The Providence Bruins are 23-8-6-2 on the season and currently sit second in the Atlantic Division, three points behind the Hershey Bears. The Baby Bruins are excelling with balanced scoring and excellent goaltending. Prospects Fabian Lysell, Georgii Merkulov, and Johnny Beecher are getting closer to being National Hockey League players. Marc McLaughlin has been hot of late, resulting in a call-up to the Boston Bruins roster. 27-year-old Vinny Lettieri has 33 points in 38 games and is the only Providence Bruins player in the top 100 in AHL scoring.
But one under-the-radar prospect with Providence is their power forward, Justin Brazeau. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound right wing provides a big presence in front of the net and has shown an ability to put the puck in the net at every level. Brazeau has ten goals and 11 assists in 35 games this season and has recently seen his offensive production increase. Brazeau had two goals and an assist in a 6-3 win on January 7. In the last seven games, the New Liskeard, Ontario native has scored five goals on 17 shots.
Brazeau was not selected in three consecutive NHL entry drafts. Not being drafted didn’t necessarily equal no interest from teams, however, as Brazeau was invited to the Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets, and San Jose Sharks training camps before returning to the OHL for his overage season with North Bay Battalion in 2018-19where he scored 61 goals along with 52 assists in 68 games en route to being named the OHL Overage Player of the Year. Brazeau continued to push through and signed with the Newfoundland Growlers the next season, registering 27-28-55 in 57 games.
The Bruins signed Brazeau to an AHL deal in 2021, and the right-shot forward produced 25 goals in 82 games and 18 points in 20 games with the Maine Mariners last season. The big winger joined the Toronto Marlies on an AHL deal and played 22 games, but only scored four goals and was a minus-10. Skating ability has been an area of improvement for Brazeau and something he continues to work on.
Now it is just a matter of getting a chance at the NHL level for the soon-to-be 25-year-old. Justin Brazeau is a big winger with the ability to score goals and a desire to prove the doubters wrong. There is still time, and if it is not with the Bruins, then it could be with another NHL team down the road.
