Bruins draft Mason Langenbrunner in fifth round of 2020 NHL Draft
By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com
The Bruins kept it in the family with their fifth-round selection of the 2020 NHL Draft, drafting defenseman Mason Langenbrunner with the No. 151 overall pick.
The son of former NHL player Jamie Langenbrunner, who currently serves as the player development coordinator for the Bruins, the 6-foot-2 Langenbrunner put up five goals and 19 points in 25 games for Eden Prairie High (Minnesota). A right-shot defenseman, Langenbrunner is considered a project, but skates extremely well, according to those who have seen him play.
Drafting someone related to the hockey operations may seem a little strange, but this isn’t the first time that the Bruins have done this.
Back in 2012, the Bruins drafted Matthew Benning with a sixth-round selection. Benning is, of course, the nephew of Jim Benning, who at the time was the B’s assistant general manager. Benning went on to play his college hockey and ultimately opted to sign with the Oilers as a college free agent. (By the time that Matt Benning signed, Jim Benning had been two years removed from the Bruins organization, becoming the general manager of the Vancouver Canucks.)
You could argue that Langenbrunner has already had his draft moment, too, as he was on the stage with the Bruins after they drafted Urho Vaakanainen with their first-round pick back in 2017. (He’s to the left of Bruce Cassidy in this picture below.)
CHICAGO, IL – JUNE 23: Urho Vaakanainen poses for photos after being selected 18th overall by the Boston Bruins during the 2017 NHL Draft at the United Center on June 23, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
But the Bruins made it clear to Langenbrunner that he was not drafted because of his father’s job with the team.
“I had a pretty good feeling [the Bruins were going to draft me]. I had some really good interviews with them,” said Langenbrunner. “They said it’s not because of who my dad is, but because we love you as a player and believe in your upside.”
Langenbrunner’s plans for 2020-21 remain up in the air, as he would like to return to Eden Prairie for his senior season, but COVID-19 may throw a wrench in those plans and hopes for a state tournament.
Langenbrunner is a Harvard commit for 2021-22.
Listen to Ty Anderson and Matt Dolloff break down the Bruins’ trade rumors and draft picks on the newest episode of the Sports Hub Sidelines podcast:
