Much like James Hagens during the 2025-26 season, all eyes will be on Dean Letourneau as he begins his junior year at Boston College. He will already be staying longer with the Eagles than Hagens thanks to the 2024-25 season, when a spot opened up and he took it, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the 2026-27 season will be his last.
While he played every game during his freshman season, most view it as a wash because he admittedly wasn't ready, and this will be his second year of being one of the best players on the ice.
Common thinking is that a first-round pick like Letourneau would sign his NHL contract at the end of the NCAA season, allowing him to join the NHL lineup immediately and contribute. Think of players like Cole Hutson and Ryan Leonard recently, or the Bruins' own Charlie McAvoy.
One player who recently went against the grain and stayed in college when everyone thought he would leave is Montreal Canadiens' top prospect, Michael Hage. He wanted to chase the National Championship one more time at the University of Michigan and felt another year of college would help his development.
College hockey is a bit different now with the NIL rules. Top CHL players join NCAA teams after a couple of seasons in Canada, and some argue that the top colleges could contend with some AHL teams. It's not hard to argue that staying in college might be better for a young player's development than the AHL, which is why Letourneau's situation is very interesting.
Why the Bruins' front office makes Dean Letourneau's pending decision intriguing
Instead of it being a foregone conclusion, I think Letourneau is going to think long and hard about whether he will sign his pro contract at the end of this season. Marco Sturm just publicly admitted that young players aren't going to get their chances immediately, and while Letourneau isn't afraid of a little adversity, his senior year at college might be a little more appetizing.
If a 21-year-old player had the choice between riding the buses in the AHL or staying and playing in what could be a better league, he would likely choose the latter. Especially with NIL now, where he could conceivably make as much money staying at Boston College as he would riding those buses.
With players having more power than ever and college rules changing, the Bruins' way of thinking might be getting a little outdated. It's shaping up that even Hagens could start this year in the AHL, and if he had known that, would he have stayed for his junior year with the Eagles?
Anything can happen, but it might not be time to get those #29 Letourneau jerseys printed for the end of the season just yet.
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