Bruins First-Round Pick Looks To Breakout At Future Home In Beanpot

BOSTON — Even with Boston College’s roster fully loaded with stars, Dean Letourneau wasn’t going to remain out of the spotlight.

All the attention was on Letourneau when he stepped on the Chestnut Hill campus since the Bruins selected the 6-foot-7, 221-pound forward with the No. 25 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft.

But Letourneau’s freshman season with the Eagles hasn’t satisfied many. He has yet to tally his first collegiate goal and recorded just two assists in 22 games.

Playing in the backyard of the Bruins brings added scrutiny for Letourneau. Bruins fans are looking for Letourneau to be the team’s power forward of the future and he hasn’t shown he can live up to that at the moment.

But BC head coach Greg Brown is preaching patience when it comes to Letourneau and bristles at the thought that the teenager should be further along in his development.

“It seems like more people are saying they want more right away,” Brown said Monday during Beanpot media day at TD Garden. “He’s an 18-year-old kid at that size. That’s not always an advantage. All the taller kids we’ve had over the years have taken awhile to grow into their body to be fully developed. I think of Kevin Hayes and Brian Boyle, they went on to great pro careers. But if you watched them as freshmen, they weren’t dominating college hockey and they’re two outstanding players. So, everyone goes kind of on their own timetable and it usually seems to take the very tall kids a little bit longer.”

Letourneau will get the opportunity to play at potentially his future NHL home when BC takes on Northeastern next Monday in the night cap of the Dunkin’ Beanpot semifinals.

Being in that setting could catapult Letourneau and help him get his freshman season on track. The tournament between Boston college hockey powers has a way of seeing players rise to the moment.

Brown said he likes the way Letourneau played as of late and the Beanpot’s elevated stage certainly would be the perfect time for him to get his first point since Nov. 8.

“Since Christmas, he’s really come back and asserted himself more and got more comfortable with the college game,” Brown said. “So, his trend his excellent right now.”

Much of the focus on BC will be paid to Gabe Perreault, Ryan Leonard and James Hagens. But Letourneau will be watched closely by two separate fan bases, hoping to see what he has yet to show this season.

NESN Dunkin’ Beanpot coverage is presented by Dunkin‘.