Many people’s first trip to Las Vegas is purely for entertainment, but for Elliott Groenewold, it was strictly business.
Well, maybe not strictly business, as Groenewold got to soak in the tourist attractions on the Strip, but the 18-year-old Bellows Falls, Vt., native made the trip out west primarily to hear his name called at the Sphere during the 2024 NHL Draft from June 28-29.
Growing up a Bruins fan, Groenewold would take the occasional trip down to Boston to see the Bruins at TD Garden. The young defenseman even points to Hampus Lindholm and Brandon Carlo as players he likes to model his game after.
Needless to say, he was excited to find out he was on his childhood team’s radar. After conversations with members of the organization in Vegas, Groenewold knew he would be toward the top of their list when the third and fourth rounds rolled around.
Sure enough, the Bruins selected Groenewold in the fourth round with the 110th overall pick. After hours of waiting, the moment was “indescribable.”
“I had a lot of chills and I almost blacked out for a few seconds,” Groenewold said. “Just going down the line hugging everyone, and I got the chills and adrenaline going.”
Groenewold scored five goals and 16 points in 57 games with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the USHL this past season. He became the Bruins’ highest-drafted defenseman since they selected Mason Lohrei in the second round of the 2020 Draft.
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According to Ryan Nadeau, the Bruins’ director of amateur scouting, there were a handful of reasons for that.
“He’s got a frame. He’s got good feet. He likes to play, he likes to impact. He likes to get up the ice. He can play an aggressive style,” Nadeau said after Day 2 of the draft. “(His) puck play is pretty good. He was used at times on the power play this year in Cedar. … So it’s a kid that we just really liked his game. Real good human. Just really excited to add him.”
Groenewold will play for Quinnipiac this fall. But before becoming an NHL draft pick and joining an NCAA program one season removed from winning a national championship, he was not nearly as sought after.
Groenewold called himself an “under-the-radar” prospect when he reached the high school level. There was not much interest from New England prep schools. While boarding schools for grades 6-9 such as Cardigan Mountain (Canaan, N.H.) and Eaglebrook (Deerfield, Mass.) expressed interest, Groenewold wanted to start at a traditional four-year high school.
He landed at Bishop’s College School in Sherbrooke, Quebec. After picking up a flier from the school at a hockey showcase, Groenewold visited and realized it was a good fit for him.
“The coach up there (Marco Pietroniro) scouted me a little bit and wanted me there, so it was meant to be,” Groenewold said. “The culture there was really strong, and just the way they went about things. It’s very strong academically in that school, as well as the hockey side, so they take a lot of pride in that.”
After three seasons at Bishop’s, Groenewold took a step forward in his development with Cedar Rapids. Not only was he facing stronger competition, but the way he was pushed by RoughRiders general manager/coach Mark Carlson is something he appreciated.
Carlson echoed how much he pushed his players and that it isn’t always easy, especially in the moment, but with Groenewold it was different.
“That’s what he wanted,” Carlson said. “And he responded very well and worked. It’s only the beginning for him with getting drafted by Boston, but I couldn’t be happier for him and his family the way everything’s gone up to this point.”
After a successful first season in the USHL, the biggest question for Groenewold was if he would return for a second season or move on to play college hockey. Ultimately, he opted for college hockey at Quinnipiac. The main factor is that he will face older, stronger competition.
Groenewold fielded offers from Vermont and Dartmouth, among others, but committed to the Bobcats in part because he envisions himself fitting in well with the program. He also will have the opportunity to train with his new teammates in Hamden, Conn., over the summer, which he considers a major plus.
“Everybody’s path is different,” Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold said. “Elliott is a little bit of a late-bloomer, say, from age 15-18. He’s kind of popping as we speak. … He’s got a work ethic, he’s got talent, excellent athlete. And now it’s our job, along with him, to make him a better hockey player once we get into games in the fall.”
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Pecknold said he won’t be sure how much Groenewold will be used in special teams situations until he gets through the preseason but is certain he will get plenty of ice time.
As Groenewold takes his next step forward, he’s just trying to keep everything in perspective.
At the beginning, it was just him and his three older brothers being let into the back door of Vermont Academy’s Michael Choukas Ice Rink by the Zamboni driver to get countless hours of skating in. Now, just over a year after he left Bishop’s and the Canadian prep school circuit, he’s an NHL draft pick.
“It’s been a pretty quick process. ... But I think it’s been really good for me,” Groenewold said. “Just keep moving up and keep trying to get better every day, and that’s the main goal. And I think the NCAA will be really good for me next year.”
