BOSTON -- No more than a month ago, New York Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk would walk into the TD Garden and think nothing of it. On Thursday, however, the experience seemed almost surreal.
Heading to the away team’s locker room, watching the Bruins during their morning skate, seeing plenty of old faces. It figures to get even stranger once Boychuk takes the ice against his former team Thursday night for the first time since being traded earlier this month.
“It’s definitely different,” Boychuk said. “It’s going to be a little bit weird. You’re used to practicing with them, being around them all the time, and now you’re playing against them a couple of weeks after. It’s just different even sitting on the bench and being on the other side.”
Boychuk’s trade was a result of the Bruins being pushed against the salary cap, and he understood that. Still, it hurt. He had been with the Bruins for six seasons, winning a Stanley Cup with the team in 2011 and serving as both a veteran leader and locker-room favorite during his time in Boston.
The day he got the call, Boychuk already knew what the news was going to be.
“We knew something was going to happen,” he said. “When [Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli] phoned me, obviously when he goes, ‘Hey Johnny, it’s Peter,’ you knew why he’s phoning you midday.”
Was he angry that he was dealt? Asked the question, Boychuk stammered searching for a response.
“It’s tough to be angry because he was in a situation where he had to make a move,” Boychuk said. “It’s part of the business nowadays with the cap. How can I be angry at him when they gave me the opportunity to play in the NHL and gave me an opportunity to be a regular player in this league? You can’t be angry at them because they gave me the opportunity to be here.”
Now Boychuk’s opportunities have been with the Islanders, where he has flourished thus far. Registering two goals and four assists in the team’s first six games, Boychuk has been a strong presence on both the power play and defensively. However, it’s his presence in the locker room that had his new coach Jack Capuano raving about him.
“He’s a veteran guy,” Capuano said. “We can talk about his size, his right shot on the back end, possesses a big shot on our power play, has done real well for us. To me, I like the fact that he’s a winner. He comes from an organization that has had tremendous success. He’s good in our locker room, and he fits right in. To me, that’s the most important thing -- forgetting how he plays the game but getting along with his teammates on an everyday basis.”
Asked about Boychuk, Capuano initially joked that the defenseman wasn’t going to be happy about being scratched for Thursday night’s game. Of course, Boychuk wouldn’t have been the only one unhappy with that call.
“It should be fun [to face him],” Bruins defenseman Dougie Hamilton said. “We saw him last night and in the hallway while we were skating. Told him he looked good in blue, but I was lying. It should be fun to see him and see how he plays. It’ll be enjoyable.”
“I hope I don’t get hit by his shot because we all know that’s pretty hard, but it will be fun playing against him,” Bruins defenseman Matt Bartkowski said. “[It’ll be emotional] a little bit before the game, but once the puck drops, it’s all business. I’m sure he’ll be the same way. We just have to focus on the team and what we have to do to beat the Islanders.”
Boychuk noted this as well, saying that come puck drop it will be just another game that his team will look to get two points out of. However, that won’t change the thoughts that go into his mind once he finds himself tasked with defending his former teammates and close friends.
“If I go into the corner with [Milan Lucic], it’s going to be different,” Boychuk said. “I’m going to have to finish my check on him and vice versa. He’s coming down, and if he can hit me, I know he’s going to even though we’re best friends. It’s going to be different. After the game, we’re friends.”
It’s no surprise that many on the Bruins still miss Boychuk. Coach Claude Julien said as much in his pregame news conference. However, Julien knows that with his team fighting its way back from a tough start to the season, it must remain focused on the game instead of the emotions.
“There’s no doubt that his first game back for him is going to be special and first game for us seeing him on the other side is certainly going to be different,” Julien said. “But at the end of the day we have a job to do, and hopefully he’s thinking the same way from his end of it.”