BOSTON — Johnny Boychuk no longer plays for the Boston Bruins, but that doesn’t mean he’s stopped looking out for his former teammates.
Boychuk, who played six seasons with the Bruins, returned to Boston on Thursday night as a visitor with the New York Islanders. While the veteran blueliner didn’t really have a noteworthy performance in the Bruins’ 2-1 shootout win, he still managed to make the highlight reels.
With the score deadlocked 1-1 early in the third period, David Krejci received a crushing open-ice hit courtesy of Thomas Hickey, causing the Bruins center to part ways with a few teeth. But just in case Krejci wanted to be reunited with the dislodged chompers, Boychuck picked them up off the ice and hand delivered them to Boston’s bench.
Several members of the Bruins weren’t sure in the moment what Boychuck was doing, but upon learning of the nature of his gesture, they were a bit grossed out.
“I love Johnny,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said. “He’s a good guy … but that’s weird.”
Torey Krug added: “Yeah, I didn’t even know what he was picking up, to be honest. I thought he was being a clown like he typically is. After I found out it was his teeth it was pretty gross.”
Never change, Johnny.
