If he reveals nothing else, Justin Brazeau has demonstrated he’s acquired the standard of perseverance.
Undrafted out of the Ontario Hockey League, the now-26-year-old Brazeau began within the ECHL and has spent his complete professional profession within the minors, going from the Newfoundland Growlers to the Toronto Marlies (AHL) to the Maine Mariners (ECHL) to the Providence Bruins.
Finally, the Bruins signed him to his first NHL contract on Sunday, a two-way pact price an NHL wage of $775,000. He’ll make his NHL debut in Monday’s matinee in opposition to the Dallas Stars.
“I love it,” mentioned coach Jim Montgomery. “I mean, what a great story. He’s someone who I think started out on an East Coast two-way (AHL) deal and fought his way to earn an American league deal and now he’s earned his way all the way up. It’s a great story. It’s the best thing you appreciate about anyone in life. No one starts as a CEO, right? You hope to end up being a CEO. Here he is, his dream is to play in the NHL and he’s worked his way up to earn this opportunity. It’s a great story and I’m grateful to be a part of it, to be honest.”
Brazeau brings one thing the Bruins’ ahead crew might use – dimension. He’s 6-foot-5 and a beefy 245 kilos, a body he makes use of to guard the puck effectively. He’s additionally proven to have some contact. He’s acquired 18-19-37 totals and is plus-24.
“He’s someone who all year has made his linemates better,” mentioned Montgomery of Brazeau’s scouting report. “It doesn’t matter who they’ve played him with. He’s been able to make them better. He’s a puck possession guy, he’s heavy down low, so he fits what we’re looking for to add to the bottom six, so it’s an opportunity for him. He’s been a great player down in the American league and we want to see if that’s going to translate to the NHL.”
His dimension doesn’t imply he’s a brawler. Brazeau has simply 14 penalty minutes. While the pugilism is a dying artwork type within the NHL, skating is just not, and the massive query is whether or not he’ll have the ability to sustain with NHL gamers.
But no matter how this seems for him, nobody can say Brazeau didn’t earn his probability…
Meanwhile, the protection corps will keep the identical and Jeremy Swayman can be in web for the B’s.
Source: www.bostonherald.com