( Photo Credit: Steven Ellis / DailyFaceoff.com )

By Mark Allred | Follow me on Twitter / X @BlackAndGold277

Earlier today, longtime hockey writer Mark Divver posted on Twitter/X that the AHL Providence Bruins sent Boston Bruins defensive prospect Loke Johansson to the ECHL Maine Mariners. An hour later the official news came out from both the AHL and ECHL organizations confirming the transaction.

Johansson, a former sixth-round selection in the 2024 National Hockey League Entry Draft is a 19-year-old native of Sweden that has decent size at 6′-3″ and 214 pounds. Last season Loke played his first games of North American developmental hockey in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League with the Moncton Wildcats appearing in 62 games and posted 4-18-22 offensive numbers.

Loke’s adjustment to this developmental style of the game was a seamless fit coming from the larger sheets over in Europe. Johansson is a physical defenseman that loves to get involved finishing checks with bone crunching contact and played with an edge climbing the ranks of the AIK club in the HockeyAllsvenskan one of if not Sweden’s best developmental league before coming to the Q.

With a full roster at the AHL level in Providence and not a lot of positions to get playing time, this assignment to ECHL Maine was a smart on and should’nt be looked at as if the Bruins organization is losing faith in this prospect. The B’s signed this player to a three-year, entry-level contract for a reason and is totally invested in developing him as he has solid attributes that the Bruins identified. At 19 years old it makes sense to keep him playing and the minor-pro affiliate in Portland, Maine is the perfect spot for him.

For an example, former Bruins forward Justin Brazeau and current B’s netminder Michael DiPietro both were the odd men in Providence with playing time and the next best option to keep them active was to play for the Mariners. Both worked extremely hard to work their way back to the Providence Bruins roster and with Brazeau reached the NHL with the Bruins for the first time in his career and has yet to look back. I’m sure Johansson will be back in the AHL either this year or next as roster availability become more prevalent.