\u201cSo, they sat me down, they\u2019re like, \u2018Listen, we\u2019re going to put you in the game on defense tomorrow. You\u2019re going to try it out. If you don\u2019t like it after tomorrow, you can always switch back, but we recommend you trying five to 10 games there,\u2019 \u201d Vandeven told the Globe.<\/p>\n
So, without any practice time or even a single drill, Vandeven was thrown into the fire.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were going to play the best team in the league the next day. I was a little nervous for that, but then tried it out, stuck with it for 10 games, and just kept playing it from there,\u201d Vandeven said.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a similar story to that of current Bruins blue liner Mason Lohrei<\/a>, who made the switch while at Culver (Ind.) Military Academy when a bunch of teammates were ailing.<\/p>\n Vandeven overcame those initial nerves and flourished as a defenseman. He credited his time as a forward with helping his adjustment.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was actually kind of nice for me knowing what forwards are thinking when they\u2019re going to attack you,\u201d he said. \u201cYou can kind of like read it, you kind of know what\u2019s going on when they\u2019re coming to attack you. I think just trying to defend that and then just like narrowing down on the little details, like making sure you have a good gap and stuff like that, which get better over time.\u201d<\/p>\n Originally a draftee of the OHL\u2019s Owen Sound Attack, Vandeven was traded to the London Knights near the end of the GOJHL season. In London, he continued his development as a two-way defenseman, suiting up for eight regular-season games and another four playoff tilts.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was great, honestly. It was the best thing that\u2019s ever happened to me. London has been nothing but great. They got me to where I am today,\u201d he said. \u201cThey gave me an opportunity to play, and then they trusted me enough to keep putting me in the lineup, so I can\u2019t thank them enough. I wouldn\u2019t be here without them.\u201d<\/p>\n Warren has connections with the Knights, and their scouts were regulars at the Komoka games. Word quickly spread about Vandeven\u2019s rapid development on defense, and it helped spark the trade.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, we had a bunch of Knights scouts out to games and stuff like that, because we also had a couple other Knights prospects on my [Komoka] team,\u201d said Vandeven. \u201cSo, they kind of saw me at those games and then just traded for me at the deadline, and I\u2019m super grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n Brothers Dale<\/a> and Mark Hunter, both former NHL players<\/a>, own and run the Knights. Vandeven said the entire organization made him feel comfortable following his arrival just after Christmas.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve developed so many great players that have gone and have successful careers in NHL, so they know what they\u2019re talking about,\u201d Vandeven said. \u201cThey know what they want out of you. They can see what you are as a future player will be, and they\u2019ll do anything they can to help develop you. So, kind of just buying into them and listening to what they say, and listen to learn and develop under their way.\u201d<\/p>\n Vandeven said work is on his summer agenda. <\/p>\n \u201cI really want to get stronger, put on more muscle, which I think will help my game a lot, especially at D, being physical and intimidating back there,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, a lot of time in the gym, and then just working on my footwork, my puck skills. I\u2019m going to be skating a bit, so continuing to improve all my little aspects and areas of my game.\u201d<\/p>\n Poised to play the 2026-27 season in London, Vandeven said the feedback from the Bruins\u2019 staff was positive.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, it\u2019s the National Hockey League, so they know what they\u2019re talking about, and they want what\u2019s best for us,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, they\u2019re going to push us, they\u2019re going to teach us and, yeah, I\u2019ve learned a lot of things. It\u2019s been a great camp and a great experience.\u201d<\/p>\n Vandeven\u2019s predraft contact with the Bruins was limited, but he did have a feeling a connection was made.<\/p>\n \u201cI talked to them over the phone a few times, so I definitely knew it was like a possibility, but I\u2019m super happy, super grateful to be drafted here. It\u2019s such a great organization,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Bruins director of player development Adam McQuaid<\/a>, who ran the camp, liked what he saw from Vandeven.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a big body that has a ton of tools. And with him being somewhat new to the position, it\u2019s kind of a blank slate,\u201d said McQuaid, a 6-4, 210-pounder during his NHL blue line days. \u201cHe has really good instincts for defending. [He has a] good stick. He gets his stick on a ton of pucks at different drills that we were doing, and seems to have a level of calmness and comfort with the puck. So, it\u2019s just going to be fun to get to work with him and see where we can get to.\u201d<\/p>\n WINGING IT<\/p>\n Zellers could add to \u201925 haul <\/p>\n While center Dean Letourneau opened the most eyes at development camp, winger Will Zellers<\/a> popped a few eyeballs himself.<\/p>\n Zellers could be the next young player acquired during Boston\u2019s 2025 trade deadline purge to have an impact on the NHL roster<\/a>.<\/p>\n A third-round pick of the Avalanche in 2024, Zellers was acquired as part of the Charlie Coyle<\/a> deal. The Bruins also received forward Casey Mittelstadt and the No. 62 pick in the 2025 draft, which they used to select Pettersson.<\/p>\n Fraser Minten (obtained in the Brandon Carlo-to-Toronto trade) and Marat Khusnutdinov (acquired as part of the Justin Brazeau-to-Minnesota swap) provided big contributions last season, and Zellers could fall in line.<\/p>\n The camp was the capper on an eventful 2025-26 season for the 6-foot, 180-pound Zellers, who combines slick skating with exceptional vision and instincts to consistently generate scoring threats. As a freshman, the 20-year-old put up 18 goals and 34 points in 38 games at the University of North Dakota. <\/p>\n The jump from the USHL to the NCAA was a huge benefit.<\/p>\n \u201cFor sure, more. I mean, I think college hockey is at the best it\u2019s been right now. With the rule change [allowing CHL players to enroll<\/a>] and all these top talent kids coming,\u201d said Zellers. \u201cSo, I think it for sure helped me. <\/p>\n \u201cPretty much every team you\u2019re playing against, there\u2019s at least a couple first rounders on each team. No matter who you play for or who you play against. Even a team like Denver, which they don\u2019t have the biggest superstars, but they play so hard and so well. <\/p>\n \u201cI think it was for sure a lot harder this year, but I think that just helps you prepare for the next level. You don\u2019t want any level to be easy. So having to be a little hard was great for me.\u201d<\/p>\n His 200-foot game, attention to details, and physicality all improved in his first season with the Fighting Hawks. <\/p>\n Zellers really shined at the World Juniors, where he collected five goals and three assists in five games for Uncle Sam. He was a late addition to the roster, but he made his mark right from the start.<\/p>\n The tournament, held in St. Paul, Minn., was extra special for Zellers, a native of nearby Maple Grove.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing at my home state, anytime you get to represent your country, it\u2019s something so special and something I\u2019ll never take for granted,\u201d he said. \u201cAnytime you get put on that USA jersey, they have a lot of pride in it. So, I mean, it was so special. Putting on that jersey, especially being in my hometown, having a lot of family there and my grandparents being able to come and see me \u2014 they don\u2019t get to come out at UND too much. So having them there was pretty special. <\/p>\n \u201cIt takes a village to get to that point and it\u2019s always great. Having everyone in my corner has helped me get there and made sacrifices, come out and enjoy a tournament like that.\u201d<\/p>\n At Worlds, Zellers bonded with James Hagens<\/a>. The two could be a big part of the Bruins offense of the future.<\/p>\n \u201cMe and James got really close. He\u2019s a funny guy,\u201d Zellers said. \u201cI mean, you can tell the way Boston drafts, they draft character first and then hockey skill second because you can change your skill, you can\u2019t change your character. <\/p>\n \u201cSo, they\u2019re drafting guys like Dino [Letourneau], James, [Jonathan] Morello<\/a>, like just great overall guys, guys you want to be around. And he\u2019s such a fun guy to be around. There\u2019s no such thing as spending too much time with James. He\u2019s a guy you can hang out with for hours. So we got really close there, and especially playing on the same line at the end there. It was a lot of fun and really excited for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n While many expect Letourneau to make the jump to the pros at the end of Boston College\u2019s season, it wouldn\u2019t be a surprise if Zellers finds himself in Black and Gold next spring as well.<\/p>\n ETC.<\/p>\n Sturm earns German honor<\/p>\n Bruins coach Marco Sturm<\/a> was recently awarded The Cross of Merit on Ribbon\/Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.<\/p>\n The award is the nation\u2019s highest civilian honor for outstanding service to the common good.<\/p>\n \u201cReceiving this special honor fills me with tremendous gratitude and makes me incredibly proud,\u201d Sturm wrote in an Instagram post<\/a>. \u201cFrom the bottom of my heart, I want to thank my family, my friends, and everyone who has supported me, guided me, and stood by my side throughout the years. None of this would have been possible without you. I am forever grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n Among Sturm\u2019s career highlights is coaching Germany to a silver medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics<\/a>.<\/p>\n Quiz time: The Bruins have yet to name a captain for the 2026-27 season. Name the youngest captain in NHL history. Answer below … On the subject of captains, Ray Bourque\u2019s annual Captain\u2019s Ball will be held Oct. 1 at Agganis Arena. The event, which will feature current and former Bruins as well as local celebrities, raises money for the Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Mass. General and the Peter Frates Family Foundation. More info here: pro.gofundme.com\/event\/2026-the-captains-ball-in-honor-of-pete-frates<\/a> \u2026 There will be plenty of story lines and players to keep an eye on when the Bruins open training camp Sept. 15, and perhaps the most intriguing will be Matt Poitras. Still just 22, Poitras made the Bruins\u2019 initial roster in 2023-24 and \u203224-25. Injuries cut short his rookie season, and he was sent down after 33 games of his sophomore campaign. He\u2019s put up 30 goals and 85 points in 109 games for AHL Providence and impressed in a three-game cameo with the varsity last season. Fellow forwards Hagens and JJ Peterka will command a ton of attention in camp, and this could allow a relaxed Poitras the chance to show his stuff and cement a permanent job at the NHL level \u2026 While we\u2019re talking Baby Bs, the franchise lost its all-time leading scorer when center\/left winger Georgii Merkulov (94 goals, 240 points in 271 games) signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Avalanche. Exceptionally gifted on the offensive end, Merkulov never fully bought into the 200-foot game and that kept his NHL opportunities to a minimum (11 total games). Merkulov will be reunited in Colorado (likely with the AHL\u2019s Eagles) with Fabian Lysell, another former Providence forward<\/a> \u2026 Patrick Kane\u2019s return to Chicago (two years, $8 million per) takes the top free agent off the market. A low-risk, high-reward name out there is winger Patrik Laine, who has been dogged by injuries the last three seasons. Still just 28, Laine is a proven NHL producer. If he can get healthy and stay healthy, the flashy Finn could be a steal. There isn\u2019t a power play in the league that wouldn\u2019t welcome his heavy bomb from the elbow \u2026 A big change is coming to the NHL\u2019s CBA in September, as contracts will be capped at seven years. Could it spark a rash of new eight-year deals as teams ramp up for camp? The unrestricted free agent class of 2027 is poised to be seismic, with defensemen Cale Makar (Colorado), Quinn Hughes (Minnesota), and Erik Karlsson (Pittsburgh), as well as forwards Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay), Mark Stone (Las Vegas), and Alex DeBrincat (Detroit) leading the list \u2026 Did you know the winner of the Eastern Conference of the Ontario Hockey League is awarded the Bobby Orr Trophy? The greatest OHLer \u2014 and NHLer \u2014 of them all collected 280 points in 193 career games with the Oshawa Generals \u2026 Getting ready for those fall leagues? Well, it\u2019s time to start getting the cardio up and running gets the heart pumping. Give the annual Malden Irish-American Labor Day Road Race (5K and 10K events) a try. A portion of proceeds will go to the Malden Warming Center. That\u2019s what the kids call a win-win, peeps. More info here: runsignup.com\/Race\/MA\/Malden\/IrishAmerican510kRoadRace<\/a> … Quiz answer: Connor McDavid was given Edmonton\u2019s \u201cC\u201d at 19.<\/p>\n Jim McBride can be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him @globejimmcbride<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Acquired](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/OW42D67W2J3OEMFAM7B3ZWIPBQ.jpg\")
Acquired at the 2025 trade deadline, Will Zellers has attended two Bruins development camps.Jonathan Wiggs\/Globe Staff<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/HQ3NMAQ2GBHSVDH73QKDHZTGBE.jpg\")
The Bruins have been without a captain since Brad Marchand was traded away in March 2025.John Tlumacki\/Globe Staff<\/p>\n