February was not a great month for the Bruins. Even though they are currently sitting in second place in the Atlantic Division (trailing the Florida Panthers), there is some cause for concern with their recent inability to win in regulation and the trend of giving up leads in the third period. With their cap situation, lack of a first-round pick this year, and a prospect pool that many consider weaker, it’ll be hard for Don Sweeney and the front office to pull off a big trade deadline move to bring in assistance. This means help will have to come from within the organization.
Related: Bruins Rookie Spotlight: Matthew Poitras
Already, the Bruins are seeing guys step up to the plate. One of the few bright spots from this past month has been the excellent NHL debut of Justin Brazeau. In five games, he has a goal and an assist and has found comfort on the fourth line with linemates Jakub Lauko and Jesper Boqvist.
On top of some good play on the ice, Brazeau has a great story, and in a month where there wasn’t a lot to get excited about for the Bruins, he was a fun guy to see get a debut and stick around for more than just a game.
The Hockey Journey
Brazeau was born in New Liskeard, Ontario on Feb. 2, 1998. Standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 220 pounds, he is certainly a big body on the ice. He didn’t find a ton of success or notoriety at the start of his junior career. Playing for the North Bay Battalion, he debuted in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) during the 2015-16 season.
Brazeau had a slow and steady growth in his game. He played four seasons in the OHL, seeing an increase in his point totals in each of those seasons. What began as six goals and 13 points in 65 games that first season turned into 61 goals and 113 points in 68 games during his final season in 2018-19. He also served as captain of the team, and had multiple accolades. He was named to the OHL First All-Star Team, had the most goals in the OHL, won the OHL Overage Player of the Year award, and the OHL Top Scoring Right Winger Award.
Brazeau went undrafted because he hit his stride later in his Juniors career. At the time, he was noted for having the body to be a physical player but often lacking the confidence to actually play physical on the ice. At the time, his skills were thought to be too raw to take with a draft pick. But as mentioned above, he drastically improved from his early…
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