WILMINGTON, Mass. — The longest-tenured development camper in Boston Bruins history finished his record sixth tour of duty Friday at Ristuccia Arena.
“It was good,” goaltender Zane McIntyre said after wrapping up Day 4 of development camp 2015. “It was a good learning week, good developing week, I think, for sure. It’s the reason I wanted to come out this summer again for the record sixth (time) was to get better and to work on my game. And I think that’s what we were able to do with (Bruins goalie coach Bob Essensa) throughout this week, and obviously get acclimated to the pro level, as well.”
McIntyre has made the trip to Wilmington each summer since the Bruins selected in the sixth round of the 2010 NHL Draft. Now, with a decorated career at the University of North Dakota behind him and a fresh two-year, entry-level contract in his possession, the 22-year-old netminder is ready to take the next step.
The Bruins have a rock-solid starting goalie in Tuukka Rask, but with Niklas Svedberg opting to take his talents to the KHL this season, the role of Rask’s backup currently is unfilled. And McIntyre, who has yet to play a second in the NHL or AHL, earlier this week said he “absolutely” hopes to compete for the job.
His competitors, barring any further roster moves, will be Malcolm Subban and Jeremy Smith, who shared goaltending duties with the Providence Bruins last season. Subban, the Bruins’ top pick in the 2012 draft, allowed three goals on three shots in his lone career appearance for the B’s, while 2007 draftee Smith has yet to make his NHL debut.
McIntyre struggled on the final day of development camp, allowing six goals during a 50-minute, four-on-four scrimmage, including three in one four-minute span. He’ll enter Bruins rookie camp this September with plenty still to prove.
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney on Friday acknowledged that landing the job as Rask’s No. 2 will be a tall task for McIntyre, who might require some seasoning at the AHL level before he’s ready to compete with the game’s best.
“Somebody has to step up and grab that role,” Sweeney said. “And Zane’s confident that he wants to, and I’m sure Malcolm is, and I’m sure Jeremy is, as well. And that’s healthy. It’s a bit of an unknown for us, so that’s an area that I’m going to continue to look at, whether it’s a little more experience or whether or not you do allow a person to emerge in that regard.
“But I think Zane’s confident in his abilities. It’s a big leap. I think he’d be the first to tell you that it’s a big leap. But bottom line is, when you stop pucks, people notice. So, we’ll see where that goes.”
The final game of McIntyre’s college career came at TD Garden: a dramatic, 5-3 loss to Boston University in the 2015 Frozen Four.
Will he man the crease on Causeway Street again this season? As Sweeney said, we’ll have to wait and see.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
