Bruins' Pastrnak motivated to win

On most nights when Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney and agent J.P. Barry negotiated the future contract of David Pastrnak, the 21-year-old forward was sound asleep at home in the Czech Republic.

When the sides finally agreed on a six-year deal worth $40 million on the eve of training camp, Pastrnak was not worried about his future in Boston.

“I was just dreaming,” he said with a smile.

Not too long after signing his new contract, Pastrnak tweeted out a picture of him and his mother and thanked her for the support.

“It was a little bit of a weird day,” he admitted. “All of a sudden you get that big contract and she was really sad I had to leave the next day. I’m sure she’s really proud of me and she raised me well.”

Pastrnak’s father, Milan, coached his son’s junior team when he was 12. At 15, he left home to play two seasons in Sweden. Only four days before his 17^th birthday, his father passed away after a long illness on May 21, 2013.

More than a year later, the Bruins drafted Pastrnak in the first round (No. 25 overall) on June 27, 2014. In fact, every time he scores a goal he’ll kiss his hand and point to the sky. The family aspect is important for Pastrnak. He didn’t want his negotiations to be a distraction for his mother, so he told her not to talk about his contract or hockey with anyone back home.

Some elite athletes have a tendency to hit cruise control after signing a lucrative, long-term deal. Pastrnak’s not that type of player. He’s motivated to honor his father and make his mother proud every time he takes the ice.

It’s also telling that the first thing he did with his new contract was buy an $8 chicken-and-rice dinner in Cambridge. He won’t get off that easy, however, because it’s customary for players with new contracts to treat their teammates to dinner, so Pastrnak will have to break out the credit card soon enough.

He arrived in Boston late Friday night and was on the ice for the morning session at Warrior Ice Arena. Pastrnak still worked out while he remained in the Czech Republic, and having not been able to skate the last two days because of the travel, he admitted Saturday’s practice was a bit of a struggle. Still, during the final skating drills, he was still leading the way.

It’s no secret at this point that Pastrnak will be on the same line as his childhood idol, David Krejci. The two have played together in the past, but Pastrnak spent the majority of last season with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron.

“David has taught me a lot, and it’s the same with Bergy and Marchy,” Pastrnak said. “I’ve been playing with those guys for most of my time here and those guys are great players with play with and every guy in my position would like to play with those guys. For me, it’s motivation and I want to get better as an individual and as a team and be better than last year.”

There’s also a new arrival on that line this season and it’s likely rookie Jake DeBrusk will be playing the left side. Krejci and Pastrnak both made it a point during Saturday’s practice to work with the prospect and communicate as much as possible in order to build chemistry.

“The first thing you notice is his speed, his hands and his shot,” DeBrusk said. “Being a player on that line I want to give him the puck in good spots as much as possible, and use my speed to open up stuff for him and let him shoot the puck.”

The Bruins were thrilled to see Pastrnak walk into the room Saturday morning. He’s a dynamic player and his love for the game is infectious. There was never a time he thought about playing anywhere else. He wasn’t going to play in the KHL and he didn’t want to hold out.

“I wanted to stay here and I wanted to be a Bruin,” he said. “This is where I started playing my NHL hockey and I want to spend as much time here as I could. I wish for my whole NHL career.”