Why Bruins’ Matt Poitras is going to the World Junior Championship
BRIGHTON, Mass. — Matt Poitras scored his first two NHL goals against the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 22. Two days later, he blew Corey Perry off his heels to score a breakaway goal against the Chicago Blackhawks. The 19-year-old played a career-high 18:42 against the Florida Panthers on Oct. 30.
These were instances when the teenaged Boston Bruins rookie made it clear he belonged in the NHL, not in the OHL with the Guelph Storm.
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Those declarations, however, have been more difficult for Poitras to make of late. The NHL is not kind to 19-year-olds who are not used to the professional grind, physicality and sheer difficulty.
He was a healthy scratch for two of the past five games. Coach Jim Montgomery benched him for the third period against the Arizona Coyotes on Dec. 9. Coach and player discussed the matter two days later.
And on Monday, after internal debate, the Bruins released Poitras to Hockey Canada for the upcoming World Junior Championship. The native of Whitby, Ontario, will no longer be competing against men whose families depend on putting kids like Poitras into the boards. He will be in a pool of similarly aged teenagers, just like he dreamed of being during offseason workouts.
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“This is kind of what I had in the back of my mind all summer when I was in the gym, working hard,” said Poitras. “Go to Guelph. Have a good start. Hopefully have the opportunity to play for my country. It didn’t exactly work out that way. But I still get the opportunity to go. I’m excited.”
Poitras was scheduled to travel to Sweden on Monday, although bad weather in Boston may nix those plans. Canada plays its first game Dec. 26 against Finland. The gold medal game will take place on Jan. 5. If the Canadians advance to the championship, Poitras will miss nine Bruins games.
General manager Don Sweeney made it clear Poitras will rejoin the Bruins after the tournament. Sweeney cited the four-game road trip that will begin on Jan. 8 against the Colorado Avalanche.
“It’s a tough challenge to be right back on the road and go to the West Coast,” said Sweeney. “We have to monitor that when he gets back. But he’s coming back to join the Boston Bruins and continue on the path he’s been, which has been outstanding so far.”
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Poitras should be one of Canada’s go-to players. The Canadians will be without Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli and Zach Benson, other under-20 eligibles. Scott Walker, Guelph’s president of hockey operations, is one of Canada’s assistant coaches.
“There’s really no downside for him to go and represent, be a leader on that team and hopefully accomplish the ultimate goal,” said Sweeney. “We’re excited for Matty. He’ll represent the Boston Bruins, himself, his family and Team Canada very well.”
Based off of lines so far and conversations I’ve had with folks about who may be 13th forward, my guess is we might see something like this to start:
Geekie – Poitras – Savoie
Minten – Celebrini – Dumais
Rehkopf/Cowan – Yager – Wood
Allard/Cowan – Beck – Danielson— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) December 18, 2023
Poitras’ teammates did not send him off on a high note. At the conclusion of Monday’s practice, Montgomery gathered the players to tell them of Poitras’ destination. After some applause, Poitras faced off against Jeremy Swayman for three straight shootout attempts. The Alaskan stuffed Poitras all three times, prompting the Bruins to issue a “USA” chant.
“The ice was terrible,” Poitras said with a smile. “I couldn’t stickhandle. That’s where I’ll leave it at that.”
The team’s options at center give them breathing room to let Poitras go. Pavel Zacha, out for the past three games because of an upper-body injury, was a full practice participant. He could be ready for Tuesday’s game against the Minnesota Wild.
The Bruins have also been happy with the emergence of Morgan Geekie in the middle. Geekie was once Poitras’ right wing. But the 25-year-old has two goals and two assists in the past four games, all while playing center. Geekie played a season-high 18:52 in Saturday’s 2-1 overtime loss to the New York Rangers, mostly between Danton Heinen and David Pastrnak.
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Charlie Coyle and Johnny Beecher round out the four-center crew. The Bruins also have Trent Frederic and Patrick Brown who can move from wing to center.
At the same time, Poitras’ facefirst sprint into NHL resistance eased the organization’s decision. Opponents were bumping Poitras off pucks. He was arriving late on his checks. He wasn’t separating from defenders with as much ease. The team’s biometric data gathered during practices helped color in fatigue’s effect.
So the Bruins pivoted toward giving Poitras scheduled games off to promote recovery. It was a mixed bag. He felt better in the games following his healthy scratches. But Poitras’ performance were not perfect. His third-period benching happened after a game off. The following game against the New Jersey Devils, Poitras was caught high in the defensive zone prior to Dawson Mercer’s tying goal.
“The league does get harder,” said Sweeney. “He’s going through that for the first time. As much as you want to talk to a player about that, you’ve got to go through it. Live it. Know you’re going on the road. The matchups you lose. Playing against guys for the very first time and realizing teams are pre-scouting and going to close you off.
“It’s a steep learning curve. He’s handled it really well. He comes back in some of the games where he’s made a couple boo-boos, hasn’t lost his confidence and will go out and make the next play.”
As they discussed the decision, Sweeney reminded Poitras to enjoy the experience. Poitras has felt the stress of being an NHL regular and trying to gain Montgomery’s trust. This will be Poitras’ chance to take a breath, play against fellow teenagers and apply his NHL experience. Parents Tricia and Phil are planning to attend.
“Obviously, you never want to leave the NHL,” said Poitras. “But I’m excited to get over there and play for my country. You’re never going to complain about that. It’s a dream come true.”
(Photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
