BOSTON — Bruins winger Matt Fraser made quite the splash in his Stanley Cup playoff debut.
The 23-year-old scored the Game 4 overtime winner Thursday night in Montreal to even the second-round series at two games apiece. Since then, he has become a pretty popular guy with Bruins fans and media alike. Fraser’s reference to frozen yogurt in a postgame TV interview was something everyone latched on to, but so are his well-spoken, humble ways.
Fraser held court with reporters Saturday morning at TD Garden for the entire length of media availability in the Bruins’ dressing room after morning skate. He spoke about a lot of things — no, he didn’t have frozen yogurt Friday — but what really stood out is how humble Fraser is.
That especially was evident as Fraser spoke about the outpouring of support he received from friends and family after Thursday’s game. Fraser said he received about 300 text messages. He also said he returned all of them because, as he put it, “it was the least I could do.”
Fraser also shared some details about a special conversation with his parents after becoming the Game 4 hero.
“That phone call after the game in Montreal was pretty special,” he said. “I said it before that I wish every kid could score that goal and have that feeling because it was pretty special. To be able to share it with my parents and my sister was pretty unique.”
Fraser, who was trembling with excitement at the time, spoke after Thursday’s game about how he hoped he made his father proud with the way he played. It certainly sounds like he did.
“He’s not a guy who shows a lot of emotion, so it was kind of weird to see him or to hear him excited,” Fraser said. “It’s just one of those things that you always want to grow up and make your parents proud and happy with the man you’ve become. Hockey is a small part of that, but I hope I did that.”
