NHL Notebook: Why Jack Ahcan believed Bruins offered best chance to realize NHL dreams — and why fans should be excited about him

The possibilities seemed endless for Jack Ahcan back in March.

For as much as NHL teams were likely kicking themselves at not taking a flier on the skilled defenseman during his draft eligible years, they weren't going to make the same mistake again when the then-22-year-old skater wrapped up his standout career at St. Cloud State back in March.

By the time COVID-19 halted and eventually stamped out the Huskies and every other NCAA club's season, Ahcan had already positioned himself as one of the top collegiate free agents on the market. In a game that has continued to embrace speed and skill, Ahcan fits the bill as the type of playmaking presence needed on an NHL D corps in 2020 and beyond — with the 5-foot-8 defenseman racking up 103 total points (21 goals, 82 assists) over 144 games at St. Cloud.

The disappointment of not seeing his senior season through stung for the Huskies captain in the immediate aftermath of the COVID-prompted shutdown of sports across North America, but those doldrums were quickly negated when Ahcan's phone started ringing shortly thereafter. In total, Ahcan, his family and his agent spoke with 10 teams in March — all of which were looking to make their pitch to the free agent by way of phone calls and video conferences.

Ahcan, who grew up 15 miles south of Minneapolis in Savage, Minnesota, certainly had his ties to the Midwest, especially given the fact that he continued his collegiate career just a little over an hour away from the Twin Cities in St. Cloud. Despite his status as an undrafted — and regularly overlooked — talent, Ahcan had managed to develop a rapport with the Avalanche, having taken part in their 2019 development camp as an invitee.

So even with Ahcan's roots buried in the North Star State and his tangible connection to the Avs, why then did the gifted defenseman believe his best route to the NHL was to chart a course with the Bruins?

Unlike so many teams, the Bruins were going to give him a chance right out the gate.

At the end of the day, talk is cheap — especially when it comes to the flowery pitches tossed out by teams during the free-agent frenzy. Whether it be the culture cultivated with the Original Six franchise or the established track record of other college free agents thriving in Boston, the decision to ink a two-year contract with the B's back in March ultimately proved to be an easy decision for Ahcan.

"One of the big things for me was their past college free agents — you look up and down (Boston's) lineup. They're pretty loaded and they really give you a chance," Ahcan told BostonSportsJournal.com this week. "A lot of these teams — they'll tell you, 'When you come into camp, you're gonna have a chance' and maybe a few draft picks that they have — they get a little bit more of an opportunity than a college free agent like I was.

"I just felt like Boston, they really do give you a chance when you do get into camp and they've proved that time and time again with their college free agents or certain people like that, so that was one thing that stuck out. And just the culture that really seems to be there. I talked to a few guys before signing — all the phone calls and stuff that were coming in after my college career — it just seemed to be a good fit, and being familiar with a few of the guys ... it seemed like a no-brainer."

Boston is a ways away from Savage, Minnesota, but Ahcan already boasts a number of connections to the B's, having played alongside Charlie McAvoy during the 2017  World Junior Championships — a year in which Team U.S.A. won gold. Ahcan, who was actually roommates with McAvoy during the tournament, texted McAvoy as he was weighing his options in free agency — learning some of the "ins and outs" of the organization before deciding to sign on with the club.

Karson Kuhlman, who regularly battled against Ahcan and the Huskies while at Minnesota Duluth, also proved to be a helpful resource — considering that his road to the NHL is one that Ahcan is hoping to replicate in short order. Signed as an undrafted college free agent in April 2018, Kuhlman quickly rose through Boston's prospect pipeline — ending his first full season of pro hockey as David Krejci's right winger in Games 6 and 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.

While such a storybook narrative is often the exception, rather than the norm, speaking with Kuhlman helped assuage any concerns Ahcan had of Boston's homegrown, drafted prospects taking precedence over a college UFA like Ahcan.

"When I was calling (Karson), he was on his way home from Boston driving — so it was a good time," Ahcan said. "He had nothing to do, I had nothing to do, so we were just kind of chit-chatting and talking and I really could feel that I was getting to know him, even though we weren't really meeting each other and being introduced. So it was just little things like that that, he even reached out and texted me and was trying to help with my situation, which he didn't have to do.

"He was just driving home from the (regular) season being canceled, so it just — everything felt right and he was a great guy to listen to. Obviously, where he's been, being in the NCHC, playing at Duluth and then from being undrafted and going out there playing Game 7, it was a really big eye opener and nice to talk to him and Charlie at the same time.

There were plenty of other connections and impressions that made Ahcan's decision to sign with Boston an easier proposition. Ahcan shares the same player agency as Tuukka Rask, while B's Director of Player Development Jamie Langenbrunner obviously has plenty of Minnesota ties.

Even before the free-agency talk began to pick up near the end of the 2019-20 NCAA season, representatives from the Bruins were a regular sight at Ahcan's games — with Don Sweeney even making it to a game way up in St. Cloud in the midst of a blizzard to watch him play.

"I knew they were up on the stands," Ahcan recalled. "Donnie, he came, it was like a snowstorm or something and he still made it to the building and he had to head out after the game. ... I think that was a little bit more of a respect thing (between team and player)."

Boston is hoping that its dogged pursuit of Ahcan proves fruitful, as the club is in need for some new regulars on the blue line following the departure of Torey Krug and the uncertain status of Zdeno Chara. While it would seem as though other youngsters with longer tenures in the organization such as Urho Vaakanainen and Jakub Zboril would have the inside edge in terms of securing one of those roster vacancies out of camp, one has to imagine that a 23-year-old skater like Ahcan doesn't need much marinating in the AHL before legitimately vying for a role at the next level.

Of course, Ahcan's development timeline —much like every other prospect — has been thrown out of whack by what will be an abbreviated 2021 AHL season, with the tentative starting date currently set for Feb. 5, 2021. Rather than playing meaningful games with the Baby B's last March and April before getting a full season of hockey under his belt in 2020-21, Ahcan expects to be fully thrown into the fire once training camp officially commences at Warrior Ice Arena in the coming months.

Still, given the circumstances outside of anyone's control, Ahcan isn't dwelling on how the ongoing pandemic might impact the goals he set for himself this year.

"You just got to go in with an open mind," Ahcan said if the upcoming season. "It's been so long since anybody's even watched a game or played. So for me, it's  just kind of working as hard as I can, knowing that when I go out there, I'm gonna give it my best shot, and whatever happens, happens. I do believe that I've been training harder than I ever have this summer, fall, whatever it is, and I'm just I'm so pumped to get out there.  I'm itching to get out there — hop on a plane or drive out there, whatever it is — and show the fans and show the staff what I got."

Ahcan knows the comparables that come with his skillset and stature. Much like a Krug or Matt Grzelcyk, Ahcan is a gifted playmaker with the puck on his stick, capable of orchestrating a number of scoring chances thanks to his vision and skating ability. Ahcan uses his plus speed to make his presence felt all over the ice, whether it be activating off of the blue line and generating a Grade-A look himself, slipping past skaters in the neutral zone or delivering some heavy checks.

He might not be the largest body out on the ice, but he doesn't play like it, complimenting his physical game with 206 blocked shots over his four years at St. Cloud.

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"A few of my strengths are my speed," Ahcan said of his game. "I like to kind of get up and down the ice. Whether that's getting up in the play or backchecking or different things like that. And I'd say my playmaking ability — both in the defensive zone and the offensive zone, finding, whether it's a stick in front of the net, trying to get pucks through or making a breakout pass, trying to get the puck out and stuff like that. ... So it's been a big focus point in my game for the past four years I'd say—  is just trying to get better every day and working on those little things that kind of give you the edge over your opponent."

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Much like Krug, another undersized defenseman overlooked by scouts, teams and many more due to his size, Ahcan embraces the chip that he's developed on his shoulder. For as much as the NHL has been much more conducive toward embracing smaller, but uber-skilled skaters on the blue line over the years, failing to get that coveted phone call over three straight drafts remains as a point of contention for many college UFAs that never earned their shot at an NHL future right out of the gate.

But now comes the fun part. Much like Krug, Ahcan finally has a chance to prove 30 other teams wrong — for a long, long time.

"That's something that kind of fuels my fire," Ahcan said. "Whether it's a chip on your shoulder, which is kind of a big thing that people throw out there. I just think it's, personally, you want to be the best for yourself and your teammates, and I think the best way to do that is working as hard as you can and proving people wrong is probably the greatest feeling ever. When you hop on that ice and people are looking down on you — literally and figuratively — it's just something that's fun. When you go out there and you're proving people (wrong) and you're playing just how you are — you're not changing anything."

Eye injury forces Boychuk to call it a career

One of the stalwarts of the 2011 Bruins was forced to hang up his skates earlier this week, as the Islanders announced earlier this week that defenseman Johnny Boychuk will have to retire from pro hockey due to an eye injury he suffered earlier this season.

Boychuk, who played five full seasons with Boston (2009-14) and six with the Islanders (2014-20), was on the receiving end of a gruesome accident back on March 2, 2020 — as he took a skate blade to the face from Montreal's Artturi Lehkonen. The slash promoted 90 total stitches in Boychuk's eyelid, but he did eventually return to the ice for New York's playoff games up in the Toronto bubble.

However, when speaking with media on Wednesday, Boychuk noted that he was still dealing with "optic nerve damage" and struggles with his "peripheral vision" as a result of the injury — prompting the need for his retirement.

The 36-year-old skater became a fan favorite in Boston over the years, rising through the ranks of the organization from Providence (2008-09) before landing a regular spot on the B's blue line the following year.

Gifted with a booming slap shot and a propensity for delivering some bone-crushing checks, Boychuk was a constant on a B's D corps that won a Cup title and came up just short against the Blackhawks two years later. The decision by a cap-crunched B's team to deal Boychuk to the Islanders in October 2014 for a pair of second-round picks left a major vacancy on Boston's roster, although one of those two picks was later used to draft Brandon Carlo less than a year later.

Following the news of Boychuk's retirement, a number of former Bruins took to social media to wish the defenseman well, including Milan Lucic. With Boychuk retired, there are now only seven players still active from that 2011 Cup-winning club: Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand David Krejci, Tuukka Rask, Tyler Seguin and Lucic.

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NWHL announces plans for 2020-21 season

While the NHL continues to drag its feet when it comes to setting the wheels in motion to get the 2020-21 season off the ground, the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) announced its plans to complete its augmented 2021 campaign earlier this week. Rather than try to trudge through a winter and spring hampered by travel restrictions and other COVID-related protocols, the league is planning on compressing its entire 2021 season over a two-week span from Jan. 23 to Feb. 5 — with all six teams set to play one another in a bubble environment at Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, New York.

All six teams will each play five games, facing one another at least once, before taking part in a playoff round that will determine the four teams advancing to the Isobel Cup Semifinals.

This change in plans will allow the NWHL to at least reach some finality to a season turned on its head due to the ongoing pandemic — a luxury that was unfortunately not afforded to the league back in March. Last year's Isobel Cup Final — featuring the 23-1 Boston Pride and the Minnesota Whitecaps — was originally scheduled for March 13, 2020, but was postponed and later canceled in May.

Despite the abridged schedule, the NWHL announced that all players will be fully compensated for the entire season for taking part in the two-week slate. Players were also given the opportunity to opt-out of the tournament and still receive their complete salaries.

All six NWHL teams — Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota Whitecaps, and first-year expansion club the Toronto Six  — will take part in the Lake Placid games, with no fans in attendance.

The Pride, who will bring back stars like Jillian Dempsey, Kaleigh Fratkin and reigning Rookie of the Year Lovisa Selander, should be considered the clear favorites again in 2021. They will also bring BU star Sammy Davis — the first overall pick in the 2020 NWHL Draft — into the fold.

"The NWHL is excited to provide hockey fans a fast-paced schedule of thrilling games on the road to the Isobel Cup,” said NWHL Interim Commissioner Tyler Tumminia. “The continued challenges brought by the pandemic resulted in a mandate for our league, players and partners to collaborate on creating a controlled environment protecting the health of everyone involved.

"At a time of hyper-growth for girls’ and women’s hockey, we see this season as a celebration of the sport. This will be a historic moment as the hallowed arena that was the site of the 'Miracle on Ice' in 1980 hosts its first women’s professional championship. It is a proud moment for the NWHL, the players, and all hockey fans.”

Torey Krug pens letter to 'Fist Bump Kid' 

Torey Krug might be skating in St. Louis for the foreseeable future, but the countless relationships he forged in Boston aren't going to be waning anytime soon.

Liam Fitzgerald, the lifelong Bruins fan known as “The Fist Bump Kid", was understandably upset when Krug, who he had gotten to know over the past few years, signed with the Blues in free agency back in October.

But after Fitzgerald, who battled cancer at three years old but has now had a clean bill of health for more than seven years, posted a heartfelt farewell tweet to Krug in the aftermath of the defenseman's departure, Krug penned a letter to his friend, reminiscing about the many good times they've shared over the years.

Some of the letter, which is featured in its entirety on NHL.com, read:

Do you remember at TD Garden how I would come out to the ice all intense all the time and ready for the game? As I walked by, you would always yell "I LOVE YOU, TOREY!" No matter how much I was focused on the big game, that always made me stop and smile.

I'm going to miss stuff like that in St. Louis.

To thank you for always being a good friend, and to celebrate the fact that you've been cancer free for more than seven years now, I'm sending you a gift in the mail. Keep an eye out for it because it should be arriving soon!

Anyway, I'm packing up and I'll be moving to the Midwest soon. I know Boston is a long way from St. Louis, but I want you to know that I'm not going to forget you just because I play for the Blues now. We may be further apart, but I'll always cherish the friendship we have.

I know you'll be cheering for me back there in Boston.

So before I go, I just wanted to say: I LOVE YOU, DUDE!

Krug made good on his promise, sending Fitzgerald a new St. Louis Blues sweater.

https://twitter.com/ToreyKrug/status/1332118468703956997

Fitzgerald might still be a Bruins fan through and through, but the B's fan favorite will almost certainly be rooting for Krug over in St. Louis as well. A classy move by the former B's blueliner.