Bruins' Dean Letourneau, a no-goal freshman year and the first-rounder's way back
The 2024 first-round pick of the Boston Bruins arrived at Boston College as an 18-year-old freshman out of Canadian prep school hockey. He played half the year with a broken hand that required surgery in December. The 6-foot-7, 221-pounder was playing a support role behind, among other players, Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault, who advanced to the NHL as soon as their sophomore seasons concluded. Ex-NHLer Brian Boyle, a 6-foot-6 forward who scored five goals as an 18-year-old BC freshman and logged 871 career games, is a case of a behemoth who needed time to adjust to Hockey East.
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But zero goals is zero goals. It is a difficult output to consider for a player with 61 tucks the previous season for St. Andrew's College, the Aurora, Ontario, program with a limited history of sending graduates to the NHL.
'Definitely a frustrating year,' said the right-shot forward, who had three assists in his 36 BC games. 'Going forward, just knowing that if you just stick through it and work hard, good things will come. So definitely a good learning experience.'
On Monday at Warrior Ice Arena, Letourneau began his second development camp since being drafted No. 25 in 2024. It is a friendly setting for NHL hopefuls to incorporate the on- and off-ice fundamentals required for making a living in hockey. The players are not here to win jobs.
But Letourneau is using the week as a serious step in repairing the fractures of an unexpected freshman season. He is trying to discover who he thinks he can be as a BC sophomore: an offensive play-driver instead of depth checker.
'Mental mindset. Just trying to be more focused on my skill, trying to get my confidence back,' he said. 'I feel like I kind of have as the summer's gone on. Just seeing more skill, more of what I'm used to, what my game is. I'll always have that hard-checking role I was put into in my back pocket so it won't leave. But trying to focus on skill and getting my confidence back.'
The Bruins took Letourneau because of his size and offensive potential. Initially, Letourneau intended to spend 2024-25 with Sioux Falls in the USHL before joining the Eagles this fall as a 19-year-old. Letourneau appeared in two games for Sioux Falls in 2023-24.
But Letourneau and BC accelerated the plan. On May 28, 2024, Will Smith signed his entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks. Smith's one-and-done decision opened the door for Letourneau to arrive ahead of schedule.
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It was a hasty decision.
'In hindsight, I think we all would agree that another year in the USHL, a full year in the USHL, would have been the best path,' said general manager Don Sweeney. 'Physically, he was able to play at the college level. That opportunity presented in a bit of a unique fashion. I think everybody was under the understanding that physically, he was ready to do it. Now, whether or not you can carry that over to the highest level — because that's what the expectation of BC is — and be successful from a point-production standpoint? That's a leap.'
Initially, the pace, competitiveness and professionalism of college hockey smacked Letourneau in the face. In his first game, for example, Michigan State rolled out 23-year-old defenseman Nicklas Andrews. Letourneau was playing against men.
So was James Hagens, his fellow Bruins prospect. But Hagens, also an 18-year-old, had the advantage of coming from the U.S. National Team Development Program. Hagens had the reps of playing with and against the best 2007-born players. The Under-18 team regularly played college and USHL opponents. Hagens also represented Team USA in the World Juniors.
'Coming from Canadian prep school to college is a huge jump,' BC coach Greg Brown said. 'I'm sure a lot of the time Dean was hoping for better, wanting to make more of an impact. But one, it's a huge jump to play against the older players in college. Also, it seems that guys who are that tall, their development is a longer path.'
By the second half of last year, Letourneau found traction in BC's bottom six at five-on-five and on the penalty kill. He was satisfied to add those traits to his toolbox.
He also generated more scoring chances. But none of them went in. It got to him.
'Definitely weighed on me a little bit as the chances weren't going in,' Letourneau said. 'I had a couple chances in the Beanpot game that wouldn't fall. Hit a couple crossbars, a couple posts. Usually when those don't go in, you get a little frustrated. Not having any goals and not falling in definitely hurts a little more.'
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Letourneau still considers himself an offensive presence. He is viewing this week as a platform upon which to handle pucks and generate chances. He is still learning how to apply his strength toward puck protection and shooing away checkers.
Brown has not determined Letourneau's role. The BC coach said the 19-year-old will have opportunities following the departures of Leonard and Perreault. Time will tell whether his offseason reset produces NCAA results in 2025-26.
'When players have had success and put up points their entire careers,' Sweeney said, 'and all of a sudden it's like, 'Hold up, this is a lot harder,' it's deflating to a degree. But talking him through it, he'll be fine. He'll earn his opportunity to work his way back up the depth chart and start to produce like he has. I don't look it as a setback. I just look at it as a reality slap in a lot of ways.'
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