Quinnipiac sophomore defenseman Elliott Groenewold might be the most overlooked Bruins prospect in the pipeline. While Chris Pelosi naturally draws the spotlight from a Bobcats team headed to the NCAA Tournament — goals and assists tend to do that — Groenewold has quietly built a resume that deserves far more attention.
The Bruins had their sights on Groenewold in the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Draft, and when it looked like he might not slip to their spot, Don Sweeney made his move. Boston shipped Jakub Lauko and the 122nd pick to Minnesota in exchange for Vinni Lettieri and pick No. 110 — a slot they promptly used to grab Groenewold.
There’s still plenty of runway before he’s NHL‑ready, but Groenewold has the tools to become the kind of steady, two‑way presence many hoped Brandon Carlo would grow into. I thought you might be interested in this video:
Liam Pettersson – Vaxjo Lakers – U20 Nationell
Pettersson’s club bowed out of the U20 Nationell playoffs after a five‑game series, and the Bruins prospect never saw action. He had been called up to the SHL roster during the run but didn’t appear in a game, and he’s no longer listed with the big club.
Vashek Blanar – HV71 – U20 Nationell
HV71 pushed its record to a spotless 4–0 in the U20 Nationell Qualifying series, grinding out a 3–2 win over BIK Karlskoga. Trailing 2–1 early in the third, Blanar pulled HV71 level just 1:54 into the frame, stepping into a point wrister off a clean draw that fluttered past the goalie’s glove for his first goal of the Qualifiers. The momentum swing didn’t last long, though—just over two minutes later, he was sent to the showers after being ejected for fighting.
HV71 stayed perfect on Saturday with a 7–4 win over IK Grums, rallying from a 3–2 deficit entering the third period. They erupted for four unanswered goals to take a 6–3 lead, with Blanar delivering the dagger — his tally with 9:48 remaining was HV71’s sixth and effectively put the game out of reach. He finished a plus-1 with 3 shots on goal.
That gives Blanar goals in back‑to‑back games.
Kirill Yemelyanov – Loko Yaroslav – MHL
Loko’s best of five playoff series is set to begin April 2, but their opponent is to be determined.
William Zellers – University of North Dakota
North Dakota opened its NCAA Tournament run with a convincing 3–0 win over Merrimack, and Zellers set the tone early. He picked up assists on the first two goals, driving a strong all‑around effort as UND punched its ticket to Saturday’s Sioux Falls Regional Final against Quinnipiac. He had 18:39 time on ice.
North Dakota punched its ticket to the Frozen Four on Saturday with a 5–0 win over Chris Pelosi, Elliott Groenewold, and Quinnipiac. Zellers once again played a key role, collecting a pair of assists — one on the opening goal and another on UND’s fourth. He finished plus‑2 with four shots on goal and logged 16:37 of ice time.
North Dakota will face Wisconsin on April 9 in Vegas at the Frozen Four.
Dean Letourneau, Kristian Kostadinski, Will Moore – Boston College
Don Sweeney noted that Dean Letourneau intends to return to Boston College next season, though he left the door open should the forward reconsider. Sweeney also hinted at ongoing discussions with prospects Oskar Jellvik and Andre Gasseau regarding their future within the organization.
Chris Pelosi, Elliott Groenewold – Quinnipiac University
Groenewold and Pelosi were central to Quinnipiac’s push into the Sioux Falls Regional Final, powering a 5–2 win over Providence. Groenewold opened the scoring when a loose puck rolled to him at the left point; with space in front of him, he opted for a quick release from distance — and it beat the goaltender clean. He closed the night with a plus‑3 rating, four shots on goal, and 22:39 of ice time, a standout performance on the back end.
Pelosi stretched the lead to 2–0 with a slick finish on a 4‑on‑4 breakaway, and Quinnipiac never looked back. He closed the night at minus‑1 with three shots on goal, went 10‑for‑18 at the faceoff dot, and logged 18:07 of ice time.
Quinnipiac’s season came to a close Saturday with a 5–0 loss to Will Zellers and North Dakota. Both Chris Pelosi and Elliott Groenewold are eligible to return as juniors next year, but the expectation is that Pelosi will turn pro, while Groenewold is projected to head back to Quinnipiac — the right developmental path for him at this stage.
Ryan Walsh – Cornell University
Cornell’s season came to a close Friday with a 5–0 loss to Denver in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, ending Ryan Walsh’s campaign. Walsh finished minus‑2 with one shot on goal, went 13‑for‑27 on draws, and logged 23:46 of ice time — the second‑highest total in the game.
Now the 22‑year‑old faces a pivotal decision: turn pro or return to Cornell for his senior season.
Philip Svedeback – Providence College
Providence College fell 5–2 to Quinnipiac on Friday in the Sioux Falls Regional of the NCAA Tournament. Svedeback did not see action, and the loss not only ends the Friars’ bid for a national title but also brings Svedeback’s NCAA career to a close.
Cooper Simpson – Youngstown – USHL
Youngstown rolled past the USNTDP 6–2 on Friday, and it didn’t take long for Simpson to set the tone. Just 1:34 in, he opened the scoring with his 34th of the season, taking a drop pass at the blue line, cutting into the right circle, and ripping his trademark wrist shot home. He later added his 40th assist early in the third period to cap off another strong night.
With two games left in the regular season, Simpson sits tied for third in goals, fourth in assists, and second in points. He also leads the league in power‑play assists.
Cole Chandler – Shawinigan – QMJHL
Shawinigan dropped Game 1 of its best‑of‑seven series Friday, falling 4–1 to Sherbrooke in a chippy, penalty‑filled opener. Shawinigan struck first on a fluky goal from the goal line, though Chandler picked up an assist on the play. He finished the night even, registered one shot on goal, and went 4‑for‑10 in the faceoff circle.
Saturday didn’t bring any relief for Shawinigan, as they dropped Game 2 by the same 4–1 score. The series now shifts to Sherbrooke with Chandler’s club trailing 0–2. Chandler was held off the scoresheet, finishing minus‑1 with two shots on goal and an 8‑for‑14 performance in the faceoff circle.
Cole Spicer – Western Michigan
Western Michigan opened its NCAA Tournament run with a 3–1 win over Minnesota State on Friday. Spicer factored into the victory, assisting on the game‑winning goal in the second period. He finished plus‑2 with one shot on goal, went 8‑for‑13 on draws, and logged 12:20 of ice time.
Western Michigan’s run came to a close Sunday, falling 6–2 to Denver and bowing out of the tournament. Spicer was held off the scoresheet, finishing even in plus/minus with a single shot on goal. After three seasons with limited game action, next year shapes up as a pivotal one for him — he’ll need a full, impactful campaign to re-establish his trajectory.
Providence Bruins
Providence 2 – Springfield 1
James Hagens made his professional debut Wednesday night as Providence picked up its 48th win of the season.
Riley Tufte opened the scoring for Providence with 8:08 left in the first, driving hard to the crease and jamming home a rebound for his 28th of the season. Matej Blumel and Matthew Poitras picked up the assists.
Springfield pulled even with 6:06 left in the second period, but Providence answered early in the third. Jake Schmaltz restored the lead 3:56 into the frame, breaking in alone on a feed from Joey Abate and beating the goaltender glove‑side for the eventual game‑winner.
Michael DiPietro turned aside 25 of 26 shots, while Providence generated 41 of its own in the win.
As for Hagens, his confidence grew as the night went on, and it was evident he was operating at a different pace than his linemates. During the rare shifts he shared with Poitras, the duo looked dominant — one of the few moments where someone could truly match Hagens’ processing speed.
Providence 6 – Bridgeport 4
By the midway point of the first period, the Islanders had already built a 2–0 lead before Providence finally settled in. Abate cut the deficit to 2–1 with 4:45 left, redirecting a Michael Callahan point shot. Schmaltz picked up an assist on the play as well.
With 1:21 left in the period, Poitras jumped on a turnover and slipped a pass to Georgii Merkulov at the left post, where Merkulov patiently outwaited the sprawling goaltender to tie the game.
The 2–2 score held until 13:47 of the second, when Patrick Brown found Tufte for a one‑timer into a half‑open net, giving Providence its first lead of the night. Christian Wolanin also picked up an assist. Just 57 seconds later, Tufte struck again — this time attempting a pass across the crease that deflected off a defender and in, stretching the lead to two. Poitras picked up his second assist of the night.
With 11:34 remaining in the third, Hagens buried his first professional goal, unleashing his trademark one‑timer from just inside the right circle. Tufte and Wolanin collected the assists.
The Islanders pulled one back, but Poitras quickly answered, spotting Tufte driving to the net and threading a pass that Tufte redirected home for his third of the night with 5:16 remaining. Merkulov added an assist on the play. The Islander would add one late to close out the scoring.
Poitras is now on a 7-game point streak with 10 points in that span. It is the longest streak of the season for a Providence player. DiPietro stopped 26 of 30 shots he faced.
Providence 2 – Springfield 4
Providence dug itself a deep hole, trailing 4–0 just 13 minutes into the second period before finally breaking through late. Riley Duran punched home a rebound with 3:10 left in regulation to get the Friars on the board, with Schmaltz and Abate picking up the assists.
With 1:14 left, Hagens threaded a gorgeous feed to Merkulov cutting through the slot, and the winger ripped a pinpoint shot into the upper corner. Victor Soderstrom added an assist on the play. But that was all they could generate.
Simon Zajicek stopped 38 of 42 shots in the loss.
Here’s a look at the Providence Bruins leaders. You will notice a column called “Benchrates” This is provided by our friends at Benchrates. Created by a retired hockey player, Benchrates has created an algorithm that computes values in real time. The value you see is the cap hit value they’ve earned this season to date. Give them a look and check out their site.
Coming up this week:
