The Sunday Read: How These Bruins Prospects Are Leading BC to Success

BOSTON –– Andre Gasseau and Oskar Jellvik are working on some clay bowls.

The two Boston Bruins prospects are in a morning ceramics class together at Boston College. It’s one of the three classes they share on their senior-year schedule.

“It is pretty sweet,” Jellvik said. “Gotten really good at chalices.”

James Hagens and Dean Letourneau took the same ceramics elective during their freshman year in Chestnut Hill. Letourneau made a mug for his mom, which she liked, he said. They were also enrolled in an intro to theatre and acting course.

“One of them was improv, which was cool. We had a bunch of guys on the team in that,” Hagens said. “Intro to acting was more like you had to read plays.”​

While these BC Eagles are the campus’s biggest attraction when they hit the ice at Conte Forum, they are part of the classic college ecosystem outside of the rink. It is all part of the NCAA hockey experience, which is preparing the group for the next stage of their careers in Boston.

The Eagles have six Bruins picks on their roster this season: Hagens (seventh overall, 2025 Draft), Letourneau (25th overall, 2024 Draft), Gasseau (seventh round, 2021 Draft), Jellvik (fifth round, 2021 Draft), Will Moore (second round, 2025 Draft) and Kristian Kostadinski (seventh round, 2023 Draft).

“Being able to have this setup here, being able to play for Boston College – it’s something that we take a lot of pride in,” Hagens said. “The locker room is gorgeous, everything from top to bottom is super nice. It’s awesome, especially being here with these guys. We have a great time.”

Beyond his fellow B’s brothers, Hagens has his actual brother – defenseman Michael Hagens – on the team with him, too.

“It’s awesome. He is a huge help, especially coming in last year and being able to be a freshman with him,” Hagens said. “Go through school and everything, and hockey as well. It’s great to be around him all the time, and it’s nice for our family, too.”

Hagens is in his sophomore year and leads his squad with 40 points (20 goals, 20 assists) through 30 games. BC is coming off its first Beanpot win since 2016 – it beat Boston University 6-2 for the highly-touted title on Feb. 9 at TD Garden – and is looking to keep the momentum rolling through the final stretch of the regular season.

Winning the Beanpot meant a bit more to Gasseau and Jellvik – this season was their final chance to go for it. Beating their rival BU, which is home to another Bruins prospect, Jonathan Morello (fifth-round, 2024 Draft), added another layer to the excitement.

“Just getting the first one in 10 years was kind of a checkbox on the notepad. It was great to win and celebrate with the guys,” Gasseau said. “The four teams in Boston always compete for that trophy. It’s just a historic tournament. To be able to play in that is fun.”  

The Eagles are currently in second place in Hockey East and ranked 10th nationally.

“I think it’s just how deep of a team we have. We count on everyone to win games; it’s not just relying on a certain few guys. I think that’s been our identity – we need a full team to play a full 60 [minutes] to win. That’s something that we’re looking to continue,” Letourneau said. “These are big games here that we need to win for our national tournament status and also Hockey East playoffs. I think that’s going to be a big factor of it.”​

Letourneau has been one of the brightest spots on this BC roster. The 20-year-old center posted three assists through 36 games during his freshman campaign last year. This season, Letourneau is right behind Hagens with 34 points (19 goals, 15 assists) while commanding a consistent top-six role.

“It’s definitely been a lot more fun. Just being around similar guys as last year and being a lot more comfortable,” Letourneau said. “It’s been an awesome second year, and I’m glad to be back here and keep it going.”

​Letourneau’s stall in the Eagles’ locker room is stationed right next to Gasseau and Jellvik, who are both in their fourth year of NCAA hockey.

​“He always takes my clear tape,” Letourneau said of Gasseau. “Whenever I don’t have any, I know it’s in his stall.”

​Between the humorous jabs are lessons and guidance from the upperclassmen. Gasseau is wearing a ‘C’ for BC, and has made an immediate impact since returning to action after missing the first half of the season due to injury; the 22-year-old has 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) in 19 games.

The bonding happens away from the ice, too. Gasseau and Jellvik are roommates this year. The sophomores, on the other hand, are in eight-man dorms, Hagens said. On game days, the group attends their morning classes, meets at the rink for a stretch and a pregame meal, takes the obligatory afternoon nap, and walks through campus to Conte Forum a few hours before puck drop for another night of college hockey.

“It’s a physical game, and you’re playing against really good competition every night. For us, it’s huge in taking our next steps,” Gasseau said. “Here at BC, it’s been awesome.”  

The veterans on the team have worked to welcome and interweave the freshmen, including Moore and Kostadinski. Moore, who has been centering the fourth line, has 10 points (four goals, six assists) through 29 games. Kostadinski, who has worked his way to the second defensive pair, has two assists this year.

“They’re fitting in nicely,” Jellvik said. “I think they’re having fun every day.”

Jellvik returned to the BC lineup on Friday for the first time since Nov. 7 – he has been recovering from an injury. He scored on Saturday in the second game of the Eagles’ weekend series against the Terriers to tie things 1-1 in the first period. It was none other than Hagens with the assist.

Letourneau scored BC’s lone goal on Friday at Agganis Arena. BU ultimately swept BC; Morello, who was on the winning side this time with the Terriers, logged an assist in the latest rendition of the Battle of Comm Ave.

​While the Eagles got their Beanpot over BU, they know a harder push will be needed with just two regular-season matchups remaining on their schedule before Hockey East playoffs.

​“The Beanpot is the first trophy of the year, but we want more this season. It’s not the end goal,” Jellvik said. “Just have to refocus and start getting back to your game and start playing good hockey again to get the trophy you want to get at the end of the year, too.”

​The Bruins prospects will be a key piece to the Eagles’ success, as they have been all season. Take BC’s 5-2 win over UConn on Feb. 20 at Conte Forum – Hagens posted a hat trick, and Letourneau and Gasseau each logged three assists.

​For now – between ceramics and acting classes – their focus is on winning for the Eagle on their jerseys. One day, it could be for the Spoked-B.

“It’s just incredible,” Gasseau said. “To kind of build that [chemistry] now is something to kind of look forward to. And it’s something that, down the road, we might play together.”