By: Neil Simmons | Follow me on Twitter / X: @NSimmz
The Boston Bruins had an eventful, if unpredictable, NHL Draft this past weekend. While the JJ Peterka trade on Friday evening grabbed the headlines, Saturday brought seven new prospects to the organization. Some of their selections raised a few eyebrows relative to the consensus draft boards, or Black n Gold’s own predictions, and leaned heavily European overall, but Bruins fans will have an easier time getting familiar with Roberto Henriquez and Cullen McCrate, as both are NCAA-bound this coming fall.
It wouldn’t be a proper Bruins draft if they didn’t select a player from a Hockey East school. Henriquez, Boston’s sixth player off the board at 170th overall and second goaltender, will reinforce the organization’s pipeline from Boston College and play for the Eagles. Henriquez, a native of Bratislava, Slovakia, heads to Chestnut Hill after a strong season with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL, posting a 21-9-4 record with a .921 SV%, 2.22 GAA, and two shutouts across 37 games, earning a Goaltender of the Year nomination and then scoring a goalie goal and getting into a fight for good measure.
Initially committed to UNH, Henriquez flipped his commitment to BC in April. He will be one of four Bruins draft picks on the Eagles roster this upcoming season, as well as five goaltenders, vying with Ryan Cameron (Fr.), Alex Musielak (Sr.), and fellow Bratislava native Jan Korec (Sr.) for the backup role behind incumbent starter Louka Cloutier (So.).
Boston rounded out the draft with their second addition to the collegiate ranks, selecting McCrate with the 216th pick in the seventh round. The Adrian, Michigan, native has committed to Michigan State, following a 10-20-30 season in 61 games with the Fargo Force in the USHL. McCrate, the only right-shot defenseman the Bruins selected in the draft, will join one of the nation’s pre-eminent programs under head coach Adam Nightingale. Following a second consecutive 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament and a third consecutive Big Ten regular season title, the Spartans have once again reloaded with a stacked recruiting class.
McCrate joins fellow 2026 draftees Chase Reid, Ethan Belchetz, Jack Hextall, and Nikita Klepov in East Lansing, while 2025 first-rounders Cullen Potter and Joshua Ravensbergen arrive after an extra year of development elsewhere. The Spartans boast eight first-round picks and 17 NHL draft picks overall, and will be a must-watch in college hockey this upcoming season. Bruins fans will get a chance to catch McCrate in person on October 23rd & 24th, when New Hampshire hosts Michigan State for a nonconference weekend series.
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