Now 16 games into his National Hockey League career, Boston Bruins defenseman Steve Kampfer said the possibility of being named an All-Star at the American League level never occurred to him. That’s not to say the rookie wasn’t interested in the honor –- he just never thought he had a chance.
"I definitely wasn’t expecting it," Kampfer said of Wednesday's selection to the AHL Eastern Conference All-Star squad. "You know, it was kind of funny. I was down in Providence recently with [Joe] Colborne and [Matt] Bartkowski. We were out to dinner and they both told me, 'you’re gonna get voted to the All-Star Game.'
"I was like, 'there's no chance. I've played in 20 games down there. I was hurt for two or three and got suspended for one. There's no way they’re gonna put me in the All-Star Game.' Sure enough, two days later, I got announced and they were the first to sit there and be like, 'I told you so.'"
All Kampfer did in his 20 games in Providence was contribute three goals, 13 assists and a team-best plus-10 rating. Even at nearly 20 games since his departure, the 22-year-old Michigan native still leads all P-Bruins defensemen in scoring and ranks fourth on the club in that category overall. Not bad for a guy who hasn’t been around since Dec. 8.
The young blueliner has thrived in his time with Boston, chipping in on occasion offensively and seeing a regular shift on the power play, but he's most recognized of late for playing a consistent 20 minutes a night alongside captain Zdeno Chara against the top lines of the opposition. All of that in mind, it's unlikely that Kampfer will see AHL ice-time again this season, let alone in time for the Jan. 31 AHL All-Star Classic in Hershey.
Nevertheless, Kampfer couldn’t be happier about the achievement.
"Obviously it's a huge honor," he said. "To get named to an All-Star Game, obviously it’s a big accomplishment. It shows how well you've been playing and also how the guys are playing around you and that’s the big thing."
Kampfer's coaches in Providence were both thrilled for their former pupil, and it was head coach Rob Murray who got to deliver the news of the selection. To Murray, who sets his sights on prospect development above all else, Kampfer was very deserving of the distinction, even if he doesn’t get to represent the P-Bruins in Pennsylvania.
"The way he carries himself is professional," Murray said of Kampfer. "He's very committed and his effort is there every night. He's very studious, a student of the game, and he really, really wants to know where he can improve and what he can do better. He's got this air of confidence and it’s not cockiness. He believes in his game and his abilities, and it shows in the way he handles himself on the ice.
"I don’t see that he'd be coming back from Boston to us anytime soon, and I don't think he'll be playing in the All-Star Game. The league will make a substitute from our team. I'm not sure who they'll take but we’ll be represented one way or the other. But, Steve was very deserving and obviously the other coaches thought so too."
