Jack Studnicka focused on crafting complete skill set as he eyes Bruins roster spot

When Jack Studnicka suited up for the Bruins in his first preseason game last year against the Montreal Canadiens, the young center was tossed from at least two faceoff draws.

Officials cracked down on violations last season, with a heavy emphasis on enforcing it in the preseason. Studnicka, in that moment, realized how things are that much different in the NHL where skilled faceoff technicians master their craft.

When he returned to the Oshawa Generals in the OHL, where the faceoff rules are less strict, Studnicka was hard on himself to improve. He won 672 faceoffs, around 53 percent of his draws – numbers that ranked in the Top 10.

“Faceoffs are becoming a big point of the game so it’s something I tried to incorporate into my game,” Studnicka said. “It leads to more ice time, and it pays dividends. I think I'm one of the high-end faceoff guys in the OHL and need to continue to get better.

Winning faceoffs became a small, but important detail of Studnicka’s game during a year where he took a big step forward towards his goal of making the Bruins. The team’s No. 53 draft pick in 2017 had 72 points – 20 more than he had the year prior. He also wore the captain’s patch – a progression in his role as a leader that didn’t always quite fit the soft-spoken Studnicka.

He knows that if he wants to make the Bruins – a process he’s continued this week at development camp – he has to roll those qualities into one complete profile, a player who can do those things on a daily basis.

“I’m not really taking a backseat here,” Studnicka said.



“I’m looking to show guys the way. It’s something I really wanted to focus on coming in.”

If the Bruins do not re-sign Riley Nash, there will be an opportunity to push for a job in training camp. Studnicka, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Trent Frederic, and perhaps even Ryan Donato, who primarily played left wing when he joined the Bruins from Harvard, will all be in the mix.

Studnicka has shown progress and parts of his game that fit the profile of an NHL pro, but the 6-foot-1 center still needs to bulk up his 172-pound frame. He’s only 19 years old so that will come in time through another year in the OHL.

He said that he played with at least eight or nine different wingers last season, a dizzying combination that could disrupt a center’s game. Studnicka handled it smoothly and by the time the season ended, he had settled in with Renars Krastenbergs and Serron Noel on his flanks.

“If anybody was going to be elevated up in the lineup, you’d be with Jack because he wasn’t going down,” said Roger Hunt, the Generals GM and interim coach last season. “When somebody else got hot, and we moved someone up, inevitably you’d bump into Jack because he was at the top. He plays with everyone and makes other players better.”

The toughest stretch for Studnicka last November when he did not score for 12 games. He responded with six goals in the next eight games, the type of correction that had him in line to lead his team in points by the end of the year. He had five points in five playoff games, but the Generals were eliminated in the first round and injuries limited Studnicka’s time in Providence.

Still, Studnicka scored five more points in five more games with the Providence Bruins, the type of consistent production that garners attention from the front office.

“I think that’s a lofty goal for him as a 19-year-old, not a lot of 19-year-olds play in the National Hockey League,” Bruins director of development Jamie Langenbrunner said. “It’s something – I wouldn’t put it past him, he’s a determined kid. I think if you would have asked him last September, his goal was to make the team also. He wants to do that, that’s great. We’re not going to take that away from him. If he’s able to push and take that job, then great. I think (Don Sweeney’s) spoken about that quite regularly. Whoever’s ready is going to get the job.”

Studnicka really put himself on the radar with a strong showing at rookie camp last year in Buffalo. He was able to parlay that into a strong season with the Generals, one that continued to the few games he played in Providence.

His focus is more narrowed now as he zeroes in on the Bruins roster, something he’s likely to get a crack at September once training camp starts.