The Boston Bruins opened their Rookie Camp on Wednesday, September 11th, at Warrior Ice Arena in Boston.
Some news and notes from inside the rink (pun intended):
The camp features a roster of 14 players from within the Bruins organization and 11 camp invitees. The roster breaks down to fourteen forwards, nine defensemen, and two goalies.
The Bruins rookies will begin play in the 2024 Prospects Challenge in Buffalo on Friday, September 13th at 12:00 pm against the Pittsburgh Penguins rookies. Fans can stream the Bruins’ action from the tournament at nhl.com/bruins.
Trevor Kunter set the tone with his energy and competitive spirit. The former Boston College Eagle was around the puck and in front of the net all session long.
Kuntar scored a goal on the rush as a blocker save ricocheted off his face as he drove toward the net. That is Kuntar’s game, quite literally in your face.
Riley Duran is a dark horse for a 4th line role with the Bruins. Duran’s speedy, physical, relentless, forechecking game would play well with blue-collar Bruins fans. The former Providence College Friar was flying all practice long using his speed and big body to protect the puck and get to the net.
A moment from one of the drills that speaks to Duran’s competitiveness was when he went in too aggressively to steal a puck from a coach to begin the drill and was told to “relax a little” with his body contact with the coach. He plays all out, all the time. I don’t think anyone will get him to relax on the ice.
Providence Bruins Coach Ryan Mougenel should start getting looks for an NHL job soon. Mougenal is a no-nonsense, honest coach who runs a fast-paced, up-tempo practice, and the players seem to respond to him. He’s a rising star among the Bruins coaching staff.
The Bruins’ trend toward a bigger D Corps continues, all the defensemen in Rookie Camp were at least six feet tall.
Speaking of big defenseman, Ryan Mast, the 6 foot 5 Providence Bruins blueliner laid a few big body checks during the session and played an aggressive game, getting into battles with several other players.
Defenseman Drew Bavaro also announced his presence with authority as he had some big hits that got reactions from the fans on hand.
Loke Johansson is a large Swedish defender who brings a solid all-around game. Chatter around the rink has been that Johansson has been a beast during his preseason games in the QMJHL for Moncton. The eighteen-year-old 6th-round draft pick of the Bruins is a player to watch for the future.
A few forwards, Carlin Dezainde and Markus Vidicek, who were camp invites, showed some flashes during Wednesday’s practice with good pace, soft hands, and impressive shots. I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do in the Prospects Challenge.
Brett Harrison is the highest draft pick at Boston’s Rookie Camp, a 3rd round pick in 2021. Now is the time for Harrison to produce, this is an important camp and tournament for him as he appears to be falling out of favor with Bruins management. Harrison and the Bruins would love it if he followed Frank Vatrano’s career path and blossomed into a goal-scoring machine. He has the shot, he needs to put it all together before his chances run out.
Tomas Cibulka from the Chechia World Junior Team hasn’t looked out of place. He has good offensive instincts and walked the blueline like a seasoned veteran. If I didn’t know who he was, I would have said Quinn Hughes or Cale Makar. Just kidding, maybe he’s not in their league, but the 20-year-old is certainly talented.
Frederic Brunet showed his solid all-around game with some good defensive plays during rush drills, as well as good outlet and transition passes to start breakouts. He has the tools and the experience to potentially get an opportunity with the Bruins if there are some injuries with the big club.
Not to knock Ristuccia Memorial Arena in Wilmington as it served its purpose for many years but Warrior Ice Arena is a significant upgrade. It’s a first-class facility and much closer for Bruins players who live in the city. It was my first time at Warrior and I came away impressed.
Catching a Bruins practice at Warrior is a great take, and I would recommend it. It’s free, fans can see the players in a smaller setting and have a chance to interact with them. There aren’t many better ways to see the Bruins up close. I’ll see you back there at Training Camp.
