Boston Bruins
“He’s a Bruin through and through and he’s a guy that we want in our locker room. And he’s going to carry this culture for a long time.”
You couldn’t have penned a better script on Saturday night in Vancouver.
Playing in front of over 50 friends and family, Bruins forward and Vancouver native Fraser Minten — skating in his first game at the Canucks’ home barn of Rogers Arena — had a homecoming to remember.
The 21-year-old Boston pivot scored a pair of goals in Boston’s eventual 3-2 overtime victory, including the game-winner with just 18.8 seconds to go in the extra frame.
“He’s a young kid growing up here just around the corner and begging for tickets just to see the Canucks play. And what a game he had today,” Marco Sturm said Saturday. “Not just two goals, but overall, just very happy for him and his family.”
It was a welcome sight for Minten, who is making the most of his first full season in the NHL ranks. The gifted center — acquired from Toronto in the Brandon Carlo trade last March — has scored eight goals and 17 points over 42 games in 2025-26, averaging 14:44 of ice time per contest.
“Definitely an unbelievable moment,” Minten told NESN after the win. “Probably one of the coolest days of my life.”
It’s also a welcome development for the Bruins, who are starting to place more responsibilities on the young forward as he continues to clear every hurdle set in front of him.
The 2025-26 Bruins — as flawed as they might be — are still anchored by a strong foundation of established star talent in David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Jeremy Swayman.
Even amid these lean years, Boston has identified ancillary pieces who be key contributors moving forward like Morgan Geekie, Nikita Zadorov, Hampus Lindholm, and Pavel Zacha.
But, if the Bruins want to emerge from their retool as a sustainable contender, developing younger players like Minten must be the norm — especially with more blue-chip talent like James Hagens, Will Zellers, and others on the way.
So far, there’s a lot to like about how Minten has carved out an essential role on Boston’s reworked forward corps, and the untapped potential still in place.
Beyond the locale, Saturday’s win stood as the most encouraging performance yet from the rookie — considering the offensive production put forth.
Minten has already become a trusted foot solider in Sturm’s forward corps given his sound, two-way game and sharp hockey IQ.
Already Boston’s established third-line center, Minten should offer plenty of value for years to come serving in that role as a 200-foot menace capable of potting 15 goals and contributing on the penalty kill.
“I think the one thing that really stands out to me is he’s already a very mature kid, very professional,” Sturm said of Minten before Saturday’s game. “He’s only 21, but it feels like he’s already been around for at least 10 years.
“Takes care of his body already. He’s already a leader, I would say, in his own way. So, I’m very impressed. On ice, he’s pretty smart, never really gets in trouble. There’s a lot of things you can’t teach, and he has it.”
But, could Minten offer up even more in due time as a 50-60-point contributor, or even a potential second-line talent?
So far, it looks as though Sturm and his staff are giving him every opportunity to punch above his weight class and show that he has plenty of room to grow.
The former Toronto draft pick has more than held his own when skating on a line with David Pastrnak this season. Over their 87:13 of 5-on-5 reps this year, the Bruins are outscoring teams, 6-2, and have a 46-33 edge in shots on goal (per Natural Stat Trick).
Of course, having an elite offensive force on your line like Pastrnak will lead to an uptick in Minten’s production, including a pair of 5-on-5 assists in Wednesday’s win over Edmonton.
But, Minten is also getting looks on Boston’s second power-play unit, with the youngster snapping home his first power-play tally of his career on Saturday against his hometown team.
“We actually were holding him for a long time to be on the power play, because he’s still young,” Sturm said. “He’s still learning. But halfway through [the season], we thought, OK, this is the right thing to do. And he’s been excellent on the power play, too, and on the kill. So, he slowly becomes a man, I feel like. And there’s still some room left.”
Minten alone likely won’t be the determining factor that shifts Boston from a rebuilding roster into a proven contender in the next year or so.
But, his emergence as a potential all-situations player stands as a reassuring development for a Bruins franchise whose future is far brighter than it was just a year ago.
“He’s putting himself in great positions because one: he’s an elite player. Two: he’s a great teammate. And three: he works his bag off,” Jeremy Swayman said of Minten on Saturday. “He’s a Bruin through and through and he’s a guy that we want in our locker room. And he’s going to carry this culture for a long time.”
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