Beverly's Nick Albano embracing 'surreal' week at Bruins development camp

Nick Albano still keeps the stick that P.J. Axelsson gave him in his bedroom. It’s a cherished relic from the days spent attending Bruins games with his dad, Paul. They’d make the short drive from Beverly to Bruins practices, too, when they were held in Wilmington at Ristuccia Arena.

That was when Albano, who was 4-years old, received the stick from Axelsson after watching his favorite player engage in a game of keep-away with Joe Thornton.

Albano personally thanked Axelsson for the stick recently, a surreal moment during a week that’s been full of them as he competes at Bruins development camp. Coming off a strong rookie year at Division 3 UMass Boston, Albano was invited to the camp where he’s been holding his own against the team’s current draft picks and highly touted prospects.

“Coming in here, wearing the logo, throwing the jersey on, it’s so surreal,” Albano said. “Never thought it would happen, ever. I go home, swing by my apartment, talk to my roommate and I don’t even know how to explain it to him.”

His roommate, Jack Riley, knows what it’s like. Riley, a former King Philip standout and Wrentham native, Riley attended camp with Islanders prospects two years ago.

Riley told Albano not to be awed by the other players’ elevated status, such as second-round draft pick Axel Andersson or top prospect Jack Studnicka, and to understand that he’s there to compete with them even if he played at a lower level.

So how did Albano, a Division 3 defenseman and former lacrosse player end up at development camp? His hockey journey began when his brother Tyler convinced him to give up his lacrosse career for the game on ice. Albano, who attended Beverly High for three years and won a state championship, ended up at Proctor Academy and then with the Portland Pirates in the US Premier Hockey League.

“I never thought I was any good at hockey,” said Albano, which prompted a laugh from development camp teammate Henry Bowlby. “But my brother pushed me and I can’t thank him enough. He was the main contributor to me sticking with hockey.”

Colin Larkin, Albano’s teammate at UMass Boston and Division 3 Player of the Year voted by USCHO, signed a one-year entry-level with the Oilers in March. When scouts came to watch Larkin, they began to notice Albano, who finished his first season at UMass Boston with 35 points in 27 games.

Some of Paul Albano’s friends are NHL scouts and let him know his son’s name began circulating in pro circles. When Bruins scout Scott Fitzgerald called Nick, he couldn’t believe he’d been invited.

“I’ve seen him throw himself right into it right from the opening meeting, a great personality,” Bruins director of player development Jamie Langenbrunner said. “He was engaged, ready with all the guys. He definitely didn’t take a backseat. I haven’t noticed that on the ice either. He jumps right in, you see him leading some of the drills. Shows a lot about a kid that he wants to be a player. He’s doing a lot of good things that are measuring with a lot of us.”

When Albano returns to UMass Boston later this fall, he’s certain he’ll bring the lessons he’s learning this week. He’s already planning to gather the team and share the details of what his experience is like.

The most memorable message he has to deliver is that just because they’re playing Division 3, they’re not at the end of the line of their hockey careers.

“This is something I’ll remember for a lifetime,” Albano said. “If I can go out next year and have the same season I had, sky’s the limit for me.