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Jordan Harris, Brendan Gaunce Among Bruins Depth Free Agency Signings
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- Jordan Harris, Brendan Gaunce Among Bruins Depth Free Agency Signings
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Boston Bruins were busy on July 1.
They opened free agency with a trade, shipping out goaltender Joonas Korpisalo for a minor-league forward and a fourth-round pick . They followed it up by bringing back old friend Connor Clifton on a two-year deal worth $4.5 million ($2.25 million AAV) , and then they landed Will Borgen from the New York Rangers .
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However, that was not all they did.
Jordan Harris is returning to the Bruins on a one-year deal worth $850,000. The Haverhill, Massachusetts, native joined the Bruins on July 1, 2025, but was limited to just eight games in the regular season. He suffered a right ankle fracture in October and did not return to the lineup until March 5, then sat again until April 4.
The 25-year-old defenseman has 172 NHL games on his résumé, coming with the Bruins, Montreal Canadiens , and Columbus Blue Jackets .
The Bruins also added 32-year-old forward Brendan Gaunce , who is returning to the Bruins organization after six years away. He signed a two-year deal with an NHL cap hit of $850,000. Gaunce played the majority of the 2019-20 season in Providence , but played one game with the Bruins on November 27, 2019 .
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Gaunce has played in 216 NHL games and 426 AHL games, and has spent the last 10 years moving back and forth between the two leagues. He played in 25 games with the Blue Jackets this past season and recorded six points (2-4–6). He also captained the Cleveland Monsters and finished the season with 36 points (16-20–36).
Jiri Patera is also returning to the Bruins organization after a brief preseason stint in 2024. The Bruins signed the 27-year-old goaltender to a one-year, two-way deal worth $850,000. Patera, 6-foot-3, went 12-14-2 in 30 appearances with the Abbotsford Canucks last season.
Patera has played in nine career NHL games with a 3-4-1 record, and he has posted a 51-56-9 record in 122 total AHL games. The Golden Knights drafted him in the sixth round (161st overall) of their first draft.
The Bruins also signed winger Brian Halonen to a two-year, two-way contract with an NHL cap hit of $875,000. The 27-year-old scored 20 goals last season with the Utica Comets, and he cracked the New Jersey Devils ' lineup for 15 games this past season. He has scored 20 goals in each of the last three AHL seasons, and he has 217 AHL games under his belt.
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The Delano, Minnesota, native spent four years at Michigan Tech before joining the Devils organization, and he played in 19 career NHL games with New Jersey .
Maxence Guenette , a 25-year-old right-shot defenseman, will join the Bruins on a one-year deal worth $850,000. He spent four seasons with the Senators organization before joining the Lehigh Valley Phantoms last season. In 44 games, he finished with 24 points (2-22–24) and a minus-6 rating.
He played in eight NHL games, all with Ottawa , and he has 140 points (29-111–140) in 282 AHL games. The Senators drafted him with the 187th overall pick of the 2019 draft.
After Wednesday's moves, the Bruins have $5,390,417 in cap space.
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The post Jordan Harris, Brendan Gaunce Among Bruins Depth Free Agency Signings appeared first on Boston Hockey Now .
