Bruins prospect Dean Letourneau beat the clock with 1.5 seconds left for Boston College last night, according to NESN.
It's the kind of clip that gets passed around Bruins circles on a Saturday morning, and it lands just hours before the Wild arrive at TD Garden. Marco Sturm's team is coming off a 2-5 loss to Montreal on Thursday, so a little good news from the pipeline goes down easy.
NESN said Letourneau took the puck with 1.5 seconds left and immediately ripped it into the top corner before time expired.
A Bruins fan who watched it also pointed out that it came at the end of the first period against UMass. That fan thought right away of Adam Oates and the Bruins' Adams Division semifinal against Buffalo, and told followers to scroll to 11:19 of that old clip.
Oates is a fair name to throw around in Boston. He finished his NHL career with 1,079 assists, and he wore the Bruins sweater among the seven teams he played for.
Nobody is suggesting Letourneau is the next Oates. But a prospect whose name gets tied to a Bruins playoff memory from a single goal has the attention of this fan base.
Why Bruins fans should know Dean Letourneau
Boston made him the 25th overall pick in the 2024 draft, in the first round. He's 20 years old and from Braeside, Ontario.
Then there's the size. He's listed at 6-foot-7 and 215 pounds, which is a rare frame for a center. Bruins fans have waited a long time for a big pivot who can finish, and a shot ripped top corner with the clock dying is a good argument for patience.
He hasn't played an NHL game yet. That's where the story stands today, and it's why the college season matters so much for him. Every night at Boston College is another look at whether that frame and that shot can translate to a pro lineup.
Is he a piece for next season or still a year or two away? The Bruins haven't said, and Don Sweeney has plenty of other roster questions in front of him. For now, Letourneau stays in Chestnut Hill while the NHL club turns its attention to the Wild tonight.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
When will Dean Letourneau get his shot with the Bruins?
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