Some new names appeared on the Boston Bruins 2016 Rookie Camp roster. Rookie camp began on Thursday September 15, at their new practice facility, the Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton, MA.
As 2016 Boston Bruins rookie camp has already gotten underway, there are some new faces on the roster that are worth noting.
Domenic Commisso, Center, Oshawa Generals (OHL)
Domenic Commisso, 18, was a fifth-round pick of the OHL’s Oshawa Generals who signed with them in July of 2014. Unfortunately for Commisso, he went undrafted in the 2016 NHL draft. He has decent size at 6 feet tall, 185 pounds. In his first full season as a member of the Generals, he put up some solid numbers. He tallied 18 goals and 42 points in 66 games. Prior to being an Oshawa General, he played for for the Mississauga Chargers of the OJHL. After impressing in year one, he will look to do the same in a second campaign with the Generals.
Matt Mistele, Left Wing/Right Wing, Sarnia Sting (OHL)
Matt Mistele, 20, was once a teammate of Commisso’s before being traded to the Sarnia Sting for three draft picks in December of 2015. A former sixth-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings, Mistele has seen great success in his OHL career thus far. He has had quite the tenure in the OHL, dating back to the 2011-2012 season with the Plymouth Whalers. He spent four seasons with the Whalers before becoming an Oshawa General and eventually a member of the Sarnia Sting. This past season he amassed 8 goals and 16 points in 19 games with the Generals and 25 goals and 42 points in 42 games with the Sting. Altogether, he put up 33 goals and 58 points in 61 games, pretty impressive. Mistele has a solid NHL frame as well, at 6 foot 2, 190 pounds.
Drake Rymsha, Center, Ottawa 67’s (OHL)
Drake Rymsha, 18, of the Ottawa 67’s hasn’t quite seen the success that Commisso and Mistele have. One thing him and Domenic Commisso share is a position and similar frames, at 6 feet tall, 187 pounds. Like Matt Mistele, Rymsha has had to pack his bags as well. In October of 2015, Rymsha was traded from the powerhouse London Knights to the Ottawa 67’s in exchange for a draft pick. This past year, he put up 0 points in 4 games with the Knights before he was traded and 3 goals and 9 points in 28 games with the 67’s. He will look to improve in his first full season with the Ottawa 67’s.
Simon Stransky, Left Wing, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
The OHL trend ends with Simon Stransky, 18, of the Prince Albert Raiders. He’s not the biggest guy at 5 foot 11, 179 pounds, but he doesn’t let that stop him. Like Domenic Commisso, Stransky went undrafted this past year despite putting up excellent numbers in the 2015-2016 season. To be specific, he was a point per game player with 19 goals and 62 points in 62 games. How does one go undrafted with numbers like those? What’s also worth noting is that Stransky is a former teammate of Boston Bruins fourth-round stud, Jesse Gabrielle. Stransky will look to continue to prove NHL teams wrong with the Raiders this upcoming season.
A.J. White, Left Wing, Milwaukee Admirals (AHL)
A.J. White signed a deal with the Providence Bruins in the summer and is a little bit on the older side, at 24 years old. White spent four years as a UMass Lowell River Hawk and donned the C on his chest as a senior. He helped lead the River Hawks to consecutive Hockey East Championship victories in 2013 and 2014, as well as a Frozen Four appearance in 2013. 2013 marked the program’s first ever Hockey East Championship and Frozen Four appearance. This past year, before eventually joining the Milwaukee Admirals, White collected 11 goals and 25 points in 40 games. White brings an NHL body with him at 6 foot 2, 201 pounds and will begin his first campaign with the Providence Bruins this season.
Josh Atkinson, Defense, Atlanta Gladiators (ECHL)
Josh Atkinson, 23, spent four years at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks before joining the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators, formerly the Gwinnett Gladiators. The Atlanta Gladiators became the Boston Bruins ECHL affiliate in August of 2015, when they were still the Gwinnett Gladiators. He carries a serviceable frame with him at 6 feet tall, 194 pounds. In his senior season at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Atkinson scored 3 goals and 16 points in 36 games. He later scored 2 assists in 5 games as an Atlanta Gladiator. Atkinson is set for his first full season with the Gladiators this upcoming season.
Bailey Webster, Defense, Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
Bailey Webster, 19, is a teammate of former Boston Bruins first-round pick, Jakub Zboril. While Webster hasn’t put up tons of points in the past, he carries the biggest frame of all of the camp newcomers at 6 foot 3, 209 pounds. He put up just 3 assists in 31 games this past year as a member of the Saint John Sea Dogs. He enters his third full season with the Sea Dogs this upcoming season.
Next: Boston Bruins: Bridging The Gap To A Brighter Future
All in all, these new guys don’t sound like too bad of additions to the Rookie Camp roster. It will be interesting to see how they pan out and if Boston Bruins fans will continue to see them in the future.