Chances are, this isn’t just an ordinary early November hockey game for Boston Bruins forward Fraser Minten.
While he would probably not admit it, Minten more than likely had the Bruins' Saturday, November 8th game against the Toronto Maple Leafs circled for a long time and not just because it’s at Scotiabank Arena on Hockey Night In Canada.
Minten, who is a 21-year-old 6’2” 204-pound centerman from Vancouver, British Columbia, was originally selected in the 2022 NHL draft second round, 38th overall by the Leafs.
Regarded as a top prospect, Minten impressed during Leafs training camps and during his WHL career with the Kamloops Blazers, made a statement by scoring 58 goals along with 150 points in 151 total games.
Early in the 2023-24 season, Minten was traded by Kamloops to the Saskatoon Blades, where he finished off his WHL career with 19 goals, along with 38 points, and 21 PIM in 36 games played.
Heading into the 2024-25 season with four NHL games under his belt, Minten experienced that ultimate thrill when, on November 20, 2024, when in a Leafs uniform, he scored his first NHL goal, which came against Vegas Golden Knights goalie Adin Hill in a 3-0 win.
That season would see Minten end up scoring two goals, along with four points in 15 games, before his world changed on March 7, 2025, when, at the trade deadline, it was announced that the Boston Bruins acquired Minten along with a 2026 first-round draft choice (top five protected) and a 2025 fourth-round draft pick (from Philadelphia) from the Leafs with defenceman Brandon Carlo going the other way to Toronto.
Minten playing very well for Bruins this season
So far this season, after a strong training camp, Minten has scored two goals, along with five points and six PIMs in 16 games played.
This season, Minten has been impressing with his strong defensive plays, penalty killing, and winning critical faceoffs.
Minten received a huge boost of confidence when, back on Tuesday, November 4th, late in the third period of an eventual 4-3 Bruins Shootout win at UBS Arena against the New York Islanders, Bruins coach Marco Strum moved Minten to the first line with David Pastrnak and Marat Khusnutdinov. The move paid off, as Minten had a nice assist on the tying goal, making it a 3-3 game at the time.
“Sometimes it’s my gut. But to tell you the truth, I knew that was coming,” Strum said about moving Minten to the first line. “I just didn’t know it was that early. Could we see it again? Absolutely. It just gives me another option, so that’s good.”
Meanwhile, Minten added, “It is good that Marco wants me out there at the end of the game where we need a goal. I think it’s an area of my game where I want to contribute. I’m not always the guy who is out there for that, but it was nice to be out there yesterday and have to be successful.”
During the Islanders game, Minten logged a season-best 16:28 of ice-time and won 50 percent of his face-offs while also playing a big factor in the Bruins going a perfect 3 for 3 on the PK. (penalty killing).
“I always try to have fun,” Minten said. “I think it’s good to have the pressure and stuff—and there always is. It’s the NHL. There’s millions of people who want your jobs, so there’s always some. But I think the more you can just enjoy and play hockey, the better you’re going to do.”
Minten will more than likely not receive on Saturday night a tribute on the Scotiabank Arena scoreboard but you can bet that quite a few Leafs fans will be cheering for him to have a good game.
Despite his easy-going demeanour, you can bet that once the puck drops on Saturday night, Minten would want nothing more than to beat his former team, the Leafs.