By: Mark Allred | Follow me on Twitter / X @BlackAndGold277
The Boston Bruins organization, particularly the scouting department, has built a reputation for identifying, developing, and rehabilitating overlooked or underappreciated talent in developmental and minor-pro hockey. In recent years, few stories have exemplified this more than the rise of Justin Brazeau—a player who, after facing setbacks and doubts, earned National Hockey League minutes and made a tangible impact after flourishing in the American Hockey League with the Providence Bruins. Now, the Bruins have a similar opportunity on their hands with big forward Riley Tufte, and the organization should move decisively to secure his future with the black and gold.
Originally a first-round pick (25th overall) by the Dallas Stars in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Tufte arrived in Boston/Providence with plenty of size, raw skill, and untapped potential—but also with the label of a player who hadn’t quite found his NHL footing. Standing at 6’-6” and weighing over 230 pounds, Tufte’s physical presence and scoring ability have been welcoming attributes to the Boston organization’s minor-pro system. Riley is a fringe NHL player, but his career has been marked by inconsistency and limited opportunity at the highest level, having appeared in only 18 career games before joining the B’s. The Bruins organization, however, has a track record of getting the most out of players like Tufte.
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The story of Justin Brazeau is instructive. Undrafted and largely overlooked, Brazeau earned his way through the ECHL and AHL, eventually finding a home in the NHL with Boston. With the Bruins’ development staff and a culture that values hard work and resilience, Brazeau refined his game, earned NHL recalls, and made a meaningful contribution at the highest level. Tufte, much like Brazeau, has all the tools—size, hands, and hockey sense—to follow a similar path if given the time and support.
In August of 2021, Brazeau was at a crossroads in his professional hockey career and considered walking away from the game to pursue studies at a University in Canada. Providence Bruins Head Coach Ryan Mougenel was instrumental in helping Justin believe he had more to give in his hockey career, and he ultimately signed a one-year AHL/ECHL deal with the NHL Bruins affiliate before the 2021-22 season started. For Brazeau, his NHL dream came true when he signed his first NHL two-way contract, and later that day, he made his NHL debut with Boston on February 19th, 2024.
For the Bruins, and much like how they worked with Brazeau, extending Riley Tufte is a low-risk, high-reward decision. He has already shown progress in Providence, leveraging his physicality and net-front presence to become a reliable scorer at the AHL level. His work ethic and willingness to adapt are evident, and under the Bruins’ system, there’s every reason to believe he could be more than just a depth piece. With the NHL always hungry for big-bodied forwards who can play a heavy game, Tufte represents valuable insurance for Boston’s bottom-six and power play units.
Since joining the Providence Bruins, Tufte has appeared in 113 games so far in his AHL Bruins career, posting 49-42-91 numbers in two full seasons of service. Riley has gotten two NHL recalls in his time with the Boston organization, getting into six games in his first, and in his second, he appeared in four games this season and scored one power-play goal. At 27 years old, the Coon Rapids, Minnesota native and versatile winger is seemingly getting better as he ages, scoring a career-high 28th goal on Wednesday night, March 25th, when the Providence Bruins beat the Springfield Thunderbirds on the road at the MassMutual Center 2-1 in regulation.
The Providence Bruins have 10 games remaining in the 2025-26 season, and with the recent point streak from Tufte and his turnaround play of late, I’d expect him to at least reach 30 goals. Tufte is set to be an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, 2026, so if the Boston Bruins have room under the organization’s 50-man roster limit, it would be a good idea to keep a player like this around for another year or two.
Tufte is second on the Providence team in scoring, only one point behind fellow forward Georgii Merkulov, who leads with 50. Not only is Tufte’s point production important at the minor-pro level, but since his arrival at the Bruins AHL affiliate, the big man has been an extension of Coach Ryan Mougenel’s bench alongside team Captain Patrick Brown. If Brown, who’s in his mid-30s, moves on to another team or hangs up the skates, calling it a career, Tufte would be a seamless fit, a great team leader, already wearing the assistant’s “A” on his Providence Bruins jersey.
This weekend, the American Hockey League’s Providence Bruins have two games on home ice, starting Saturday night against the Bridgeport Islanders and Sunday afternoon against the Springfield Thunderbirds. If you want to attend this weekend’s action at the Amica Mutual Pavilion, or any upcoming 2026 AHL Calder Cup Playoff games, please consider bookmarking and using our official StubHub Ticket-affiliated link HERE. This link is also good for other major sports in North America, as well as concerts and shows. We thank you in advance!
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