On Monday, December 18, 2023, Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney met with the media at Warrior Ice Arena, where he covered a few topics related to the Bruins’ future, namely Matthew Poitras and some other AHL Providence Bruins players. The Bruins announced prior that Poitras, a 5′-11″ rookie forward, would be assigned to Team Canada for the upcoming IIHF World Junior Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden.
“This is quite an accomplishment for all young hockey players to take a chance to represent their country at one of the biggest stages,” said Sweeney when asked about the benefits of Poitras missing time from NHL games. “It’s unique in the fact he’s playing in the NHL, so that’s the first thing that probably goes through anybody’s mind as ‘what’s the trade-off?’ but there’s really no downside for him to go and represent and be a leader on that team, and hopefully accomplish the ultimate goal as all young players playing hockey have a chance to try and accomplish.”
“I think it gets him a chance mentally and physically to have a little bit of a reset, go and play against your peer group,” added Sweeney. “Now again, it’s high expectations and high leverage pressured situations that he’s now been thrust into at the highest level you can possibly play at. He should handle that well, he should take those things that happen in our locker room and impart them on his new teammates and lead from the front, and that’s what we’re hoping for.”
“He’ll come back and reinsert himself with us. It’s a tough challenge to get right back on the road and go to the West Coast, so we have to monitor that when he gets back. But he’s coming back to join the Boston Bruins and continue along the path that he’s been, which has been outstanding so far.”
Since wowing the Bruins’ management and coaching staff in training camp, Poitras, a second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, has tallied 13 points in 27 games with Boston. The 19-year-old centerman from Ajax, Ontario, Canada, has five goals and 13 assists while playing on various lines in his first professional stint.
Sweeney said that “it’s a lifelong dream” for any Canadian kid to play in the WJC, not just Poitras while stressing that Poitras is staying with the big club in Boston.
“I think he’s excited about it, I think the fact that he’s coming back and joining our team probably takes a little pressure off of that. And he is, he’s coming back, he’s earned that, we made that commitment to him. He’ll have to earn his right, just like he did coming out of training camp, to stay in our lineup and continue to contribute to our lineup.”
Poitras was one of many members of the Bruins youth movement to be mentioned by Sweeney. He discussed recent comments about the first-round pick (21st overall in 2021) Fabian Lysell by Providence Bruins coach Ryan Mougenel over the weekend. He also touched on the play of defensemen Ian Mitchell and Parker Wotherspoon .
“He (Lysell) scored a nice goal on the power-play with a downhill shot, managed the puck really well,” said Sweeney about the 20-year-old Swede whose team game suffered a bit in Providence’s 4-1 loss on Sunday. “Offensively inclined players are going to go through that; they want to do more. Sometimes it’s just about maintaining within the team structure and executing, and that’s something that Fabian and all young players are going to continue to go through.”
“They want to do more, and that’s a good quality to have, but you’ve got to do it within the framework of the team,” added Sweeney. “It’s not something that he hasn’t heard directly from Moug (Ryan Mougenel), and he’s just trying to reaffirm that part.”
Sweeney answered questions about Mitchell’s’ growth and Wotherspoon’s style of play.
“Ian went down and played (Sunday). Keeping him as sharp as possible, and getting him in minutes and some situations that maybe wasn’t playing here,” Sweeney said of the 5′-11″, 174 lb. Mitchell, whom Boston acquired via trade this off-season. “He got on the power-play there, and you can see as his confidence and his puck poise in the offensive blue line sort of returning because he’s got more touches, we’ve asked him to, from within the structure of our own game, to continue to learn to close and kill plays defensively, and then use your legs and your ability to transition pucks.”
“It’s just keeping all of their guys sharp, for that matter, because we call upon each and every one of them, and we will continue to do that. Injuries aren’t likely to stop. I hope they do, but they’re unlikely.”
As for Wotherspoon, featured in five games with the big club this season, including the last two, Sweeney likes his transition game and stoutness.
“He’s shown the flexibility to play both left and right, which is another plus for us. He just brings a little bit more bite in some situations that we think lends to what our group needs overall and provides some balance.”
“All he asked for was an opportunity, as all players would, regardless whether or not he’s played 300 games down there (AHL),” added Sweeney of the free agent signee Wotherspoon. “He wanted an opportunity to prove he could play in the National Hockey League, and we’ve always been committed when guys are playing well and the need is there, that we’re going to give guys that opportunity, and it’s up to them.”
“I think you’re always going to… the nature is to evaluate. That’s a heavily scouted tournament, you know, it’s 19–20-year old’s because they’re on the precipice of potentially impacting NHL lineups,” Sweeney said when asked if he’ll watch the World Juniors, which start December 26, 2023, and last til January 5, 2024, as a GM or a fan. “So you’re going to evaluate that and put it in the back of your mind as to who’s made progress during the draft year, and you go back and talk a lot about that with your amateur scouts about who’s made that progress. You do enjoy games; there’s no question you enjoy that type of hockey. You don’t have stakes involved in it, right? So win or lose, you cheer for somebody, but you’re not walking out of there grumpy when you lose.”
Sweeney said who from the organization should be in attendance for the tournament in Sweden.
“We’ll get a lot of guys there. PJ (PJ Axelsson, European Scouting Coordinator) lives there, so it’s a home game for him, and Ryan (Ryan Nadeau, Director of Amateur Scouting) will go, and Dean (Dean Malkoc, Associate Director of Amateur Scouting) will go, Jamie’s (Jamie Langenbrunner, Assistant GM-Player Personnel) going, I’m likely to go, so we’ll be well represented to watch.”