By: Neil Simmons | Follow me on Twitter / X: @NSimmz
Andre Gasseau has already been around the block at the Bruins Development Camp. This past session marked his fifth since being drafted by Boston in the 7th round of the 2021 NHL Draft. Since then, the Bruins organization has watched him grow from the youngest skater at camp to a rising senior at Boston College. A lot has changed in the past four years for both Gasseau and the Bruins organization, and now he’s carrying more expectations than ever. Not only will Boston be looking for him to continue his development with an eye towards signing him next spring, but he will also be counted on as a leader and a mentor for an Eagles team boasting five other Bruins draft picks.
Gasseau’s production has been metronomic ever since he arrived at Chestnut Hill. He recorded 29 points each of his first two seasons, and set a career high with 30 as a Junior, all while improving his goal scoring year-over-year. This past season, he caught fire down the stretch, logging a seven-game point streak that included four consecutive multipoint outings. Gasseau played at a near two-point-per-game pace over that span (6-7-13), propelling the Eagles to dominating wins over Vermont, New Hampshire, and Merrimack to clinch the Hockey East regular season title for the second consecutive year.
His versatility was on full display during his streak, as he factored into scoring in a variety of situations, including on the power play, shorthanded, and at even strength, while centering both the top and second lines.
EliteProspects describes Gasseau as a “shooter with flash and instincts”, highlighting his ability to find space between the faceoff dots, having a powerful wrist shot, as well as smooth handling to corral pucks in motion and tight areas. Listed at 6’4” 209lbs, though he noted himself as closer to 220 at Development Camp, Gasseau uses his broad frame to body opponents off the puck and create space for himself in the offensive zone. His net front presence meshes well with BC’s bevy of playmaking forwards, especially Oskar Jellvik, with whom Gasseau has shared a line for the bulk of the past two seasons.
The most notable criticism of Gasseau’s game during his time at BC has been his skating ability and quickness. At Development Camp, he mentioned skating and puck protection as particular areas of focus for his training, along with other “power forward qualities” that he needed to improve upon to play at a higher level. His training looked to have paid off during camp, where his improved quickness and explosive first step were evident in skating drills.
Gasseau has been rumored as a possible candidate to succeed Eamon Powell as BC Captain, and he certainly has the resume for it. The Eagles are returning six seniors for the 25-’26 season, and of those six, only Gasseau and Lukas Gustafsson have played at least 100 games in college hockey. His veteran experience will be particularly valuable up front, as over half of BC’s forward group for this coming season will be comprised of underclassmen, including Dean Letourneau, James Hagens, William Moore, and Kristian Kostadinski. When asked about the possibility of becoming the next team captain, Gasseau commented that it would be an honor, but that team leadership is a group effort, and shouldn’t fall solely on one or two players.
Heading into his senior season, Gasseau has an opportunity to join a storied club in program history should he score 12 more points. With over 100 games already under his belt, hitting the century mark in scoring would secure his place among BC standouts like Johnny Gaudreau, Brian Boyle, and Cam Atkinson. He will have plenty of opportunity to reach that milestone as a fixture in the Eagles’ top six. His proven ability to slide up and down the first and second lines at either Center or wing will provide him loads of ice time next to Jellvik, James Hagens, Teddy Stiga, and New Hampshire transfer Ryan Conmy. Gasseau could very well end his BC tenure on a high note with another career high in scoring en route to a Hockey East three-peat and more.
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