Four Bruins Prospects Set To Make Impact On Beanpot Stage

BOSTON — Four Boston Bruins prospects will get a taste of what the future can be like in next week’s Dunkin’ Beanpot.

The annual midseason tournament between Boston’s college hockey powers will be played out on the ice at TD Garden, which is the home of the Bruins. And three players from Boston College and one from Harvard, who all have already been drafted by the Bruins, want to get back there in the coming years, but with a Spoked-B on their chest.

The Beanpot will offer an elevated stage for them to showcase their skills and give a glimpse into what they potentially can provide the Bruins down the road.

Here are the four Bruins prospects who will look to make an impact in this year’s Beanpot:

Andre Gasseau, F, Boston College
Drafted: Seventh round (No. 213) in 2021

Gasseau, 21, has been a steady contributor for the Eagles ever since stepping foot on the Chestnut Hill campus. He notched 10 goals and 17 assists as a freshman and turned in comparable numbers last season by compiling 12 goals and 17 assists as the Eagles made a run to the national championship.

Gasseau, who uses a sturdy 6-foot-4, 224-pound frame to his advantage, provided much of the same this season with eight goals and seven assists for 15 points in 23 games. Gasseau’s point total ranks behind BC’s star-studded quartet, but he’s a proven asset for the Eagles.

Oskar Jellvik, F, Boston College
Drafted: Fifth round (No. 149) in 2021

The 21-year-old Sweden native blossomed last season after accumulating just 15 points — four goals, 11 assists — as a freshman. He notched 42 points off 13 goals and 29 assists for the national runner-ups. Jellvik hasn’t had the same offensive impact this season with four goals and seven assists in 21 games. Unlike Gasseau, the 5-foot-10, 180-pound forward has strong speed and quickness to come through for the Eagles.

BC head coach Greg Brown likes what both Gasseau and Jellvik bring to the Eagles as they have become relied upon pieces.

“Right now they’re playing heavy minutes — both guys,” Brown said. “Last couple of guys we’ve had them playing with Ryan Leonard, playing tough matchups defensively and then also being able to generate some offensive chances. Oskar and Andre have a different style. Andre is a bigger player. Oskar is more of a skater, darter. But they both have a lot of confidence, and they’re playing well for us.”

Dean Letourneau, F, Boston College
Drafted: First Round (No. 25) in 2024

Letourneau is the most prized prospect of the group and most talked about, too. It hasn’t been all that encouraging from Letourneau to start his college career, though. He has yet to tally a goal and only has two assists in 22 games.

You won’t find many players taller than Letourneau on the ice as he stands at 6-foot-7. He’s still a teenager, too — he turns 19 in the middle of February — as there’s plenty of room for his game to grow.

“It seems like more people are saying they want more right away,” Brown said. “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 a while 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.”

Mason Langenbrunner, D, Harvard
Drafted: Fifth Round (No. 151) in 2020

Langenbrunner comes from good hockey roots as his father, Jamie, enjoyed a 16-year NHL career in which he hoisted the Stanley Cup twice. Langenbrunner, 22, plays a different position than his father but has found success on the blue line for Harvard. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound junior leads all Crimson defensemen with three goals — it’s also a career-high for Langenbrunner after scoring just one in his first two seasons — and he has also contributed three assists in 19 games.

“Mason’s had an excellent season,” Harvard head coach Ted Donato said. “He’s got good size, he moves the puck really well, defends really well. Kills penalty for us, blocks shots. Also has been really productive on the offensive blue line. He’s had a really good year. To me, he’s a winning player. He just does all the little things you need to do to find success as a team.”