Boston Bruins 2024 Rookie Camp and Prospects Challenge Schedule

[DKH]

No commentary ?

For a couple thousand and transportation and room, breakfast, I’d have done play by play and add comments

Come on Jacobs

 

[PepeBostones]

Still better than nothing at all. It's only 2024 you're asking too much Dan. But, would have love to hear you call the game.

 

[DKH]

In person I’d explain and even show you on phone how I know - would make sense but everything I originally thought was incorrect but did get it and all made sense

Still better than nothing at all. It's only 2024 you're asking too much Dan. But, would have love to hear you call the game.

I broadcast many games as a kid playing table hockey (my version was Toronto & Montreal) and I was so good I had all those old Canadiens names down from Rejean should to Henri Richard

 

[bruinmann77]

I believe the Goal Scorers are 97-32-72

 

[GordonHowe]

Bruins Rookie Charlie Hilton Ready to take Prospect Challenge

BRIGHTON – Charlie Hilton will be among the baby bears to watch this weekend at Boston Bruins Rookie Camp. The Oshawa native is getting the opportunity of a lifetime, as one of 11 players invited to the 2024 Prospects Challenge in Buffalo, Sept. 13-16 at LECOM HarborCenter. He’ll join 25 other...

bostonhockeynow.com

 

[bruinsfan1968]

I believe the Goal Scorers are 97-32-72

Vidicek, Farinacci, and Harrison

 

[bruinmann77]

Think the Kids thought they were only playing one Period

 

[GordonHowe]

https://985thesportshub.com/2024/09/12/why-two-of-the-bruins-top-youngsters-arent-attending-rookie-camp-prospects-challenge/

 

[GordonHowe]

Hiya, again. Your neighborly Duck fan here again to give info on former Ducks, this time it's former prospect Hvidston. BTW, it wasn't just Anahiem that didn't want Hvidston, it was all teams that didn't want to invest a draft pick on Hvidston as he went back into the draft for the 2024 NHL draft.

Hvidston is an early Sept baby, meaning he was probably the youngest 2022 NHL draft prospect. If he were born a week later, then he would belong in the 2023 draft. He just turned 20 years old yesterday on Sept 11th. In the 2022 draft, Hvidston was drafted in the 5th round as a shutdown LW. Since Connor was drafted, his WHL team converted him to play more at center and he improved scoring over the past two seasons.

Hvidston
Year	Season	CHL	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-		G/GP	A/GP	Pts/GP
2021-22	D+0 (Age 17)	WHL	58​	13​	19​	32​	-5​		0.22​	0.33​	0.55​
2022-23	D+1 (Age 18)	WHL	59​	21​	44​	65​	15​		0.36​	0.75​	1.10​
2023-24	D+2 (Age 19)	WHL	53​	27​	32​	59​	12​		0.51​	0.60​	1.11​

Hvidston	FO & SOG
Year	Season	GP	FOW	FOA	FO%		SOG	SOG/GP
2021-22	D+0	58​	466​	1024​	45.5%​		108​	1.86​
2022-23	D+1	59​	535​	1177​	45.5%​		141​	2.39​
2023-24	D+2	53​	510​	982​	51.9%​		130​	2.45​

Hvidston transformed from a shutdown winger and into a scoring, two-way forward who can play center or take faceoffs. Although his scoring rate didn't have a jump in his D+2 season, his goal scoring rate did. More on his D+2 season below from Jim Johnson, the Ducks Dir of Player Dev.

Here's what Ducks Dir. of Player Dev said about Hvidston on a May 29, 2024 prospect update article:

Connor Hvidston​

​

One of the youngest players in the draft when Anaheim tabbed him 139th overall in 2022, and still several months shy of his 20th birthday, Hvidston has battled through injuries to become a strong NHL prospect. The two-way forward scored over one point-per-game for the second straight year with Swift Current, finishing with 27 goals and 59 points in 53 games and helping the Broncos to the second round of the WHL Playoffs.​

​

"I really feel bad for Connor," Johnson said. "He had a tough year this year with his injuries after a big summer last year. I think he gained 15 or 17 pounds last summer. He put in a really good summer of training and then in hurt his back in camp. He missed all of training camp and all of rookie camp, then re-injured his back testing in Swift Current. He got off to a slow start with his back injury and only played 53 games this year. He also had an appendectomy and unfortunately he never really got his weight back [before the season ended] and he lost all the strength that he gained. He battled with that all season long and unfortunately there was nothing he could have done to prevent this. He tried to do everything he could. He's got great work habits. He's a great kid.​

​

Despite the rollercoaster campaign off the ice, Johnson and the Ducks brass was impressed with Hvidston's resolve and determination, ultimately producing strong offensive numbers in a trying situation.​

​

"He battled with injury, battled with his strength and his energy levels just weren't right, but he still ended up with 59 points and 27 goals. He can play in traffic, has a sky-high skill level and good hockey IQ. He's got great vision. His skating speed I believe is deceptive and he surprises guys. I saw him last year score the goal of the year in the Western Hockey League, beating the guy wide and taking it across the net.​

​

"He's just got to again rebuild his body. It's a really important summer for Connor because of the year he had and so he's got to regain all the strength that he lost , gain it all back and gain some more. So he's got a big off season in the summer to get to where we believe he can be, but he'll be a guy that we want to really concentrate on over the summer and make sure that he's doing all the right things. So he comes in and has a healthy start of the season."​

While the Ducks Dir of Player Dev might love Hvidston, the Ducks GM does not.

IMO, Hvidston showed more than enough promise to earn an ELC as his productions reflect that of a prospect drafted in the 2nd round. The reasons why the Ducks didn't extend him an ELC is a mystery. Hvidston went back into the draft for the 2024 draft and no one drafted him. That his the oddest part, no one took a gamble on Hvidston even with a 7th round pick. A team could own his rights for two seasons and see where his development might become.

I have two theories. First theory could be Hvidston's back issues are serious issues, but only the Ducks would have intimate knowledge of how severe the back issues might be. Yet, as their Dir of Player Dev denoted, Hvidston still found a way to put up high productions as well as lead the team in scoring in last year's playoff run with the Swift Current Broncos. The first theory is difficult to accept on a league-wide basis, considering the #4 overall in the 2024 draft, Cayden Lindstrom, also had back issues this past season in the WHL.

The second theory is that Hvidston was the probably the prospect that sent a complaint to the NHL that the Ducks were encouraging him mafia style to participate in unofficial workouts in Florida last summer. Anaheim got fined for the infraction as well as received negative publicity for the infraction. Out of all of the Duck prospects participating in workouts in Florida last summer, Hvidston was the only one without an ELC (Entry Level Contract). Prospects/players have to pay their own way and housing to unofficial workout destinations; having an ELC also means you got some bonus money or are already getting paid for the ELC, which makes "the encouragement" from the org much easier to swallow. All teams probably figured out that Hvidston was the snitch and the Ducks didn't use any of their plethora of picks to re-secure the rights to Hvidston.

I'm glad a team has decided to give Hvidston a chance. No idea if the prospect rookie tourney is enough time to impress a GM who doesn't know much about Hvidston, though.

Great stuff. Thank you.

Have you opined on Max Jones yet?

I viewed six of his bouts on YouTube. He lost four of them.

He's willing though, and not afraid to get his nose dirty. Jones paid a visit to the Pro Shop today.

 

[Alan Ryan]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1834564234690134396

The sweater numbers make it look like a football game.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Great stuff. Thank you.

Have you opined on Max Jones yet?

I viewed six of his bouts on YouTube. He lost four of them.

He's willing though, and not afraid to get his nose dirty. Jones paid a visit to the Pro Shop today.

Yup. I wrote a blurb about him in his Bruin's player thread. Here's what I wrote on July 4, 2024:

Yet another former Duck has made his way onto the Bruins. Two years ago it was Hampus. Last year it was Shatty. Now, Max. Although, I'm surprised you didn't try to recapture Vaak, who finally had a healthy season and looked promising as a stay-at-home D.

Max is a fan favorite on and off the ice. On the ice, he's a speedy bull-in-a-China-shop type of player and willing to crash the net. His motor is always on, hence "plays with his hair on fire" quote. He has some sneaky playmaking (passing), but still possesses hands of brick. Max' big down fall is he cannot stay healthy; he has yet to notch 70 NHL games in a season. Jones has been injury prone since he was drafted in 2016. If he wasn't made out of glass, then I think his development as a goal scoring PF might have been more achievable at a much lower ceiling.

Hopefully, playing on a team that has a playoff roster may help him to develop his game scoring-wise. Also, I hope your medical staff is better than Anaheim's so that y'all can keep Jones on the ice more often.

As for fighting, that isn't Max' thing, tbh. He's better being a pest with speed on the ice than exchanging punches or hugging it out.

 

[Gee Wally]

Drew Bavaro’s path to Bruins’ blue line included time at Bentley University - The Boston Globe

The Bruins signed the right-shot defenseman after two years at Bentley in Waltham and two more at Notre Dame.

www.bostonglobe.com

BUFFALO — The career path that delivered Drew Bavaro here at noon on Friday, to play in his first rookie game as a Bruin, began a decade earlier when he checked into Cardigan Mountain School in Canaan, N.H., his hockey destination unknown.

“Yeah, left home in Florida when I was 13½ or 14,” Bavaro mused, shortly after he and his fellow Boston hopefuls suffered a 6-3 loss to the Penguins in the Prospects Challenge opener. “And here we are . . . kind of exciting to find out the challenge of the next level.”

Bavaro, 24, is a 6-foot-2-inch right-shot defenseman, whose circuitous path to signing a contract with the Bruins did not include getting drafted at age 18 and initially did not include playing for a high-end college or junior program. In a sport that appreciates pedigree, which top prospects begin to acquire sometimes in their pre-teens, he was the kid who showed up at Cardigan, let’s say, unencumbered by great expectations.

“I’ve always been a step behind in getting recognized,” said Bavaro, noting the “tough path” he’s followed thus far to fulfilling his dream. “I was fine with that. I think I wore that on my shoulder [as motivation] in every way. For me, it’s kind of been having to prove it every level.”

“I’ll always be grateful for Bentley giving me that opportunity,” he said. “I’ve always felt the best way to get better is to play, and they let me play a lot there. It made it hard to leave, the team and the guys, but I was convinced it was the right decision.”

The next stop was South Bend, a two-year stay at Notre Dame, where Bavaro put up a 10-10–20 line with the Irish last season. Intrigued by his development curve, the Bruins in the spring signed him to a one-year deal that ostensibly started here with the rookie tournament. He is guaranteed a minimum of $175,000, more than half of that in signing bonus, and will have the chance to see how his game measures up against the league’s best when the Bruins open their varsity camp Wednesday in Brighton.

Bavaro participated in the club’s July development camp on Guest Street and remained in town to work out. He lived for a while at Riley Duran’s family home in Woburn (the two briefly were Lawrence Academy teammates) and then moved in with some college and high school buddies in a downtown apartment. More important, as summer played out, he worked out regularly alongside a number of Bruins veterans.

“It was a huge advantage to be there all summer,” said Bavaro. “I was around guys like [Brad] Marchand, [Brandon] Carlo, and [Charlie] McAvoy. And that helps give a little bit of a relaxing step when you go out on the ice everyday with those guys. So when it really begins to ramp up, you don’t feel as much discomfort as I did the few times in the summer. Obviously, though, it’s going to be a big step up — those guys are the best players in the world, so I’m excited to see where I’m at.”

“[Bavaro’s] got a little bit of maturity in his game that has to grow,” said Providence coach Ryan Mougenel, who is serving as bench boss here. “But he’s a smart kid, and the more accustomed he gets to how we play, he’s going to be alright.

“His skill set is really good. He’s got a great shot and a good offensive mind — he’lll have to work through some hiccups, but there’s some good things there for sure.”

 

[GordonHowe]

Yup. I wrote a blurb about him in his Bruin's player thread. Here's what I wrote on July 4, 2024:



As for fighting, that isn't Max' thing, tbh. He's better being a pest with speed on the ice than exchanging punches or hugging it out.

Thank you,

 

[GordonHowe]

Yup. I wrote a blurb about him in his Bruin's player thread. Here's what I wrote on July 4, 2024:



As for fighting, that isn't Max' thing, tbh. He's better being a pest with speed on the ice than exchanging punches or hugging it out.

It's rather odd that being made of glass, as you surmise, he plays bull in a china shop style hockey. The two seem antithetical.

 

[Fenian24]

It's rather odd that being made of glass, as you surmise, he plays bull in a china shop style hockey. The two seem antithetical.

Might explain the injuries

 

[GordonHowe]

Might explain the injuries

Then, as our ducks fans says, he should stick to agitating and making life difficult for opponents. If he's not a fighter, then he's not a fighter. Which is fine.

 

[GordonHowe]

Bruins Rookie Rundown for 2024 Prospect Challenge

Bruins fans could get a glimpse of the future this weekend, as 25 rookies compete in the 2024 Prospects Challenge. The three-game series, which runs Sept. 13-16 at LECOM HarborCenter in Buffalo, will feature seven Bruins draft picks, six free agent signings and as many as 11 training camp...

bostonhockeynow.com

 

[Terrier]

Prospects Challenge Live: Bruins vs. Devils | Boston Bruins

Watch the Bruins take on the Devils live from the Prospects Challenge.

www.nhl.com

 

[bbfan419]

Harrison with the B's goal.

 

[nsvoyageurs]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1834381122840485966

Any word on what happened with the physical that they failed him? I saw him play a couple years ago in Canadian Junior A. I hope he's OK.

 

[Kegs]

Harrison impressed me both games. I think he is the best bruins prospect at this tournament. I liked edwards too. A couple providence guys had a good game against Columbus.

 

[Gee Wally]

Andrew Oke answers the Bruins’ last-minute call for rookie tournament - The Boston Globe

Hoping to spark a pro career, Andrew Oke answered the Bruins' call for a goaltender for the annual rookie tournament in Buffalo.

www.bostonglobe.com

BUFFALO – Andrew Oke arrived here in a hurry, not so much with the idea of advancing his career curve at warp speed – a fine idea in itself – but simply in a hurry to get here from his home in Michigan.
The Bruins were short a goaltender for their rookie tournament that began Friday. They had someone in mind for the role, but that kid was injured. They were about to board their bus in Brighton for the seven-hour drive here. Could he come?
Faster than Rocket Richard shot from a SpaceX launch pad, Oke was on his way.
“Couldn’t wait to get here,” said the eager 20-year old, his smile nearly as wide as that six-foot net he’d like to make his life’s work protecting. “Took about five hours, I guess. It’s been awesome, just an awesome experience.”

Only some 48 hours after arriving, and shaking hands with a whole lot of teammates also with big league dreams that he’d never met, the 6-foot-2-inch Oke played like a polished, experienced hand. He put glove, stick, and blocker to 29 shots before giving up the 4-3 winner in Saturday afternoon’s overtime loss to the Blue Jackets.

Of course a win would have been ideal, but that didn’t take away from Oke’s impressive performance. He arrived as an emergency backup, all but a firefighter’s helmet strapped to his head, and played with the kind of poise that should at least keep him on the Bruins’ prospects radar

“I thought he was excellent,” said AHL Providence coach Ryan Mougenel, whose rooks fell to 0-1–1 in tournament play that wraps up today with a 10 a.m. faceoff against the Devils. “He did a lot of really good things out there.”

Oke — which is pronounced “Oak” — though never drafted, has caught the interest of a few NHL teams. Raised in Shelby Township, about 30 miles north of Detroit, he twice attended development camp of his hometown Red Wings. More recently, Arizona/Utah had him in its development camp. Now the Bruins have had a look, and it was encouraging.

Though it’s rare, especially for goalies, NHL wannabes can convert these invites into contract offers. Case in point: Kyle Keyser, another goalie who was never drafted.

Prior to the 2017-2018 season, the Bruins invited Keyser here for the same rookie tourney before his season began with OHL Oshawa. Less than a month later, the Bruins signed him to a four-year, two-way deal. Now 25, he was signed in July by KHL Kunlun. The NHL dream has not come to fruition, but that invite here seven years ago provided Keyser a great opportunity at launching a pro career.

Oke, the son of former UMass kicker Eric Oke, this past spring backed OHL Saginaw to the franchise’s first Memorial Cup title.

“Really exciting, something special . . . played in all five games, too,” recalled Oke, whose Spirit team defeated the London Knights. “I kept everything . . . the puck, my stick . . . the net . . . I mean, everything.”

One of the defensemen on the losing team from London: Jackson Edward, a Bruins draft pick who’ll likely play this season for Providence. For this weekend, he has been on a Boston roster that includes an emergency goalie from outside Detroit who also happens to be the stopper who helped keep London from winning the Memorial Cup. Hockey, forever full of twists and turns.

“I’m just super blessed to be here now in this position,” said Oke.

Oke wasn’t always a goalie. His skating ambitions, be they at forward or defense, changed during a game about 10 years ago due to a severe exercise-induced asthma attack.

“Yeah, it was bad, kinda scary,” he recalled. “That’s when my dad said, ‘OK, if you’re going to keep playing, it has to be in goal.’ It was bad . . . but, thankfully, I outgrew it. Worked out for the best, right?”

 

[yazmybaby]

Harrison impressed me both games. I think he is the best bruins prospect at this tournament. I liked edwards too. A couple providence guys had a good game against Columbus.

The knock on Harrison has always been his skating.
Once this improves, he can be a serious contender to make it to the pros.
Looking forward to him improving this year on the Baby B's.

 

[Son of Donegal]

The knock on Harrison has always been his skating.
Once this improves, he can be a serious contender to make it to the pros.
Looking forward to him improving this year on the Baby B's.

From the faceoff circles in, Harrison is fine.

His skating isn't actually what's holding him back. Have you watched his play away from the puck? He is a pure floater. It's sometimes shocking to see what he thinks is appropriate at the pro level. He'll lose more battles than he wins, also - since his feet aren't moving until the last minute. It would be amazing to see him improve in these two areas.

 

[Gee Wally]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1835676728527565234