The Boston Bruins have secured one of college hockey’s most promising hidden gems by signing Cornell standout Dalton Bancroft, the team announced on Thursday.
Bancroft, 24, has agreed to a one-year, entry-level contract, which will take effect next season with an NHL cap hit of $950,000.
The 6-foot-3, 207-pound forward will join the Providence Bruins on an amateur tryout for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
Over three years with Cornell, Bancroft accumulated 36 goals and 79 points in 103 games from 2022 to 2025. This season, he set a career-high with 15 goals in 36 games. During the 2023-24 campaign, the Madoc, Ontario native recorded a career-best 31 points in 34 games, helping Cornell capture the ECAC championship and secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Before his college career, Bancroft led the Ontario Junior Hockey League in scoring with 92 points in 54 games for the Golden Hawks in 2021-22, earning MVP honors.
Bancroft joins fellow college players Ty Gallagher, Jake Schmaltz, and Dans Locmelis as spring signings for the Bruins. While he is the only one not drafted by the team, he did participate in their development camp at Warrior Ice Arena last summer.
