Bruins Rookie Rundown for 2024 Prospect Challenge

Bruins fans could get a glimpse of the future this weekend, as 25 rookies compete in the 2024 Prospects Challenge.

The three-game series, which runs Sept. 13-16 at LECOM HarborCenter in Buffalo, will feature seven Bruins draft picks, six free agent signings and as many as 11 training camp invitees.

After dropping its first game to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Friday, the Bruins return to action today against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Saturday, Sept. 14. They’ll close the series against the New Jersey Devils, Monday, Sept. 16.

So, who are these guys? Here’s a quick rundown:

Forwards

#32 John Farinacci

Farinacci, 23, was the Providence Bruins top rookie scorer last season. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound center netted 12 goals and 38 points in 71 games. The Harvard product skated in 78 career NCAA games, scoring 23 goals and 59 points with the Crimson. He was originally taken by the Arizona Coyotes with the third pick (76^th overall) in the 2019 draft. The ECAC All-Rookie Team selection (2019-20) won an ECAC championship in 2021-22. He also garnered gold with Team USA at the 2021 World Junior Championships.

#56 Evan Vierling

Vierling, 22, is fresh off his first pro season with the Wheeling Nailers. He potted seven goals and 25 points in 34 ECHL games. The 6-foot, 178-pound center capped the season adding seven points in eight AHL games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  He was originally a fifth-round draft pick of the New York Rangers in 2020. The forward played five seasons of junior hockey with Flint and Barrie of the OHL, accumulating 75 goals and 213 points in 218 career games.

#61 Trevor Kuntar

Kuntar, 23, appeared in 70 games with Providence last season. The 6-foot, 201-pound center posted 10 goals and 20 points, while accumulating 113 penalty minutes. Selected by the Bruins in the third round (89^th overall) of the 2020 draft, Kuntar previously played three years at Boston College. He served as assistant captain of the Eagles his junior season. The Buffalo native played in 34 games in his final college season with 13 goals and 29 points.

#62 Riley Duran

A Woburn native and former Providence College Friar, Duran joined the Providence Bruins on an amateur tryout agreement in March 2024. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound pivot played his first AHL game on March 26. The 22-year-old had his first pro points pocketing a goal and two assists against Utica, April 12. He added one more helper for four points in his first 11 AHL games. Taken by Boston in the sixth round (182^nd overall) of the 2020 draft, Duran played three seasons at Providence College. He earned 27 goals and 55 points in 102 career college games.

Read: Bruins Forward Riley Duran Determined Heading Into Rookie Camp

#65 Owen Pederson

Pederson, 22, is no stranger to New England. The 6-foot-4, 197-pound left winger played in 54 ECHL games with the Maine Mariners last year. He tallied 13 goals and 25 points. He also led the team in playoff scoring, posting three goals and five points in six games. Signed as a free agent, he appeared in two games with the AHL Providence Bruins. He previously played five seasons of junior hockey with Kootenay and Winnipeg accumulating 94 goals and 205 points in 237 games.

#72 Brett Harrison

A third-round selection by Boston (85^th overall) in the 2021 draft, Harrison, 21, played 47 games with the P-Bruins last season. The center picked up five goals and 14 points in 47 AHL games. The 6-foot-2, 191-pound forward cut his teeth in the Ontario Hockey League for three seasons. He split 2022-23 between Oshawa and Windsor combining for 34 goals and 66 points in 57 OHL games.

#82 Jaxon Nelson

A 6-foot-4, 129-pound center, Nelson, 24, appeared in seven games with Providence last season. He scored one goal after signing a one-year entry level contract with Boston in April of 2024. Nelson played five seasons with the University of Minnesota, serving as captain in 2023-24. He provided 42 goals and 89 points in 169 career games, guiding the squad to the Big Ten Championship in 2020-21.

#83 Connor Hvidston

A rookie camp invitee, Hvidston, 20, played with Team Canada at the U18 World Junior Championships. The 6-foot-2, 165-pound right wing played his last three seasons with the Swift Current Broncos. He secured 61 goals, 95 assists and 156 points in 170 career games. He also played his first seven pro games with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL in 2023.

#89 Adam Měchura

A burly 6-foot-5, 213-pound center, Měchura, 21, was signed as a free agent by Providence in October of 2023. He played his first full pro season with the Maine Mariners of the ECHL.  Měchura finished fourth on the team in scoring with 22 goals and 48 points in 63 games. He also skated in two games with the P-Bruins. The forward played one full season of junior hockey with Tri-City of the WHL in 2022-23 going 26-26-52 in 58 games.

#92 Carlin Dezainde

A 5-foot-11, 166-pound center, Dezainde, 19, played four seasons in the WHL from 2020-24. He collected 35 goals and 92 points, while adding 142 PIMs in 187 games. The Calgary native appeared in 51 games with the Prince George Cougars posting 25 goals, 31 assists and 56 points.

#93 Jake Sloan

Another tall 6-foot-3, 213-pound forward, Solan, 20, played four-plus seasons with Tri-City of the Western Hockey League. He scored 72 goals, 96 assists and 168 points in 203 games. He also appeared in 68 games with the Tri-City Americans last year, posting 31 goals and a team leading 70 points.

#94 Lucas Romeo

A 6-foot-3, 207-pound right winger, Romero, 19, played two seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He split the season with Charlottetown and Cape Breton. He mustered 40 goals and 62 points in 118 games combined.

#96 Charlie Hilton

The youngest player in rookie camp, Hilton turns 18 on Sunday. The 6-foot-5, 204-pound played his first season of major junior hockey in 2023-24 with Ottawa 67s of the Ontario Hockey League.  He collected four goals, seven points and 29 penalty minutes in 32 games.

Read: Bruins Rookie Charlie Hilton Ready to take Prospect Challenge

#97 Markus Vidicek

A native of Montreal, Vidicek, 20, played four seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Halifax Mooseheads. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound center tallied 105 goals and 264 points in 243 career games. He led the team in goals this season (45), and was second in scoring with 88 points in 64 games.

Defensemen

#41 Jackson Edward

A 6-foot-3, 199-pound defenseman, Edward, 20, played three seasons of junior hockey with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. The blueliner posted 12 goals and 49 assists in 178 games. Drafted by Boston in the seventh round of the 2022 draft, the blueliner recorded career season-highs with seven goals, 23 assists and 30 points in 59 games. Known for his chippy play, he also picked up 92 penalty minutes.

#57 Drew Bavaro

Bavaro, 24, joined Providence on an amateur tryout agreement in March 2024. The 6-foot-2, 199-pound blueliner Lakewood Ranch, Florida resident played two seasons at Bentley University from 2020-22, picking up 11 goals and 39 points in 82 games. He played his final two college seasons at the University of Notre Dame from 2022-24, adding 16 goals and 39 points in 72 games. He led all Irish defensemen in scoring in 2023-24.

#59 Frédéric Brunet

Selected by Boston in the fifth round of the 2022 draft, Brunet, 21, played in 48 games with the P-Bruins last season. The 6-foot-3, 196-pound defenseman had two goals and 12 points.  He previously played three full seasons with Rimouski and Victoriaville of the QMJHL. He Split the 2022-23 season between Rimouski (6-29-36 in 36 games) and Victoriaville (10-28-38 in 30 games) posting career season-high totals.

Read: Bruins Prospects Peppered by Pittsburgh

#76 Tomas Cibulka

A rookie camp invite, Cibulka, 20, played for Team Chechia at the 2023 and 2024 World Junior Championships. The 6-foot, 186-pound blueliner played three seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with Val-d’Or (16-65-81 in 170 games) and Cape Breton (2-19-21 in 28 games) from 2021-24. He’s coming off a successful 2023-24 season where he netted 10 goals and 49 points in 55 games

#78 Jack Brauti

A 6-foot, 156-pound defenseman, Brauti, 18, is another rookie camp invitee. He appeared in 62 games with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League last season scoring nine goals, 21 points and 60 PIM in 62 games. He will play for the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL in 2024-25.

#81 Parker Von Richter

Another rookie camp invitee, Richter, 18, hails from Mississauga, Ontario. The 6-foot-1, 189-pound defenseman played two seasons of junior hockey with the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League. He posted five goals and 40 points in 131 OHL games.

#84 Felix Plamondon

A native of St. Raymond, Quebec, Plamondon, 18, played two seasons of junior hockey with Shawinigan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The 6-foot-1, 165-pounder had two goals and 15 points last season

#86 Loke Johansson

This 6-foot-3, 211-pound defenseman was selected by Boston in the sixth round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Johansson, 18, recorded five goals and eight assists in 33 games with AIK Jr. of the Swedish Junior Hockey League last season

#87 Ryan Mast

Another towering 6-foot-5, 217-pound defenseman, Mast was taken by the Bruins in the sixth round of the 2021 draft. He played in 47 games with the Maine Mariners with five goals and 16 points last season. mast also appeared in seven games with the P-Bruin. He previously played three seasons of junior hockey with the Sarnia Sting of the OHL, posting 18-54-72 totals in 168 career games.

Read: How Will Bruins Defense Stack Up in 2024-25?

Goaltenders

#60 Keegan Warren

Warren, 18, played his first full season with the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last season The 6-foot-2, 175-pound goaltender posting a 13-6-1 record, with a 3.19 goals against average and .899 save percentage. The puck-stopper previously played one full season of MJAHL games with the Yarmouth Mariners in 2022-23. He earned Rookie All-Star Team honors, leading his team to the championship with a league best 2.19 goals against average.

#85 Ryan Bischel

A Minnesota native, Bischel, 25, signed a one-year AHL contract with Providence in March 2024. The 6-foot-1, 191-pound netminder appeared in 105 career NCAA games with the University of Notre Dame. He posted career numbers of 47-44-7, with a 2.46 goals against average and .924 save percentage. The 2023-24 B1G All-Star Team Honorable Mention was also nominated for the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA’s top college player.

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