Boston Bruins: Beanpot Offers Glimpse Into the Future

It is an annual rite of winter in Boston, as the first two Mondays in February mean only one thing for hockey fans: The Beanpot. For fans of the Boston Bruins, though, these next two Mondays may offer a look into who may be playing in the black and gold in the future.

In the first semi-final game, the Boston College Eagles will take on the Harvard Crimson. BC comes in ranked at number five in the nation, while Harvard isn’t far behind at number seven. The Eagles are led by junior forward Ryan Fitzgerald, who is averaging 1.25 points per game with 14 goals, and 16 assists in 24 games. He is also ranked fourth in the nation in shots on goal, averaging 4.50 per game. If this type of skill isn’t a reason the Bruins drafted him 120th overall on the 2013 draft, perhaps it is his bloodlines.

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Ryan’s father is Tom Fitzgerald, who played well over 1,000 games in the National Hockey League, and ended his career with the Bruins during the 2005-06 season. He is now the Assistant General Manager of the New Jersey Devils. Tom has cousins currently paying in the NHL, such as the Bruins Jimmy Hayes, and Kevin Hayes of the New York Rangers. Ryan’s father is also cousins with Keith Tkachuk, one of the greatest Americans (500+ goals, 500+assists) to play the game. It should also be noted that Ryan’s younger brother Casey is a freshman defenseman on the Eagles.

When Harvard gets set to take on the Eagles, there will be two Bruins draft picks suiting up for the Crimson. One of them also boasts good bloodlines with hockey, and that is Ryan Donato, the freshman forward. Not only did his dad play for the Bruins, among other teams in his 796 NHL games, but he has been the head coach of Harvard for 12 years, and he too played for Harvard, helping the Crimson win the 1989 National Championship.

Ryan was drafted 56th overall two years ago, and much like his father did, he plays with the intelligence you would expect out of someone who attends Harvard. He shows offensive creativity and good hands. Just 19 years old, he’s a few inches taller (currently 6’1″) than his father was while he played, and his weight is listed at 181 pounds.

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One player who won’t be hard to miss in the first game is Harvard’s Wiley Sherman. The sophomore defenseman stands 6’6″, and weighs in at 220 pounds. He is a fifth round draft pick (150th overall) of the Bruins in the 2013 draft. He played in every game last year as a freshman, and his stay at home style may be attractive to the Bruins to help complement defensemen who like to move with the puck.

One such defenseman who has a proclivity for moving with the puck will be on display in the second game, when Boston University faces off against Northeastern University. Senior Captain Matt Grzelcyk was last year’s tournament MVP, scoring the championship game winner 51 seconds into overtime over Northeastern. Grzelyck was drafted in the third round in 2012 (85th overall.) Despite being small, (5’9″, 171 pounds,) he brings the type of toughness and grit one would expect from a Charlestown native.

Twice he has overcome injures, both suffered in practice. In his sophomore season, he suffered a severely separated shoulder that caused him to miss most of the second half of the year, which included their game versus Maine at Fenway Park. Last spring, while getting ready for the Hockey East quarterfinals, his leg rolled underneath him, injuring a knee, but he played on, helping B.U. win the league title and then go all the way to the Frozen Four finals. After having the knee examined by doctors, it was determined he would need ACL surgery, and he missed a few games at the start of this season. Even while playing hurt during a portion of last year, he still led all Division 1 defensemen with a plus/minus of +32.

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Playing in his first Beanpot will be 19 year old freshman center Jacob Forsbacka-Karlsson. He centers the top line, and is ranked fourth in the team in scoring with 22 points on 7 goals and 15 assists. Skilled in the faceoff department, he is fourth in Hockey East with a 58.5% winning percentage.

The 6’1″ Swede was drafted 45th overall last year in the second round by the Bruins. He has high hockey intelligence and the rare ability to turn nothing into something while on the ice. He is the first Terrier to ever play for Sweden in the World Junior Championships, where he had five points in seven games.

Finally, taking the ice for the Northeastern Huskies will be Matt Benning, a junior defenseman drafted in the 6th round by the Bruins in 2012. He is the son of Brian Benning, who played over 500 games in the NHL, and the nephew of Jim Benning, a former Assistant General Manager of the Bruins who is now the GM of the Vancouver Canucks.

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Benning is a right-handed shot who is listed at 6’1″ and 201 lbs. He can dish out punishing hits, and can also show an offensive side to his game. Prior to enrolling at Northeastern, he played for the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the United States Hockey League and had 10 goals with 16 assists in 57 games, and was also plus 25.