Despite Stanley Cup Loss, Bruins’ Chris Wagner ‘Excited’ For Next Season

LOUDON, N.H. — Chris Wagner likely never will get over what happened June 12 at TD Garden. After all, how could anyone forget losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on home ice?

Still, despite the tragic end to his first season in Boston, the Bruins forward already has turned his focus to the 2019-20 campaign.

Wagner, who had his postseason cut short by wrist injury suffered in the Eastern Conference Final, drove the pace car Sunday in the Foxwoods 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Before making his NASCAR “debut,” Wagner opened up about what was a long Bruins season.

“Wrist is (pretty good),” Wagner said during pre-race media availability. “Kind of ramping up training now. A grind of the season, 10 months or so, we went to China, had the Winter Classic, had all the playoff games. But a lot of fun, just want to bring the energy next year, be all nice and healthy. I think everybody’s trying to get to that point.

” … I’m actually excited to get it going again.”

Bruins fans, grateful for Wagner’s hard-nosed (as well as productive) style of play, voted the Walpole, Mass., native as the 2019 NESN 7th Player Award winner.

Wagner registered 12 goals and seven assists in 76 games lats season, serving mostly in a fourth-line role.