By: Neil Simmons | Follow me on Twitter / X: @NSimmz
Boston College may get all the headlines thanks to James Hagens & co, but they’re not the only college team boasting multiple Bruins prospects this coming season. Chris Pelosi and Elliott Groenewold both broke into the college ranks with Quinnipiac last season, and played valuable roles for a perennial NCAA tournament contender. After exceeding expectations as freshmen, both are returning for their sophomore years, with bigger roles and bigger goals ahead of them.
Pelosi’s college career got off to a slow start, as he only mustered five points in his first 15 games and was cut from the Team USA World Junior Camp in December. But he came back as an entirely different player after Christmas, racking up 11-8-19 in 23 games in the second half of the season as the locked-in second-line Center, playing both ends of special teams, and being one of the most heavily deployed forwards on faceoffs. His significant jump in production was vital to the Bobcats’ campaign, as they went 16-6-1 down the stretch to secure their fifth straight ECAC regular-season title and qualify for a fifth consecutive NCAA tournament.
Whereas Pelosi arrived on campus in his age-20 season after two years in the USHL, Groenewold came in at 18 years old and immediately saw regular ice time on defense. Typically on the left side of the second or third pairing, Groenewold also dressed in all 38 games for the Bobcats, scoring 4-8-12 while leading the team in blocked shots with 69. It was apparent that he had earned the trust of Head Coach Rand Pecknold throughout the season, as his ice-time increased to the point where he skated at least 20 minutes a game more often than not. Groenewold finished the year leading the blueline in goal scoring, and with the fourth-highest time-on-ice on the team (19:38), punctuated by a 27:13 effort against Cornell in the ECAC tournament, which was the second-highest on the team that night.
Both players rolled their strong freshman campaigns into Bruins Development Camp back in June, impressing on and off the ice. Their improved strength was notable, particularly for Groenewold, who, according to the coaching staff, added 10 pounds during his freshman year. BNG colleague Tom Calautti previously wrote about how Pelosi’s game has improved as he’s gotten stronger, specifically in his ability to get to the dirty areas, win puck battles, and compete defensively all over the ice. A little extra zip on his wrist shot doesn’t hurt either.
Groenewold stood out at camp for his defensive acumen as well as his skating ability. The Bruins staff noted him as a player who respects both ends of the ice and values defending, while Calautti described him as “The type of defender who matches an attacking forward with speed, can recover, and re-establish defensive position in his sleep.” Calautti added that Groenewold’s combination of defensive awareness and physical tools makes him one of the best pure defenders in the Bruins’ system.
Both players expect to take on greater roles heading into their sophomore years, following significant roster turnover this offseason, even with the infusion of Canadian Junior players.
Up front, the Bobcats will need to replace their top three goal scorers from the 2024-25 season, including their top-line Center, Travis Treloar, who led all forwards in ice-time, shots, and power-play goals. Pelosi should get a good crack at filling that role, as his numbers weren’t too far off Treloar’s, and they took a similar number of faceoffs. Pelosi’s whole second line is returning as well, and their continuity could lead to a promotion to the top unit.
Groenewold will suddenly be turning from one of the youngest defensemen on the roster as a freshman to a team veteran as a sophomore. The Bobcats graduated three seniors who skated on defense in their NCAA tournament loss to UConn, leaving him as the second-most experienced in terms of games played, and the lone holdover on the left side. Quinnipiac has quickly rebuilt the blueline with several Canadian junior transfers, but Groenewold will be relied upon early due to his familiarity with the system. He’ll have a lot of eyes on his game early in the season, as he could play his way into a spot on Team USA in the World Juniors come December.
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