BRUINS ALUMNI REPORT: Two Former Bruins Sign NHL Entry-Level Contracts, Driscoll Up for Richter Award

Mar 26, 2020

NCAA DI: The first  NHL entry-level signing of the off season with Bruins ties was forward Dawson DiPietro (Bruins ’15-16). Following his four years at Western Michigan University where he racked up 24 goals and 45 seasons in essentially three seasons (he only played in one game during his freshman year), DiPietro signed an entry-level contract with the Buffalo Sabres this past week. The Sabres are familiar with DiPietro who competed at their prospect camp last off season and turned some heads within the Buffalo brass.

DiPietro becomes the second former Bruin to grace the Sabres organization following CJ Smith (Bruins ’11-13). Up next for DiPietro, he’ll be invited to the Sabres prospect camp and preseason activities, and based on his performance the Sabres will place him on one of their teams. He could land as high as the Buffalo roster in the NHL or with one of the Sabres affiliate teams such as the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League or Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL.

NCAA DI: Only a few days after DiPietro announced his signing with the Sabres, another former Bruin inked an entry-level contract with a New York-based NHL team. This time it was Austin Rueschoff (Bruins ’15-16) who signed with the New York Rangers. Rueschoff, teammate of Dawson DiPietro at Western Michigan, finished his junior season with 26 points in 36 games (12G, 14A). His decision to sign an NHL entry-level deal means he is forgoing his senior season as a Bronco.

Much like DiPietro, Rueschoff will begin his hunt to make the NHL roster this off season with the Rangers prospect camps and preseason activities. Depending on how he fits into the Rangers future plans, he could earn a spot at the NHL level, the Hartford Wolfpack of the American Hockey League, or with another former Bruin Mike Keeley (Broadcaster, Bruins ’16-18), with the Maine Mariners of the ECHL.

NCAA DI: The Mike Richter Award is handed out annually to best collegiate goaltender in the United States, it’s like the Heisman Trophy for goalies. For the second straight season, the Bruins have an alumus named as one of the 10 semifinalists. Zach Driscoll (Bruins ’14-15) follows his former teammate Jake Keilly (Bruins ’14-15) as a semifinalist in the Mike Richter Award voting.

Driscoll finished up his sophomore season in 2019-20 with the Bemidji State Beavers. The Apple Valley, MN, native, played in 33 games for Bemidji State with a meager 1.63 goals against average and a stout .937 save percentage.

The 10 semifinalists will be widdled down to four finalists in April and the Mike Richter Award will be handed out on on April 10, 2020.