Hype surrounding Jack Studnicka has elevated more and more each year since the Boston Bruins selected the forward in the second round of the 2017 draft.
The 20-year-old continues to give the Bruins reasons to be excited about what the center can bring to the table when he reaches the NHL.
Studnicka was a big piece on Canada’s World Junior Championships roster, and since being traded from the Oshawa Generals to the Niagara IceDogs in the Ontario Hockey League, the Windsor, Ontario native has been racking up points with a fury. He also has proved to be quite a wizard with the puck on his blade.
In a game against the Mississauga Steelheads on Feb. 7, Studnicka unleashed a nasty toe-drag, then weaved the puck through another defenseman’s legs before beating the goalie with a backhanded effort. The puck rang both posts, and Studnicka thought he had one of the highlight goals of the season, but the shot later was ruled no-goal.
Studnicka has 33 points in 21 games for the IceDogs and has racked up 29 goals and 67 points on the season. After competing for the third-line center job at camp, the Bruins opted to send Studnicka back to juniors for development. But Studnicka is eligible to join either Boston or the Providence Bruins once his junior season is complete. However, Niagara is second in the OHL standings and are figured to have a long playoff run.
It’s perhaps plays like these, however, that made general manager Don Sweeney hold on to the forward at the trade deadline.
