The Bruins are officially bringing aboard one of their top forward prospects from the Hockey East ranks. Boston announced on Tuesday afternoon that it has signed UMass forward Dans Locmelis to a three-year entry-level contract with an annual NHL cap hit of $860,000. The 21-year-old forward’s contract will not kick in until next season, with the Latvian product expected to close out this year with the Providence Bruins on an ATO (amateur tryout) contract. A fourth-round pick by Boston (119th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft, Locmelis has played the last two seasons with the Minutemen — recording 47 points over 70 total games with UMass. He is coming off a sophomore campaign in Amherst where he posted 33 points (eight goals, 25 assists) over 40 games. The playmaking forward also has plenty of experience representing Latvia in international competition — playing for his home country at the World Junior Championships (2022, 2023, 2024), the IIHF World Championships (2023, 2024), and is expected to play for Team Latvia in the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics. “During his two short years at UMass, Dans’ game improved dramatically, in most part, due to his incredible commitment and discipline to his training,” UMass head coach Greg Carvel said of Locmelis in a team release. “Dans has really rounded out his game and is as complete a player as I’ve had during my time at UMass. … He has all the pieces necessary to be an NHL player and I have no doubt that his time at UMass has served him well. “I have great respect for Dans and how he carried himself during his time at UMass. A young kid from Latvia with English as his second language, he grew in every possible way, and that is always rewarding for a coach to witness. We hope to see him playing for the Bruins in the not too distant future.”