Alex Chiasson ready to prove himself once again on another PTO

Alex Chiasson has been down this road before. 

The 32-year-old is fighting to prove himself on a professional tryout for the sixth time in his NHL career after signing a PTO with the Bruins on Aug. 21 during his third straight offseason of being an unrestricted free agent. 

He joins a crowded group looking for work in Boston's bottom six, one that includes a fellow PTO signee and former Bruin Danton Heinen. The B's have no shortage of options fighting to take old of depth roles in the lineup, be it Chiasson, Heinen, Milan Lucic, A.J. Greer, Jesper Boqvist, Marc McLaughlin, Patrick Brown, Johnny Beecher, Jakub Lauko, Jayson Megna and more. 

Chiasson understands the challenge ahead of him, but he's used to it. 

"I know it's going to be a tough camp. A lot of guys battling for spots," he said at Warrior Ice Arena on Friday following Bruins captains' practice. "I've bet on myself quite a bit in my career. It's always worked out, but that doesn't mean it's easy. I'm willing to put myself up against the odds and see where it goes. ... There are no guarantees. Come in, compete and see how it goes."

The 6-foot-4, 208-pound forward had a number of tryout offers on the table, but the B's had what he was looking for in the end, even with a crowded group heading into training camp, which opens Sept. 20.  

“I think where I’m at in my career, the two things I was really looking forward to on a team I was looking at was: A). Was there an opportunity for me to come in and earn a spot? There are obviously a lot of teams that have tons of forwards, and teams are in different phases, winning or whatnot. I think that kind of brings me to my second point: I wanted to be on a team that was competitive," Chiasson said. "Obviously, this organization has been at a high level. This is my 12th year, and they've always been on top."

Things have come full circle for Chiasson and Boston. The 38th overall pick to Dallas in the 2009 second round, Chiasson went on to play three seasons at Boston University, where Charlie Coyle and Kevin Shattenkirk were teammates. After a decent freshman season (7g, 12a in 35 games), he popped as a sophomore (14g, 20a in 35 games) and a junior (15g, 31a in 38 games) before turning professional. Once upon a time during his run in Edmonton, there was trade speculation involving Chiasson, Anders Bjork and even Jake DeBrusk. 

His familiarity with the city was an added bonus to his decision to choose the Bruins for a tryout. It also helps that he and his wife, Riley, recently made Boston their permanent home earlier this offseason, saving him from life in a hotel room in an unfamiliar city as he fights for a job. For the Montreal native, the buzz in the city is comparable to playing in a Canadian market. 

"I've always enjoyed coming and playing at the Garden. That's definitely one of my top places to play in the league," said Chiasson, who's experiencing a different pace than when he first lived in Boston as a student on Comm. Ave. "It's always a special place for me to come back, and I know my parents have special ties as well to the city. They came a lot when I was playing at school."

No stranger to life on a PTO, Chiasson successfully earned a spot with the Washington Capitals at the start of 2017-18, going on to win the Stanley Cup that spring. Even after adding a ring to his resume, Chiasson packed a suitcase and his hockey bag, and headed to Edmonton on a PTO the following season, claiming a roster spot before putting up a career-high 22 goals and 38 points in 2018-19. 

After three seasons with the Oilers, he again had a successful audition, signing with Vancouver out of training camp for the 2021-22 season. Chiasson provided solid depth production with 22 points (13g, 9a) in 67 games, but 2022 was another summer that proved difficult to find work for the winger. 

He couldn't secure a contract with the Coyotes after attending training camp on a PTO in 2022, and after some coaxing from former teammate Shawn Horcoff – currently Detroit's assistant general manager and GM of AHL Grand Rapids – Chiasson agreed to join the Griffins on a tryout around Thanksgiving. After 20 points (9g, 20a) in 29  AHL contests, the Red Wings came calling at the trade deadline with a contract for the remainder of the season. Even with a solid finish to the year six goals and three assists in 20 games, few teams were willing to offer more than a tryout this offseason. 

"I don't know if it made it easier or worse, to be honest," Chiasson said of how his finish to 2022-23 affected his mentality in what wound up being another quiet summer. "I didn't have a job the first couple months of the year. Long story short, Shawn Horcoff is the GM in Grand Rapids, and I told him my goal was to get back to the NHL. He was explaining to me that I've got to get back to playing. ... I played [29] games in the American League. I put my pride away, and I went and earned my keep.

"At the deadline when they called me up, I thought mentally, I was like, 'Hey, is this my last chance to play? I want to soak this in.' Just the DNA of who I am as a person, I realized, 'Hey, let's try to make this work as well.'"

After a few injuries hit the Red Wings' lineup, Chiasson found himself on the first power play, cashing in around the crease. Five of his six tallies last season came on the man advantage, including a strong first impression with the Bruins as he scored back-to-back games with net-front power-play goals against the B's in March. He felt he proved to himself and others that he can still play, which is why he likes his odds after betting on himself once again. 

He has made it work over this stretch of uncertainty the last several seasons, but that doesn't mean it's been an overly enjoyable way to make a living year in and year out. 

"It sucks," Chiasson said of the PTO experience. "It's tough. ... You don't really know where you're going to end up, you know?"

The annoyance adds up, having to prove himself year after year. 

"Yeah... it is frustrating," he said. "But at the same time... I think for me, it's almost like I take pride in what I do and how I do it. When you get rewarded, you go play, play well and you score and whatnot, I think it makes it all worth it. I just think one day, when it's done, I can say, 'Hey, I gave it all I got.' I could have gone overseas. I could have gone anywhere, really. I kept building on my career. I've kept adding games. Kind of over the last three, four or five years, created a role for myself. Hope it works out here."

With nothing promised other than per diem pay during camp and a chance to show what he's got, Chiasson has a greater understanding of his fortune as a professional athlete, gaining plenty of perspective over these years of laying himself on the line.

"I think I have a good support system at home — my wife’s been great. It doesn’t get any easier. I think as I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that — and I’ve always said this – it’s a privilege to play in the NHL," he said. "You can’t take this for granted, and I know one day when I stop playing, whenever that is, that I really put it all out there. I have no regrets. I could have taken the easy way out, but whatever opportunity that came my way, I fought for what I believe in, and that’s to play in the NHL.

"This game has given me so much. Try to keep it going and try to squeeze a little more out of it. Excited for this opportunity in camp."