WILMINGTON, Mass. -- David Pastrnak got his first taste of the NHL on Friday as the Bruins started training camp at Ristuccia Arena.

Boston’s first-round selection (No. 25 overall) in June’s NHL Entry Draft, the 18-year-old forward admitted it was a bit more overwhelming than he expected.

“It’s pretty hard. On the ice, they’re NHL players, so you have to adjust and try to keep going with them and play your best,” Pastrnak said.

The training camp roster is split into two groups, and Pastrnak participated in the second session, playing on the line with David Krejci and Matt Fraser.

“It’s great. I like [Krejci] and he’s a skilled player. I like to play with him and I’m pretty sure we understand each other on the ice,” said Pastrnak, who grew up idolizing Krejci, a fellow Czech native.

Krejci, 28, laughs at the notion he’s old compared to Pastrnak. But the veteran has been impressed with the rookie’s abilities.

“For me, playing with David, he’s got great hands, he’s got really good speed,” Krejci said. “It was alright today. We didn’t do too many line drills. We’ll just take it day by day and hopefully we’ll be better tomorrow.”

There’s a legitimate chance Pastrnak could earn a roster spot out of camp, but the Bruins won’t put any unnecessary pressure on the prospect.

“What we've been saying with David is take it one step at a time,” Chiarelli said. “So, get your feet wet in main camp and he had a real good few games in Nashville. You know, he's got the little things where guys overtry a little bit, hang onto the puck a little bit, cut to the middle and stuff like that, but he's a smart player and he'll adjust.”

The plan is for Pastrnak to start on the right wing. Chiarelli described it as a slow progression.

“Let's keep in mind on this player, he's still young and he's light and, you know, you worry with a player of this age and size ... that he could get hurt. He's a very smart player, very good vision and you just have to be careful, and we're taking it slowly and we'll see where it goes,” said Chiarelli.

Pastrnak impressed during rookie development camp in July and again at the recent national rookie tournament in Nashville. Now, it’s a bit different.

“All the players are men here, and in development camp they were all kids, so that’s the difference," Pastrnak said. "We are all hockey players and I just have to keep up with those guys and try to play like them.”

When the first day of camp concluded, Pastrnak was all smiles. He genuinely loves the game and admits it’s still sinking in that he’s attending his first NHL training camp.

“For me, I’m trying to enjoy it. I didn’t expect to be here and now I’m here, so I have to just try to enjoy it and do my best here,” he said. “I need to keep working hard, get better every day, so I can be a good forward for the Bruins.”