By: Neil Simmons | Follow me on Twitter / X: @NSimmz
The dust has settled on the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, and four teams are left standing. Several Bruins prospects were right in the mix across multiple regionals, making their marks in one way or another, extending their seasons or going out on their shields. This year’s Frozen Four features some of the best and most historic programs in the country, but which Bruins have made it to college hockey’s biggest stage?
Will Zellers (RW) – North Dakota – Zellers recorded a pair of assists in each game as North Dakota mowed through the Sioux Falls regional bracket, beating Merrimack and Quinnipiac by a combined 8-0 score. He notched primary assists on three of his four points, including both game-winning goals, which both came within the first ten minutes of play. The freshman winger carries an 18-16-34 stat line to the Frozen Four in Las Vegas.
Elliott Groenewold (D) and Chris Pelosi (C) – Quinnipiac – Groenewold and Pelosi both struck in the first period of their NCAA regional semifinal against Providence, giving the Bobcats an early 2-0 lead en route to a 5-2 victory, though their season came to an end on Saturday in a 5-0 loss to North Dakota.
Both players can hold their heads high after tremendous sophomore campaigns. Groenewold recorded 7-13-20 in 40 games, averaging 20:20 per night, and was named the ECAC Defensive Defenseman of the Year while leading the nation with +39. Pelosi recorded 18-16-34 in 34 games, smashing his freshman year totals in each category, while winning 51.6% of his faceoffs. The duo should be the foundation of the Bobcats’ returning core as upperclassmen next fall.
Cole Spicer (C) – Western Michigan – Spicer, in his NCAA Tournament debut, was a +2 and recorded an assist on the eventual game-winning goal as part of a 3-1 victory over Minnesota State. While he was held scoreless in the Broncos’ season-ending 6-2 loss to Denver on Sunday, he won 11 of 18 faceoffs, the most of any player in the regional final. Spicer’s college return campaign concluded with 3-3-6 in 13 games, and finishing second on the team with a 57.2% faceoff win rate.
Looking Ahead:
Zellers represents the lone Bruin still standing in the NCAA Tournament. He and the Fighting Hawks will renew an old WCHA rivalry when they face Wisconsin in the Frozen Four on Thursday, April 9th. North Dakota has been slotted into the early window, and puck drop is set for 5 pm ET.
As for the rest of the Bruins college class of 2025-26, the question becomes who stays, who hits the transfer portal, and who signs pro. Among the group, we know one who will be sticking around for next Fall. Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney confirmed last week that Dean Letourneau is expected to return to Boston College for his junior season.
Andre Gasseau, Oskar Jellvik, Mason Langenbrunner, and Philip Svedeback are all graduating seniors who’ve exhausted their collegiate eligibility. The Bruins have until later this summer to sign them before their draft rights expire and become free agents, should they not be dealt beforehand.
On the other hand, Boston has been busy adding new names to its pipeline from the free-agent market. Merrimack Goaltender Max Lundgren and UConn Center Ryan Tattle have both signed AHL deals with the Providence Bruins beginning next year.
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