The Boston Bruins’ season is over, but they have several players participating in the 2026 IIHF World Championships in Switzerland.
One of those players is Canadian forward Fraser Minten, the 21-year-old center who just finished 10th in Calder Trophy (top rookie) voting after a season in which he tallied a career-high 35 points (17 goals, 18 assists) in 82 games for the B’s.
Minten played a key role in Canada’s 5-3 victory over Sweden in Friday’s group stage game.
He tallied two assists and won seven of his 12 faceoffs in 14:21 of ice time. He was awarded the Player of the Game.
Minten’s first assist came in the second period. He led the rush up ice through the neutral zone with a pass to Dylan Holloway. Minten then drew two Swedish players toward him to open a lane for Holloway to score an important goal to give Canada a 3-2 lead.
The second assist came in the third period as Minten executed a great zone entry and started a beautiful passing sequence that resulted in a Connor Brown goal that gave Canada a 4-3 advantage.
Minten didn’t just make an impact offensively. He blocked shots, he took away opponents’ time and space with the puck, and he even got involved in a few post-whistle altercations.
It was the kind of two-way performance that made Minten a valuable player in Boston this past season and why the team is optimistic about his future.
It’s no secret the Bruins need a No. 1 center, or even a consistent No. 2 center, if they want to get back to being a true Stanley Cup contender in the near term. Minten is still very young, but he does have the type of all-around skill set that could help him develop into a No. 2 center at some point.
Playing at the World Championships for Canada in a high-stakes environment is great experience for him.
Minten and Canada’s next group stage game is Saturday against Italy.
