By: Neil Simmons | Follow me on Twitter / X: @NSimmz
The 2024-25 College Hockey season is well and truly underway after a full slate of games over this past weekend. Eleven of the thirteen Boston Bruins prospects in the NCAA ranks took the ice for at least one, if not two, games, headlined by Dean Letourneau, Oskar Jellvik, Andre Gasseau, and the second-ranked Boston College Eagles taking on fourth-ranked Michigan State in a heavyweight non-conference tilt. Several other Bruins draftees hit the ground running or kept up their momentum from last weekend. Now that the dust has settled from the festivities, which players stood out that Bruins fans should keep their eyes on?
Oskar Jellvik – (C) – Boston College – Contrary to initial belief, the Bruins trio of Jellvik, Andre Gasseau, and Dean Letourneau did not start the season on the same forward line. Instead, Jellvik assumed Will Smith’s vacant role on the top line with Gabe Perrault and Ryan Leonard, producing immediate results. Jellvik recorded a goal and two assists in BC’s weekend road split with Michigan State in East Lansing.
Ty Gallagher (D) – Colorado College – Gallagher has quickly made himself at home in Colorado Springs after transferring from Boston University. After finishing last season with no goals and only five assists, Gallagher nearly matched that point total in a weekend sweep of Northern Michigan. He assisted on the overtime winner on Friday night, then notched a goal and two assists in a 6-1 win on Saturday.
Casper Nassen (LW) – Miami (OH) – Nassen notched a goal and an assist over the RedHawks’ weekend series against Alaska Anchorage, both coming on the power play. The young Swedish wing is off to a point-per-game start in college, with four points through his first four games. Nassen’s performance has helped Miami start their season 4-0 for the first time in 11 years.
Beckett Hendrickson (LW) – Minnesota – Hendrickson made his freshman debut with the Golden Gophers in their 7-1 blowout victory over Air Force in the Ice Breakers Challenge in Las Vegas. He scored his first collegiate goal in the Friday night win but did not factor in the overtime loss to Omaha on Saturday.
Dans Locmelis (C ) – UMass – Locmelis did not factor on the scoresheet in the Minutemen’s Ice Breakers Challenge matchups with Omaha or Air Force. However, he had a strong weekend at the faceoff dot, winning 24 of 37 draws, including 15 of 20 against Air Force.
Looking ahead to next weekend, Elliott Groenenwold, Chris Pelosi, and the seventh-ranked Quinnipiac Bobcats head to Orono, Maine, for a big-time series with the ninth-ranked Black Bears. Philip Svedeback and the #14 Providence Friars host Arizona State for two games, looking to bounce back from a 5-2 thumping by North Dakota.
Beckett Hendrickson and the Golden Gophers hit the road for a series with in-state rival Minnesota-Duluth. Jake Schmaltz and the fifth-ranked North Dakota Fighting Hawks take on #20 Minnesota State. Both teams came out of this past weekend with wins against Hockey East schools.
Letourneau, Jellvik, and Gasseau open their home schedule with a standalone game with American International on Friday night. Casper Nassen looks to keep up his hot start with a road game against Robert Morris. Dans Locmelis and the Minutemen have a home-and-home series with Sacred Heart, which presents an excellent opportunity for him to get back on the scoresheet.
Leave a Reply