The Boston Bruins keep restocking their prospect list in their own backyard.
There are names on the Bruins’ prospect pipeline who will not need to travel far if the organization decides it is time to turn them pro. Meanwhile, Bruins fans can follow their favorite team’s prospects simply by attending NCAA games in the Boston area.
A bunch of prospects play together for Boston College, another develops across town at Boston University, and Merrimack College just sent a goaltender into the Bruins organization.
The NCAA Path Already Works for Boston
James Hagens spent two seasons with Boston College, scoring 37 points in 37 games (11+26) in the 2024-25 season. Right after, the Bruins selected the forward in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft, seventh overall. Hagens played 34 more games in the 2025-26 season, scoring 47 points (23+24) for BC before moving to the AHL and later making his Bruins debut.
Now a group of other prospects continues developing in the Boston area, which becomes one more reason to watch NCAA games more closely.
Boston College Became the Biggest Hub of the Bruins’ Prospects
For Bruins fans, there is no surprise that Boston College produces prospects for the Bruins.
In the 2025-26 season, six Bruins draft picks played for Boston College.
However, the group of Hagens, Dean Letourneau, Andre Gasseau, Oskar Jellvik, Will Moore and Kristian Kostadinski began to disperse. Hagens and Gasseau moved up to the professional ranks, while Jellvik decided to sign a contract with a team in the Swedish Hockey League.
In the upcoming season, Letourneau, Moore and Kostadinski will play side by side with newly drafted Roberto Henriquez.
Different Prospects, Different Development Timelines
Letourneau is a great example of what additional time developing within the college system might bring.
After a quiet freshman season in 2024-25 with three assists and zero goals in 36 games, the 6-foot-7 Canadian forward spent an impressive 2025-26 season with the Eagles (22+17), earning a spot on the Hockey East Third All-Star Team.
However, Letourneau’s numbers came with context. The forward played the first half of the 2024-25 season with a broken hand and had surgery over the Christmas break, a detail he revealed at Bruins development camp the following summer.
His sophomore jump came from health and strength work as much as from an extra year in the college system.
Will Moore’s performance is less advanced. The Bruins selected Moore 51st overall in the 2025 NHL Draft. The 19-year-old forward scored 10 points (4+6) in 33 games last season.
Those numbers might seem modest, but Moore’s first season for Boston College should be viewed as a starting point. The upcoming season will show whether he can make a jump.
Kostadinski seems to be a longer-term project. The 21-year-old Swedish defenseman was drafted in 2023, 220th overall. Scoring three assists in 34 games last season, Kostadinski finished with a +5 rating.
Finally, the newly selected Slovakia-born goaltender, Henriquez, committed to Boston College this year. He spent last season with the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL, leading the league with a .921 save percentage. Henriquez was a finalist for the USHL Goaltender of the Year award and earned a spot on the All-USHL Second Team.
It is obvious that Henriquez will not join the main roster very soon, but developing with other prospects in the Bruins’ “backyard” might allow him to adjust to professional hockey sooner.
Boston University Offers Another Local Route
Further up Commonwealth Avenue is the alma mater for many established Bruins players. For example, Charlie McAvoy’s path crossed Agganis Arena many years ago. Today, only one Bruins prospect develops with the Terriers.
The Bruins selected Jonathan Morello, a Canadian forward, 154th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. In his first NCAA season, Morello scored 13 points (6+7) in 36 games.
Morello’s sophomore season will be another test of whether he can build on that production.
Merrimack Already Produced a Bruins Signing
One of the most convincing local examples may be a player who finished his development within the college system and signed a professional contract.
Max Lundgren, a 24-year-old Swedish goaltender, spent two years playing for Merrimack College. The Bruins signed the undrafted Lundgren in March this year to a one-year entry-level contract after two seasons in the NCAA.
During the 2025-26 season, he went 21-16-2 with a 2.55 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. Lundgren led all NCAA goaltenders with 1,134 saves and helped Merrimack win the Hockey East championship, earning tournament MVP honors after making 49 saves in the title game.
The Next Steps Are Happening Nearby
Some prospects need a couple of years to mature; others may emerge faster. Meanwhile, some may never reach the main team at all.
In the upcoming season, Letourneau is entering his third college season. Moore and Morello are looking to take the next step. Kostadinski remains a long-term defensive project. Henriquez is just beginning his college career. And Hagens and Lundgren have already shown where development within the NCAA can lead.
For Bruins fans, the future of the organization is increasingly visible at local rinks smaller than TD Garden.
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