By: Neil Simmons | Follow me on Twitter / X: @NSimmz
Boston Bruins prospects took center stage in college hockey over the weekend, both in their regular-season openers and final exhibition tune-ups. Twelve of the 13 Bruins prospects took the ice against a variety of opponents, from Canadian universities and junior hockey squads to an NCAA tournament team from last season, and they delivered plenty of strong showings, starting with the games that count.
Chris Pelosi & Elliott Groenewold – Quinnipiac – The Bruins duo were central figures in the Bobcats’ dominant opening weekend in Hamden, combining for seven points across 10-2 and 6-3 wins over New Hampshire and Merrimack.
Pelosi started both games as the top-line center, retaining his role from the end of last season alongside familiar wingers Aaron Schwartz and Andon Cerbone, and led the trio with two goals and an assist over the weekend. Two of his three points came at even strength, with a goal coming on the man advantage as part of the top unit.
Groenewold, like Pelosi, retained his usual second-pair role alongside Braden Blace and recorded two assists in each game, all at even strength. While the blowout win over New Hampshire allowed for reduced ice time down the stretch, the Groenewold-Blace pairing led all Quinnipiac skaters against reigning Hockey East champions Merrimack with over 22 minutes apiece. The Bruins blueliner finished the weekend tied for the team lead in both points (4) and rating (+5).
Beckett Hendrickson – Minnesota – Hendrickson accomplished a niche bit of Minnesota history with his goal on Saturday night against Michigan Tech. He became the ninth Golden Gopher to score in three straight season openers, and the first since 2002, when he jammed a puck past Huskies goaltender Owen Bartoszkiewicz midway through the second period to tie the game in an eventual 3-2 loss.
While these were the only outings that counted towards the scorebook, several other Bruins turned in standout performances in their exhibition games. The BC contingent dominated the US NTDP U18 team, running out to a 10-1 lead by the end of the second period, led by Dean Letourneau’s hat trick, with Will Moore adding three assists.
Will Zellers and Cooper Simpson both hit the scoresheet in North Dakota’s weekend tune-up sweep of Augustana and the University of Manitoba. Zellers earned first-star honors against their CCHA counterparts, with a power-play goal and assist en route to a 4-1 win before sitting out Sunday. Simpson recorded key assists in both games, first on Zellers’ goal and then as the primary assist for Carson Carels, giving the Fighting Hawks a two-goal lead and helping them cruise to a 5-1 victory.
Cole Spicer skated on Western Michigan’s second line against Western Ontario, recording two assists in the 5-1 win. Both of his assists came in the second period, the latter on the power play. Both assists also included defenseman Michael Neumeier, who attended Bruins development camp this past summer.
Looking Ahead: Letourneau, Moore, Kristian Kostadinski, and Leo Henriquez will officially open their season on Friday night when they host Alaska-Anchorage at Conte Forum. Jonathan Morello and Boston University return home from the Last Frontier for their home opener against Brown on Saturday night.
Pelosi and Groenewold will hit the road for Orono, Maine, for a weekend set with the Black Bears. Spicer and the Broncos open their regular season Thursday night against Ferris State, then head up to Big Rapids for the rematch Friday. Zellers and Simpson start their season with a home-and-home against Bemidji State, starting on the road on Friday night before opening The Ralph on Saturday.
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