Ryan Kennedy discusses Dean Letourneau, a Boston College commit and 2024 NHL draft prospect. Dean Letourneau [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAyNjc4NzgxOTIyNTE4MDg0/letourneau.jpg] Dean Letourneau On a slushy, nasty night just north of Toronto, the scouting world converged on the campus of St. Andrew's College, where the Saints were hosting Prep Hockey Conference rival Shattuck-St. Mary's. Both teams had 2024 NHL draft prospects on their roster, and the biggest of those hopefuls - literally - was St. Andrew's center Dean Letourneau. Listed by Central Scouting at 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds, Letourneau is the Saints' leading scorer with 63 points through 28 games. And though the Saints lost to the Sabres 4-2 that night, Letourneau was a star, kicking in both goals for his team, including a late snipe that brought St. Andrew's within a goal before a Shattuck empty-netter salted things away. So whether you notice Letourneau for his size or his skill, it's impossible not to notice him when he's on the ice. "It's his presence," said coach David Manning. "As a big kid, he casts an imposing figure. He wants to be counted on, he wants to play in big moments. In his time here, he has produced in those critical times." Letourneau was born and raised closer to Ottawa but is now in his second season at St. Andrew's, a program that has steadily churned out NCAA recruits and NHL draft picks in recent years. Letourneau, in fact, just committed to Boston College. "It was the spot I fit in best," he said of BC. "I thought it would develop me into the best player I could possibly be and I saw myself fitting in on that campus." Letourneau will most likely play in the USHL next season for Sioux Falls, though nothing is official yet. Perhaps what's most intriguing about his size is the fact that he's really mobile - and that he plays center. While Tage Thompson is one of the NHLers he likes to watch, most of the pivots in The Show aren't typically as tall as he is. But Letourneau's not your average lanky teen. "His foundation as an athlete is very strong," Manning said. "He's explosive, he's got great agility and he's very co-ordinated, so he's a bit of a special package for an athlete. As he develops his strength, he'll be tougher to knock off the puck and have the ability to impose himself even more." There is one double-edged sword scenario he has dealt with, however: While his length and reach are fantastic in the D-zone, it hurt him in the stickhandling department until a recent adjustment. "Actually, I just started using a shorter stick," Letourneau said. "At the start of the year, I noticed that when pucks were in my feet, I was having a little trouble, so I cut my stick down so I wouldn't get handcuffed." Based on his output, it seems as though that problem has been solved, which leaves us with a bit of a unicorn down the middle. Manning predicts that Letourneau will end up around 230 pounds when he's fully developed, and that's a heckuva lot of player to slow down, especially one who loves to carry the puck up the ice and has playmaking ability. "I grew up playing center, and I just love being in the middle of the ice," Letourneau said. "I like being able to protect the front of the net, curl with speed to get pucks and go on offense. Curling and using my crossovers is one of my biggest assets so if I can get up to speed quickly using my crossovers in the middle of the ice, it helps us." As for his frame, Letourneau believes he is finished growing, so he can focus on filling out his frame and learning how to use that mass to make himself even deadlier as an offensive force. Puck protection will be a big part of that, and the fact he's poised to do a year in the USHL before he hits Boston College is a wise move; there's no rush for a player with so much potential. Once Letourneau does reach his full powers, we could see him in the NHL suiting up against the players he once looked up to - players, funny enough, that the 6-foot-6 kid will literally be looking down at on the ice.
