Bruins Draft 6-Foot-2 Michigan State Defenseman Final Pick 2026 NHL Draft originally appeared on NESN.
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The Boston Bruins made seven selections in the 2026 NHL Draft. They went goalie first, before rattling off three forwards in a row. It wasn’t until the 157th pick that they finally drafted a defenseman. In the sixth round, they went back between the creases, selecting a second goaltender.
But in the seventh round, with the 216th overall pick and the team’s seventh and final selection, the Bruins selected defenseman Cullen McCrate from the Fargo Force.
With the 216th overall pick in the 2026 #NHLDraft, the #NHLBruins have selected defenseman Cullen McCrate. pic.twitter.com/a1RsfIm00r
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) June 27, 2026
McCrate is a 19-year-old blue liner who spent the 2025-26 season playing with the Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League (USHL). He played 61 games with the Force, recording 10 goals and 20 assists. It was the second season he spent in Fargo, as he tallied 34 appearances the season prior.
He is listed at just a touch under 6-foot-2 and right at 200 pounds.
McCrate is a native of Adrian, Michigan, and has already committed to play at Michigan State University next season.
The right-handed shot is the only American the Bruins drafted all weekend, and only the second non-European in the class.
It is unclear whether or not the seventh-round pick will be at Boston’s Development Camp next week, but general manager Don Sweeney said a “vast majority” of the 2026 draft class will be.
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