Next big development in Boston College-to-Bruins pipeline is 2024 first-round draft pick Dean Letourneau
It’s hard not to notice Dean Letourneau.
Sure, it’s hard not to stand out when you’re 6 feet 7 inches and 228 pounds. But it was Letourneau’s play that made him the standout performer at the Bruins’ recent development camp.
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Boston’s first-round pick in 2024, this was Letourneau’s third go around at development camp, and it was clear how much his confidence and comfortability has grown. Other players gravitated to Letourneau on and off the ice as the center embraced his leadership role among the group.
“It’s has been pretty cool. It’s crazy how fast it flies by, and you become a veteran here,” Letourneau told the Globe. “But no, it’s definitely cool having guys kind of look up to you and follow you as a leader.”
Whether a seasoned hockey watcher or a newbie to the sport, it was obvious to one and all who the best player on the Warrior Ice Arena ice was during the four-day event.
The 20-year-old’s sublime mix of size, speed, and skill turned heads on the ice and in the stands, where youngsters would shout “Dean, Dean, Dean,” whenever he touched the puck.
“That was pretty cool,” said Letourneau. “Just knowing that you kind of have a fan base and people cheering you on and especially the next generation, and hopefully I’m inspiring them to work hard and play in the NHL one day.”
Letourneau’s NHL days don’t seem all that far away.
He’s poised to enter his junior year at Boston College in the fall where he’ll be on every Hobey Baker watchlist from Attleboro to Anchorage. He could follow a similar path to that of former Eagles teammate James Hagens and join the Bruins organization when his college season concludes.
The jump Letourneau has made in three summers has been remarkable.
He’s gained muscle, quickness, and maybe most impressive, body control.
Often times, it takes bigger players time to get used to their size and to learn how use it to their advantage. At younger levels, skaters with size can dominate with sheer physicality. As players get older, skill can sometimes neutralize size. Players that possess both size and skill can be nightmarish to play against.
Letourneau has the potential to cause sleepless nights for opponents.
Bruins director of player development Adam McQuaid said the strides Letourneau has taken from when he first arrived at Warrior have been remarkable.
“Well, there’s been a ton of strides physically, and I think it’s helped him, he’s gained [explosiveness in his] first few steps,” said McQuaid, who ran the development camp. “I think his mind-set for using his size — he’s really embraced it. You’ll ask him, he’ll say, ‘I’m just a lot stronger now.’ He’s starting to feel what that feels like when he gets a step on a guy and trying to drive the net. He’s got good hands in tight, so he can create opportunities that way. His game has just grown in all areas and for me, that’s probably the biggest thing that separates him, right?
“There’s his size, his skating ability, his hands in tight and when he puts it all together, it’s unique.”
Letourneau agreed that he’s come a long way since being plucked two years ago at No. 25, the selection the franchise received as part of the Linus Ullmark-to-Ottawa trade.
“I think just playing with pace. I’ll be more comfortable using my size and my speed and kind of putting that all together and taking parts on that and being more dominant,” he said. “I think that’s probably been the biggest area I’ve noticed and just also finishing in tight. Spend a lot of time in the summer working on that. It’s kind of starting to pay off here at development camp and I’m looking to go back home and just keep getting better every day and see where that leads me in August.”
Letourneau put up video-game numbers during his final season at St. Andrew’s College, a prep school in Aurora, Ontario. In 70 games, he collected 75 goals and 152 assists.
The production didn’t continue when he arrived at The Heights. He collected just three assists in 36 games as a freshman.
It led to criticism of both his play and the Bruins from some circles.
When asked about his first college season at the 2025 development camp, Letourneau revealed he had broken his hand early on. He had surgery over the Christmas break and returned to the lineup.
As a sophomore, Letourneau returned with a vengeance and emerged as a nightly threat he knew he could be. He collected 22 goals and 39 points in 36 games.
He acknowledged the criticism bothered him and the bounceback buoyed him.
“Definitely a little frustrating, but that was kind of the reason why I deleted social media. I didn’t really see too much of that later on. Yeah, I got off Twitter and stuff, so didn’t see too much of it,” he said. “I mean, it was obviously definitely in the back of my head. You see stuff here and there and it kind of makes you a little mad, but there’s nothing you can control there and you can control staying off social media. So that’s something that I try to do and limit as much as I can see.
“I was definitely frustrated for fans and stuff, not knowing what I’m truly capable of and kind of writing me off right away. So, I’m glad I put in a good summer and had the year that I did and I’m looking forward to having an even better year this year.”
Letourneau, who was recently named to the Hockey East All-Academic Team along with fellow BC forwards and Bruins draftees Oskar Jellvik and Will Moore,considers his sophomore season a redemption year.
“Definitely a little bit. Yeah, a little redemption and a little more. I definitely had a lot more to give,” said Letourneau. “I thought production wise, everyone has those games where the puck seems to not want to go in and I definitely had a few of those this year, too. I’m looking to take a big step up this year as well.”
BRIGHT IDEA
Cosmic Hockey, a light in the darkness
Don’t be afraid of the dark.
That’s one of the messages from John Cimperman, the vice president of Cosmic Hockey, a frozen version of Cosmic Baseball, which will be played in front of 750,000 fans this season.
A common complaint of many fans is the inability to see the puck. Despite playing in black light conditions, Cosmic Hockey feels that won’t be an issue for its new venture.
“Well, it’s a UV reactive puck and it’s UV reactive sticks and equipment. I can tell you on the baseball side, when the lights are off and they’re playing Cosmic Baseball — and they’re playing in Worcester [at Polar Park] at the end of the month — you can see with UV reactive baseball and the guys can hit it coming in 90 miles an hour,” said Cimperman. “So, it’s a game changer … I think it’s going to be more visible because the lights are off and the equipment and the pucks are reactive and they’re glowing.”
For starters, Cosmic Hockey will feature two teams with rosters of 15 players each. They won’t be city-based as the inaugural season will feature more of a barnstorming strategy.
“We’re looking at more of an open four-on-four format. We’re going to open up the game. We are going to modify the rules,” said Cimperman. “We are going to encourage personalities and flare and improv.”
This will not be the Harlem Globetrotters against the Washington Generals, however.
“Both teams are going to be competitive, and both teams are going to want to win every night, but we’re going to put two teams on the ice, and we will be hitting the ground running with a minimum of a six-city tour starting in January,” said Cimperman. “We’re going to take a breath in March, reflect on what we’ve done, what we’ve built, and then look to be back out for a full tour October through March of 2027-28.”
Both men and women are eligible to try out out for the 30 spots but that doesn’t necessarily mean the physicality side of the game will be eliminated.
“The game is still going to be physical. Is there going to be pushing and shoving in the corners and in front of the nets? Absolutely,” said Cimperman, who anticipates more flair than physicality. “We’d like to encourage players to do a 360 at center ice. We would like to encourage players to add the creativity. And I don’t anticipate, and it’s going to be a player decision in many ways, but I don’t see open ice, center ice hits and I don’t see … this is about opening up the game and letting the players, very skilled players use the ice and show off their skill and their creativity.”
So, where does the pool of players come from?
“We anticipate players will have a minimum of minor league hockey experience. So, we’re seeing players that either have recently retired from the NHL, who have been playing overseas and would like to move back home is what we’re seeing as well. As well as players that are probably in the East Coast Hockey League who are either tired of being on the bus to Glens Falls or they’ve kind of given up that NHL dream, but they want to still be part of the game, and they want to be involved in the game. So, we’re seeing that type of interest from players,” said Cimperman. “Some of the most skilled, creative hockey players are not in the National Hockey League. The game has gotten so big in the NHL that there’s no room for that, unfortunately, that finite skilled player. So, we’re hoping that’s who we’re attracting to this … they just might be undersized, but that doesn’t mean by any means they’re under skilled. They’re probably over skilled.”
As for coaches, Cimperman is hoping for a player-coach model.
“Kind of Reggie Dunlop thing,” he said, evoking the name of Paul Newman’s character from “Slap Shot.”
There will be two tryout sessions for aspiring players. The first will be held at Warrior Arena in Brighton Aug. 1 and the second at the Lecom Center in Buffalo Aug. 8. To be eligible, fill out the tryout form at cosmichockey.com/tryouts/.
Cimperman said to date more than 100 players — “ranging from beer leaguers to former NHLers” have submitted applications. Veteran NHL scout Morey Gare will lead the player evaluation process.
Though the first official puck drop is set for January, the league will run a training camp at the Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid in December and will have a trial run game at the facility on Dec. 18.
Right now, the goal is to play in smaller venues, such as AHL or ECHL rinks to build the brand.
“People will say, why don’t you go to NHL buildings? No, not yet. I would rather put 8,000 fans in an 8,000-seat building having the time of their life rather than put 14,000 fans into TD Garden,” said Cimperman. “So, we’re going to grow this slowly and then do anticipate with demand and with success that we’re going to bigger buildings next year, but let’s put some butts in seats, fill up the buildings.”
For more information on Cosmic Hockey, go to cosmichockey.com.
ETC.
Donato back in game behind NHL bench
It didn’t take long for Ted Donato to get back in the coaching game. The longtime Harvard men’s bench boss (22 seasons!) was named as an assistant coach on Sheldon Keefe’s Devils staff.
It’s a return to the NHL for Donato, who dazzled at Catholic Memorial and Harvard before a 13-year NHL career that started and ended with the Bruins. The gritty left winger also had short stints with the Islanders, Senators, Mighty Ducks, Stars, Blues, Devils, Kings, and Rangers. It was with his hometown Bruins where he made his bones, however, scoring 119 of his 150 career goals and collecting 266 of his 347 points.
He’ll face his son Ryan, who played for him at Harvard and was also a Bruins draftee, for the first time Jan. 9 when New Jersey hosts the Blackhawks.
Speaking of family ties, Winchester’s Carter Meyer, one of the top prospects for the 2027 NHL Draft, will be joining his brother, Freddy, on the Quebec Remparts for the upcoming season.
A slick playmaker, Carter, a 17-year-old center who is committed to Boston University for the fall of 2027, had been with the United States national development team. He had an exceptional season for Uncle Sam, collecting 18 goals and 45 points for the U17 team and 11 goals and 25 points while playing up with the U18s.
Freddy Meyer is an 18-year-old defenseman for the Remparts.
Loose pucks
Quiz time: In what movie did a character utter the line: “Can you imagine being a kid like that? What is he, 24 or something? Greatest hockey player in the world. No 4, Bobby Orr. Geez, what a future he’s got, huh?” … Congratulations are in order for Taylor Wenczkowski, who was recently named to the Boston College women’s team staff as an assistant to Katie Crowley. Wenczkowski, who played for the Boston entries in the PWHL and the Premier Hockey Federation, had most recently been on the staff at Princeton. Additionally, Wenczkowski coached at Bruins development camp in 2025 and received high marks for her guidance from the young prospects … Harvard women’s assistant Venla Hovi was a guest coach at this year’s Bruins development camp. She had done the same with the Devils the previous two summers. “The staff from the coaches and beyond made me feel home from the moment I entered the rink, which speaks about the organization as a whole,” Hovi told the university’s website. “The ability to learn is one of the greatest gifts we have as people and that’s what the experience provided. I look forward to exchanging thoughts and ideas throughout the season to better help our team and players at Harvard.” McQuaid was impressed. “It was great having Venla Hovi come over all week,” said McQuaid. “Just hockey knowledge. Sometimes you get a little different outlook. Some of the things that they look for in the women’s game and how it can translate to the men’s game and vice versa. So good energy, lots of hockey experience. It was a great week with her.” … With Steve Yzerman getting kicked upstairs, perhaps the standoff between Dylan Larkin and the Red Wings will come to end soon. Larkin would look awful good in Boston at 1C with David Pastrnak on his right and JJ Peterka on his left. Just sayin’ … Quiz answer: “The Friends of Eddie Coyle,” the 1973 crime drama starring Robert Mitchum. Perhaps the best Boston-based movie of them all. We’ll go with Newman’s “The Verdict,” a close second and Jack Nicholson’s “The Departed” gets the bronze.
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