One of the really interesting highlights from new Providence Bruins head coach Trent Whitfield’s press conference this week with the media was the distinct impression that the Bruins are aiming to make room for some of their young players ready to graduate from the AHL level.
There has been plenty said, by Whitfield and Don Sweeney, over the last couple of months about 22-year-old left-shot D-man Frederic Brunet being ready for a steady NHL look after making his NHL debut last season amid a really strong campaign with the P-Bruins.
“Freddy Brunet has really come a long way from year one to now,” said Whitfield. “Last year he took huge strides. He was probably our best defenseman right from Day One to the end of the season. He put some offense in his game, he put in the work in other parts of his game and at the end of every summer he came in every year faster and stronger, and more prepared than the year before.
“He’s well on his way…now he just needs a little bit of a runway in Boston to get his feet wet. Mentally and physically he’s ready to go and his skill set…he’s an NHL player.”
And clearly, 26-year-old goalie Michael Dipietro is ready for the backup role after the Bruins traded Joonas Korpisalo to the New York Rangers last month and made a flurry of moves on the July 1 opening of free agency.
But the intriguing one continues to be unsigned 22-year-old Matt Poitras after Whitfield worked closely with that player over the last couple of year while helping round his game into being ready for regular NHL duty. The skilled Poitras has already played in almost 70 NHL games over the last few seasons, and it seems he’ll be an NHL player moving forward after doing everything that was asked of him developmentally in the AHL over the last couple of seasons.
“Poitras has had a little different of a path. But I think he did a really good job last year. He was one of those guys that it was really hard on him to get sent down [to the AHL] and we had a lot of good, hard conversations to get his mindset in a good spot. But it’s just a matter of time with him,” said Whitfield. “He’s a great kid, really talented player and I’m really excited for his opportunity this year for him to make his mark in Boston.
“He works hard. First on the ice and last off the ice every day. It’s just about being a little bit stronger. To play center in the NHL you just need to be physically strong. There are 6-foot-4, 215-pound center in the NHL, so if you aren’t strong you are going to get taken advantage of at times up there. That is something that has really changed in [Poitras game] where he was winning more pucks, get stronger and making a lot more plays while looking a lot more comfortable. I’m looking forward to him coming back from this summer.”
Clearly, the Bruins are looking forward to watching these players in training camp, and plans are in place to add some youth to the roster, even as the team is teeming with NHL-level players at every position at this point. It will be fascinating to watch all of this play out as there are a number of incumbent Bruins players that may be on the move for both roster and salary cap reasons as changes are coming to some corners of the roster in Boston.
*Kudos to Trent Whitfield for landing the head coaching job with the Providence Bruins after a decade putting in his time while developing his coaching craft as an assistant coach with the AHL club. The 49-year-old was really the no-brainer choice given his experience with the AHL farm team, the experience he had as a player both with over 800 games in the AHL and nearly 200 games in the NHL, and the fact that he played a number of different roles based on which team he was on within those two very different leagues.
“I think about it all the time,” said Whitfield. “I’ve been in the American League for 30 years now. And I say this all the time from talking to my son to guys that are playing in Providence…I played for 17 years and I was probably cut (from a team) over 40 times and it never gets easier.
“My message to them is not let that disappointment bleed into your game and to just get that positive mindset back. You always need your mind and your game to be in a good spot for when that next opportunity comes.”
That kind of experience gives him a lot to draw in when coaching young players in the American League, or coaching veteran guys that were in the same shoes as him when he was the captain of the P-Bruins team while the parent club was building a Stanley Cup winner way back in 2011.
“That’s always been our main goal here is to develop players and get them ready for the NHL,” said Whitfield. “It’s always been my priority as an assistant here and that’s always been the No. 1 priority for the head coaches that have been here. It’s ‘how do we get them better and how do we get them one step closer to be prepared to reach their top goal and then be ready to go when they reach the NHL?’
“We’re trying new things all the time. Every player is different. Some players need to be pushed. Some players, you should need to take the time with them and it’s a little bit slower and a little bit longer of a process. That’s just the way it is. Some guys are just driven and that’s all it is. Other guys they need a little more time to get a little bigger, get a little stronger and maybe make a few more plays, or finish more plays around the net. That can take time and it’s ultimately why we are here to work with them on a daily basis. Sometimes it’s mental. Sometimes it’s physical. Sometimes they just need to gain that confidence coming out of junior or college playing against men. Some are ready to meet that challenge, and some aren’t ready to win those puck battles that they need to win at the next level.”
*One of my new favorite twitter accounts is NHL Follow Tracker where they follow all NHL player social media accounts and keep track of which accounts those players follow, or unfollow, on a daily basis. Big news this week as Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman has unfollowed the Dunkin Donuts Instagram account in what is tantamount to declaring civil war for most New England natives that run on Dunkin’. Swayman will have some explaining to do when he arrives for training camp next month, as Ben Affleck would most definitely not approve this move.
*Speaking of local celebrities, a fun story from Newton native and The Office star John Krasinski about the first commercial feature he ever booked, which was for Dunkin’ Donuts and must have aired a good 20-plus years ago when Jumbo Joe Thornton was still the featured player on the team.
John Krasinski says a Boston Bruins player launched him six feet through the air for a Dunkin’ commercial, leaving his knee injured for six years
“My first commercial ever was a Dunkin’ Donuts spot where I got to skate with the Boston Bruins”
“We did about 20 or 30 takes, but… pic.twitter.com/FbXP03zC1o
— Yonan (@yonann) August 1, 2026
Here’s the commercial for those that don’t remember it, with a very young Krasinski taking a fall for his acting art:
That’s it for this week, everybody. Thanks for reading and we’ll see you at the rink!
