular-season games at the junior level. Windsor is coached by former Bruin Marc Savard, who is the career scoring leader for the Oshawa Generals (413 points in 238 games).
Edward, a 6-foot-3 left-shot defenseman, is also in the OHL playoffs. His London Knights currently lead Owen Sound three games to none and play game four on Thursday. Edward, 19, was taken in the seventh round (200th overall) of the 2022 draft by the Bruins.
He accumulated 25 points (five goals) in 65 games during the regular season. He was +17 and does not have a contract with the Bruins.
Postseason champions from the Western Hockey League, OHL, and QMJHL – along with host the Kamloops Blazers – will play for the Memorial Cup in Kamloops, British Columbia, from May 26-June 4.
Leave a Reply