The Boston College Eagles hockey program has become a mini-farm system for the Boston Bruins organization. This year’s Eagles team features Andre Gasseau, Trevor Kuntar, and Oscar Jellvik, all members of the Boston Bruins organization.
Gasseau was a seventh-round pick of the Bruins in the 2021 NHL Draft (213th overall). The scout on the 6-foot-4 center was “a shooter with some flash and instincts. He consistently finds space between the faceoff dots, ready for a one-timer or catch-and-release wrister. Handling skills complement Gasseau’s shooting, as he turns tricky passes into powerful wrist shots. He catches passes in motion, beats players in motion, and flashes the 1-on-1 skill to watch through a defender on occasion. (Eliteprospects.com)
Kuntar was a third-round pick in 2020 (89th overall) by Boston. The 6-foot, 200-pound wing was a top-10 scorer in the United States Hockey League before arriving at The Heights. His stocky frame allows Kuntar to win puck battles and score goals around the net. Entering the season, many hockey outlets had Kuntar in the top 10 among Bruins prospects.
Jellvik is a 5-foot-11, 180-pound forward who is steadily climbing the ranks in the Bruins system. Last season in Sweden, the fifth-round pick in 2020 (149th overall) had 55 points in 41 games for Djurgardens. This season with Boston College, Jellvik has one goal and eleven assists.
All three players were on display in this season’s annual Beanpot Tournament at TD Garden, the 70th in its long history. The Eagles lost in the semifinals and then defeated rival Boston University in the consolation, and the three Bruins farmhands were front and center in the victory. The Terriers feature another Bruins product, Ty Gallagher, a seventh-round pick by the Bruins in 2021. Gallagher has three goals and 13 assists for BU. The freshman Gasseau broke a 2-2 tie in the third with the eventual game-winner, and the junior Kuntar scored an empty-net goal to seal the deal. Kuntar is having a terrific season with 12 goals and 12 assists. Gasseau has been impressive in his first collegiate season, with six goals and 15 assists.
The Boston College trio continues to develop, and all three should be on hand this summer for Bruins Rookie Development Camp. Boston is working to improve its prospect pool, and these three Hockey East forwards for Boston College could be in the mix to play in Boston down the road, along with the up-and-coming Gallagher.
