Boston Bruins hockey is officially around the corner. The organization released its rookie camp roster on Monday.
We’ve gone beyond the ice being put down at both Warrior Ice Arena and TD Garden. Complete with the new, updated logo at each facility, too. And it goes beyond the recent media tours and fan-fests from Bruins skaters and coaches. No, by this weekend, we’ll have some actual Bruins hockey to talk about and maybe even dissect in some fashion ahead of next week’s opening of NHL training camp, with the Bruins announcing their roster and schedule for the annual rookie camp and Prospects Challenge out in Buffalo.
Given the timing of this camp, as well as NCAA rules, this camp will not feature the key piece of the Bruins’ future (James Hagens), but will come with some players who may challenge for NHL minutes in the not-too-distant future.
Here’s a look at the roster that’ll hit the ice for Bruins general manager Don Sweeney at Warrior beginning Wednesday morning…
Bruins Rookie Camp Roster: Forwards
Dalton Bancroft: The 6-foot-3, 207-pound Bancroft jumped to the B’s pro pipeline after posting 15 goals (a college career-high for him) and 27 points in 36 games for Cornell in 2024-25, and 36 goals and 79 points in 103 total games for the program from 2022 through 2025. Bancroft finished his season with one goal in five appearances for the P-Bruins, and is on a one-year, $950,000 deal for the upcoming season.
Cole Chandler: A fifth-round pick this past June, Chandler posted a modest 13 goals and 32 points in 64 games for QMJHL Shawinigan during the regular season, with his 32 points being the 8th-most among his teammates. But Chandler, who battled through injuries and an illness in his 2023-24 season, certainly had a strong end to his campaign, with five goals and 12 points in 16 playoff games for the Cataractes. Chandler will play another season in The Q, but is committed to playing college hockey at Northeastern in 2026-27.
Ty Cheveldayoff
Robert Cronin (camp invite): The former UNH Wildcat and Plymouth, Mass. native scored a team-leading 17 goals for UNH before he finished his 2024-25 season with five goals and eight points in 13 games for ECHL Maine. Cronin signed a contract with the Mariners for the 2025-26 season earlier this summer.
Riley Duran: One of two skaters in this camp with at least one NHL game to his name, the Woburn, Mass. native will skate in this camp after a 2024-25 season that featured five shots on goal and six hits in two NHL games, as well as a career-high 12 goals and 16 points in 60 games for AHL Providence.
Dylan Edwards (camp invite)
Brett Harrison: Perhaps the top ‘veteran’ of this rookie camp roster, the 22-year-old Harrison posted six goals and 17 points in 46 games for the P-Bruins last season, and has totaled 11 goals and 32 points in 94 AHL games over the last three seasons. A third-round pick in 2021 (No. 85 overall), Harrison feels like a player with a ton to prove entering 2025-26.
Mavrick Lachance (camp invite)
Dans Locmelis: If there’s a name to watch in this camp and at the start of NHL camp, it’s certainly Locmelis. After breaking out for eight goals and 33 points in 40 games for UMass, Locmelis turned pro and made an immediate impact as a pro, with three goals and 12 points in just six games for the P-Bruins. He then went to the Worlds and posted four goals and six points in seven games for Latvia, and even earned kudos from the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby. In essence, this dude has seemingly surprised at every level, and now comes his shot as a pro.
Fraser Minten: Acquired in the trade that sent Brandon Carlo to Toronto, Minten put up three goals and seven points in 11 regular-season games for the P-Bruins down the stretch, and added two assists during an eight-game playoff run. In the NHL, Minten put up one goal during his six-game run with Boston, and is a legitimate contender for a third-line role with the B’s this season.
Jake Schmaltz
Cooper Simpson: Drafted by the Bruins with the 79th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, Simpson scored 49 goals and 83 points in just 31 games for Shakopee High (Minnesota) this past season. In addition to his success at Shakopee High, the left-shooting Simpson made eight appearances for the USHL’s Tri-City Storm, and totaled seven goals and one assist in nine games played before appearing in two playoff games. Originally slated to play for North Dakota, Simpson will put in another year of USHL work in 2025-26, this time for Youngstown.
Emmanuel Vermette (camp invite)
Defensemen
Grayson Burzynski (camp invite)
Jackson Edward: A seventh-round pick of Boston back in 2022, Edward posted one goal and seven points in 31 AHL games for Providence last year, and added one goal and one helper in seven games for the ECHL’s Maine Mariners.
Ty Gallagher: Signed to an AHL deal following a NCAA career split between Boston University and Colorado College, Gallagher ended his 2024-25 year with one goal and five points in 11 games for the P-Bruins after a strong finish to his collegiate career with Colorado College.
Loke Johansson: Playing for a Moncton team that won the QMJHL championship, Johansson put up four goals and 22 points, along with a plus-46 rating, in 62 games for the Wildcats last season. Johansson, a sixth-round pick of the Bruins in 2024, also added two goals and 11 points in a 19-game playoff run for the club.
Dylan MacKinnon (camp invite): Originally a third-round pick of the Predators back in 2023, Nashville’s decision not to sign MacKinnon and let him become an unrestricted free agent could be the Bruins’ gain if the 6-foot-3, right-shot defenseman puts forth a strong effort this week. Playing for eventual champion QMJHL Moncton in 2024-25, MacKinnon posted three goals and eight points, along with a plus-18 rating, in 55 games for the Wildcats. Also worth noting here is that MacKinnon was frequently paired with Bruins prospect Loke Johansson.
Oliver Turner (camp invite): Listed at a gigantic 6-foot-5 and over 200 pounds, Turner is coming off a 2024-25 season including three goals and 38 points in 66 games for St. Andrew’s (Canada), and made two appearances for OHL Erie. The Bruins have certainly seen a lot of Turner, too, as he was a teammate of 2024 first-round pick Dean Letourneau while Letourneau was at St. Andrew’s.
Mitch Young (camp invite)
Goaltenders
Ben Hrebik (camp invite): A native of Milton, Ont., the 19-year-old Hrebik seemingly came out of nowhere and posted a 21-9-2 record and .920 save percentage in 34 games for OHL Barrie last season. Hrebik’s .920 save percentage was second-best among all OHL goalies (minimum 30 games).
Simon Zajicek: Signed to an entry-level deal by the Bruins after playing the previous six seasons in Czechia, the 24-year-old Zajicek is jumping to North American ice after posting a 15-13-0 record and .929 save percentage in 29 games for Litvinov HC last season.
Bruins Rookie camp, Prospects Challenge schedule
Wednesday, Sept. 10: Practice at Warrior Ice Arena (10:45 a.m.)
Thursday, Sept. 11: Practice at Warrior Ice Arena (9:30 a.m.)
Friday, Sept. 12: Game vs. Penguins at Buffalo’s Harborcenter (3:30 p.m.)
Sunday, Sept. 14: Game vs. Devils at Buffalo’s Harborcenter (12:00 p.m.)
