By: Neil Simmons | Follow me on Twitter / X: @NSimmz
College Hockey is back tomorrow. The Boston Bruins will have 16 prospects playing for ten different teams spread across the country, but they’re not the only names Bruins fans should know. Every year, there is a deep crop of undrafted free agents playing in college hockey who draw NHL interest and are free to sign with whichever team they please. The Bruins have a history of dipping into this market, signing lineup regulars like Torey Krug, Kevan Miller, Noel Acciari, and Connor Clifton.
Development camps serve as an indicator of which free agents an NHL team has their eye on, like recent Bruins signee Dalton Bancroft. However, with 64 Division I teams across the country and hundreds of undrafted players skating any given weekend, it’s worth looking beyond the 16 draftees to see other potential names the Bruins may pursue.
Bruins Dev Camp Attendees:
Bret Link – Jr. – Colorado College
- Stats: 11-25-36 in 72 Games
- Height/Weight: 6’3”, 195lbs
- Position: Right Wing
Link is the latest addition to what’s becoming a burgeoning connection from Boston to Colorado Springs. He is now the fourth Colorado College player in the last two seasons to attend the Bruins Development Camp, joining Ryan Koering this year, after former teammates Ty Gallagher and Gleb Veremyev took part last summer, with Gallagher signing with the Bruins organization after a career year with the Tigers.
Link demonstrated his physical tools and playmaking ability at Development Camp, with Black N’ Gold colleagues Tom Calautti and Jack Studley noting that he stood out in the 3v3 scrimmage tournament. If he’s able to harness those tools for CC and help them break through to the NCAA Tournament, the Bruins could come calling again next Spring.
Logan Morrell – Soph – Arizona St
- Stats: 11-10-21 in 32 Games (Michigan Tech)
- Height/Weight: 6’3”, 194lbs
- Position: Center
Calautti described Morrell as a player who doesn’t have many highlight traits, but does a little bit of everything pretty well. He parlayed a solid freshman campaign with Michigan Tech into a transfer back home to Arizona State. On top of hitting double digits in both goals and assists, Morrell went 299/509 on faceoffs, a 58.7% win rate. He’ll be a name for Bruins fans to keep an eye on, especially when the Sun Devils come to Dartmouth just after Christmas.
Ethan Whitcomb – Soph – UConn
- Stats: 6-5-11 in 39 Games
- Height/Weight: 6’4”, 209lbs
- Position: Center
The only local of the Development Camp bunch, Whitcomb is built to play a power forward game. Calautti noted that he has all the hallmarks of being an effective bruier, and stood out through winning puck battles and punishing defensemen on the forecheck.
Whitcomb led the Huskies in Penalty Minutes as a freshman, but didn’t necessarily light up the scoreboard. However, he has a history of taking big steps in production quickly. Over three seasons with the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL, his scoring jumped from 16 to 50 and 62 points. With the Huskies playing in Hockey East, Bruins fans should have a much easier time tracking his progress than the other two invitees.
Hockey East Locals
Ryan Tattle – Sr – UConn
- Stats: 22-23-45 in 86 Games
- Height/Weight: 5’10” 180lbs
- Position: Center
If you’re going to make a point to watch Whitcomb closely, don’t forget to keep an eye on his teammate Ryan Tattle. Tattle had a breakout season as a junior (18-14-32), nearly tripling his sophomore season output, and was a key piece to a potent Huskies offense after the New Year. Tattle led the Huskies in Shorthanded Goals (3) and Faceoff Wins (318) last season and should see extended time on the top line following the departure of graduate captain Hudson Schandor.
Jack Musa – Jr – UMass
- Stats: 30-34-64 in 77 Games
- Height/Weight: 5’9” 173lbs
- Position: Left Wing
If you spent any time checking in on Bruins prospect Dans Locmelis at UMass last year, there’s a good chance you’ll remember hearing Jack Musa’s name. Musa tore up Hockey East on the Minutemen’s top line last year alongside Lucas Mercuri and Cole O’Hara, racking up 18-17-35 in 40 games, including 15 over a nine-game point streak.
While a little on the smaller side, his stature hasn’t deterred NHL interest, as Musa attended the Florida Panthers Development Camp in 2024. Expect to see a lot more of the offense run through him this season as the only member of the Minutemen’s top six to return from a Minutemen team that nearly knocked out the eventual National Champions in the NCAA Tournament.
Dylan Hryckowian – Jr – Northeastern
- Stats: 24-46-70 in 70 Games
- Height/Weight: 5’10” 180lbs
- Position: Right Wing
Hryckowian may not be the biggest brand name in Hockey East, but he’s quietly been one of the most prolific forwards in the conference over his two seasons in Matthews Arena. EliteProspects describes him as a player who overwhelms opponents in all three zones, highlighting his motor, speed, ability to win puck battles, and his attacking prowess off the rush.
Despite some down years for the Huskies, Hryckowian has proven he can elevate his game against more formidable opponents, racking up multipoint games against tournament-caliber opposition such as BC, Providence, Quinnipiac, UMass, UConn, and BU last season. He’ll be an alternate captain for Northeastern this year, their last in Matthews Arena, and attended Dallas’ Development Camp over the summer, where his brother Justin, also a UDFA, signed in 2024.
National Names to Know
TJ Hughes – Sr – Michigan
- Stats: 47-75-122 in 116 Games
- Height/Weight: 6ft, 183lbs
- Position: Center
Hughes was one of, if not the hottest, names on the college free agent market last spring. Instead of turning pro, he opted to return to Michigan for his senior year and was recently named captain. A 6ft, four-year point-per-game college hockey player and team captain sounds almost tailor-made for Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney; the only thing missing is that Hughes isn’t playing in Hockey East.
There will be plenty of demand for him once again, as Hughes has skated in development camps with three different teams over the last three years – Washington in ‘23, Tampa in ‘24, and the Rangers this past summer.
Ellis Rickwood – Sr – North Dakota
- Stats: 14-35-49 in 96 Games
- Height/Weight: 6’2”, 205lbs
- Position: Center
Rickwood is a name Bruins fans should become familiar with if they’re keeping tabs on Will Zellers at North Dakota. He parlayed a breakout year with Clarkson (10-25-35), bringing them to the doorstep of their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2019, into a transfer to one of the most prominent blue blood programs in the country.
On top of being a formidable setup man, Rickwood is also one of the nation’s best at the dot. He won 57.5% of his faceoffs in ‘24-’25, racking up 430 in total, more than double his closest teammate on the Golden Knights. Don’t be surprised if new UND Coach Dane Jackson leans on him heavily to start the year.
Riley Thompson – Jr – Ohio St
- Stats: 26-31-57 in 74 Games (Alaska/OSU)
- Height/Weight: 6’4” 222lbs
- Position: Center
Thompson transferred to Ohio State after his freshman year in Anchorage and immediately became one of the Buckeyes’ best players. His 17-16-33 stat line landed him tied for first in goals and power play goals, and second in scoring overall, while also leading the team in penalty minutes and shots on goal.
He’ll be an alternate captain in Columbus this year, and with his frame, a big season could have NHL teams lining up for his signature. Certainly someone to keep a look out for in the Big Ten.
Liam Valente – Sr – Western Michigan
- Stats: 21-32-53 in 101 Games (Providence/WMU)
- Height/Weight: 6’, 201lbs
- Position: Left Wing
Valente is another name to watch by virtue of being teamed up with a Bruin. Cole Spicer’s arrival in Kalamazoo makes Valente a person of interest because they very well could be linemates. The Bruins organization should already have a baseline familiarity with him, as he spent two seasons with Providence College prior to the National Championship campaign with the Broncos.
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