Boston Bruins select Dean Letourneau No. 25 overall in 2024 NHL Draft
On Friday at The Sphere in Las Vegas, the Boston Bruins took forward Dean Letourneau in the first round, No. 25 overall in the 2024 NHL Draft.
The 18-year-old center has taken a unique path to the NHL Draft. Despite being selected by the Owen Sound in the 2022 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Draft, Letourneau opted to go to St. Andrews College, a prep school in Ontario.
At St. Andrews, Letourneau quickly found a home. In his first season, he racked up 65 points (25 goals, 40 assists) in 53 games in Canadian High School Hockey (CAHS) and added 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in the Prep Hockey Conference (PHC).
Last season, the towering 6-foot-7 Ontario native exploded to lead St. Andrews with 127 points (61 goals, 66 assists) in only 56 games. He led the league with 25 points (14 goals, 11 assists) in the PHC.
At the end of the season, Letourneau looked good in two games for the Sioux Falls Stampede in the USHL. He has committed to play college hockey in the 2024-25 season with Boston College in Hockey East (NCAA).
Letourneau is one of the better net-front players available and ranks 29th on Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis’ final prospect rankings.
“It’s hard not to notice the Boston College commit – he’s 6-foot-7. Letourneau had a great year with St. Andrew’s College, registering 61 goals and 127 points to push himself into first-round territory,” Ellis wrote in his final draft prospect rankings. “Putting up points in prep school is one thing, but the USHL-bound forward is just so physically dominant while still skating and moving the puck like a smaller center. When he gets in front of the net, things happen. I have full belief he’ll be able to adjust to the college game once he gets there, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a one-and-done in 2024-25 given how physically mature he is.”