Once upon a time, Dougie Hamilton was a prized young defenseman for the Boston Bruins.
That did not last long, as the Bruins traded Hamilton after his age-21 season to the Calgary Flames, and he was then traded again to the Carolina Hurricanes ahead of the 2018-19 season.
Now, Hamilton and the Hurricanes are squaring up against the Bruins in the Eastern Conference finals. And ahead of taking on the team that drafted him in the playoffs, Hamilton reflected a bit on his time with the B’s, giving some high praise for Patrice Bergeron, and making a pretty thought-provoking claim.
No arguments on Bergeron, he is “Mister Terrific” after all.
But Hamilton’s comments about the Bruins are pretty interesting. It’s not hard to believe an 18-year-old getting selected ninth overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft would envision spending his entire career with that team. But clearly, a lot transpired over Hamilton’s three seasons with the Bruins that made him feel differently.
Hamilton has become a bit of punching bag with the Boston media since his departure, and with him returning to face the Bruins in the playoffs, he’s sure to take his fair share of lambasting on your daily afternoon drive. But given the core of young defensemen the Bruins have now, it’s worth considering what Boston’s blue line could look like had Hamilton, who lines up on Carolina’s top pair, never left.
