After a long grueling summer’s worth of rehab and workouts, Matthew Poitras was due for a little bit of fun in the sun.
The Boston Bruins prospect found plenty of that during Day 2 of the team’s Fan Fest Tour, which rolled into Tsongas Center in Lowell on Saturday.
Presented by Wegmans, the three-day event, part of the Bruins 100-days of hockey campaign, featured a day full of kid-friendly interactive activities, photo opportunities and giveaways. The tour kicked off Friday at The Colisée in Lewiston, Maine, with Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery making a special appearance.
Poitras along with teammates John Beecher and Mason Lohrei, took Saturday’s shift in full stride, playing host to another sizable crowd. It was a refreshing change of pace for the youngster, looking to pick up right where he left off with the Bruins last season. The slick-skating center made a great first impression with the team last October, before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in January.
“It feels good,” said Poitras, 20. “It’s been kind of a long summer. My season ended early, so I’ve been in summer training for a while. The shoulder feels good. I’ve been doing normal training, and normal skating for the last couple of months.”
Poitras’ first year in the NHL was a whirlwind to say the least.
Drafted by the Bruins in the second round (54th overall) in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, the rookie cracked the Bruins opening night lineup as a 19-year-old. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound center picked up his first NHL point in his first game, assisting on a Trent Frederic goal. He netted his first two NHL goals later that month in a 3–1 win against Anaheim, Oct. 22.
Poitras continued to light it up while on loan to Team Canada for the 2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. The pivot registered two goals and two assists in five games during the tourney. He returned to Boston at the start of 2024, before suffering a shoulder injury, which ultimately required surgery. Poitras ended his rookie season with five goals and 15 points in 33 games.
“I felt like everything flew by,” said Poitras. “I didn’t expect myself to be in that position. I just try to take what I learned last year and try to bring that to camp this year.”
Now back at 100 percent, the Bruins prospect is anxious to get back to training camp next month.
“After surgery, I put on a little bit of weight, just taking the time to workout and not worry about skating,” said Poitras. “I didn’t skate for three months. This summer has been all about getting back into the shape I was in. I’m trying to get on the ice as much as possible, get my reps in and feel the puck after not playing for so long.”
Expectations are understandably high for the young forward heading into September.
“I’m looking forward to camp,” said Poitras. “I just like to take things day-by-day. I’m going to try to get there, establish myself on the roster and be consistent. I want to be going into camp in better shape than I was last season. I played a lot of preseason games, which went well for me (last year) in training camp. This time I want to come into camp in better shape and ready to play 82 games.”
All three Bruins were impressed with Saturday’s crowd.
“It’s a great turnout,” said Beecher. “We’re excited. It’s always fun to get into the communities and support everything that’s going on and give back, because without our fans we can’t do what we love to do.”
The Fan Fest brought back plenty of memories for all three Bruins, who attended similar events such as these growing up.
“It was always exciting to meet some of your heroes,” said Poitras. “For me growing up in Ontario, it was meeting some of the Oshawa Generals. Your day is made when you meet someone like that. It’s easy for us to come out here a couple hours and put smiles on people’s faces.”
Judging by the receptive reaction from the crowd, mission accomplished
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