In the midst of the New England summer heat, 31 Bruins prospects and invitees from around the world took to the ice inside a much cooler Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton. 

The Bruins opened their four-day development camp on Monday. The first two days were split between the forwards and defensemen, and the last two days featured full group sessions. Thursday’s session featured a 3-on-3 tournament and closed with a scrimmage and a shootout. 

All seven Bruins draft picks from the 2026 NHL Draft were in Boston on Monday. They were joined by prospects dating from the 2025, 2024, and 2023 classes, as well as a draft pick from 2022. 

The Bruins also extended invitations to seven prospects, ranging from 18-year-old USHL defensemen to a 24-year-old set to become the emergency backup goalie (EBUG) next season. 

Adam McQuaid, the Bruins director of player development, said Thursday that he was “really happy” with how camp went. With that, here are five takeaways from the week at Warrior:

1. 2026 Draft Class Makes Lasting First Impression

After camp closed, Adam McQuaid said that “the gap seems to be closing between the first-year guys. Usually, first-year guys come in, and it’s really noticeable who they are.” 

He highlighted fourth-round pick Matvei Kotkov, who just won the Kharlamov Cup MVP (Russia-MHL), then landed in Boston a month later. Kotkov put his skill set on display; he was making plays in the scrimmages and picking his corners in the shooting drills. McQuaid noted him as a Day 1 standout as well and noted his “sturdy” 6-foot frame. 

Swedish prospects Nils Bartholdsson and Oscar Olsson also stood out. Olsson, who stands 6-foot-4 at 18, jumped out on the first day as a skilled forward with slick hands. Player development coordinator Parker Mackay saw their impressive start to camp and noted Olsson’s size and his “smooth” play on ice. 

Bartholdsson describes himself as an “offensive forward who plays with a high intensity, skates much, and likes to shoot and take the puck to the net.” He models his game after the recently departed Bruin Viktor Arvidsson. 

2. Young Goalies Impress, Still Far Away

Two goalies were among the seven draft choices last Saturday, which, with Max Lundgren also in the system, only solidifies the pipeline. The Bruins drafted Yuri Ivanov in the second round (No. 56) and Roberto Henriquez in the sixth round (No. 170). 

Going into camp, Don Sweeney mentioned that Ivanov will continue playing in Russia for the next two years, saying that “sometimes it takes a little time for them to jump to the next level.” However, Ivanov stood out during each of the four days. He is quick, athletic, and he has a good read of the play in front of him. 

Henriquez, who is heading to BC in the fall, also had a great week at camp. Like Ivanov, Henriquez is an athletic goalie, and he is a competitor. 

Both young goalies impressed Adam McQuaid, though he will be the first to tell you he is not a goalie guy. However, Mike Dunham and Bob Essensa have an incredible track record, and Dunham spent the week working with all of the goalies at camp. After the second day, Parker Mackay spoke on Dunham’s behalf, saying the goalie development coach enjoyed what he saw to that point. 

Credit: Connor Nee / Boston Hockey Now

3. Dean Letourneau Shines, Shows Massive Growth in Development

When you are the only first-round pick at development camp, surely there will be a spotlight on you. That was the case for Letourneau this week, and he took it in stride. The rising junior made it hard to miss him, and not because of his size. He scored from all over the ice and showed hands you may not expect from a 6-foot-7 forward. 

Adam McQuaid pointed out his progress after camp ended on Thursday, saying it came “probably to no one’s surprise.” 

4. North Dakota → Bruins Pipeline?

Will Zellers made a name for himself this season, both at the World Juniors and in college, and he carried that level of play into development camp. His shot was no surprise; he finished second on North Dakota with 18 goals, but he developed his playmaking game. 

Cooper Simpson also made a name for himself this season, finishing second in the USHL with 74 points. Simpson showed off his shot at last year’s camp, and he did not shy away from that this year. He said his little habits, including his stick positioning, improved throughout the season. 

The two have been training together in Minnesota and are both on the North Dakota Fighting Hawks’ roster next season. 

“I honestly feel like I’m kind of following in his footsteps,” Simpson said about Zellers. “He’s a year older than me, and he’s done the stuff in front of me, so I kind of just talked to him a lot about what to do. Obviously, school will be a lot with him to bond with him. It’ll be a lot of fun.”

5. Blanar, Pettersson Making Progress

Vashek Blanar made progress in Sweden this past season, and he carried it into development camp this week. The 6-foot-5 defenseman has an offensive mindset, but his defensive game has grown, and he put it on display in game settings. He’s raw, but the talent is there. 

He also grew an inch and put on seven pounds since last summer’s development camp. He is still a few years away from turning pro, but he is committed to UMass for the 2027-28 season. 

Another name to watch in the Swedish leagues is Liam Pettersson, the Bruins’ 2025 second-round pick. He was limited this season due to an injury and played in just 19 games. However, he looked more comfortable compared to last year’s camp, and Adam McQuaid called him a standout after the first session.

Extras

The Quinnipiac Bobcats, Elliott Groenewold and Chris Pelosi, both had great weeks and head back to Connecticut to train this summer. They live with each other at school, and both said there is more to develop in their game this season. 

Cole Spicer returned to camp this year and quietly put together a solid week. I was impressed with him on Thursday, especially. 

Camp invite David Deputy provided exactly what you want to see out of a camp invite. The Miami (OH) forward was noticeable all week and opened the scoring in Thursday’s scrimmage. 

Cole Chandler is heading to the Cape Breton Eagles this season. He is committed to Northeastern for the 2027-28 season. A quieter week, but McQuaid noted that “when he’s on, he’s really hard to handle.”

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