What Bruins Third-Round Pick Trevor Kuntar Had To Say After Being Drafted

The Boston Bruins won’t have to break into their travel budget in order to check in on the progress of their third-round draft pick.

The Bruins drafted Trevor Kuntar No. 89 overall during the third round of the NHL Entry Draft on Wednesday. The 19-year-old is committed to play at Boston College this season in nearby Chestnut Hill.

Kuntar, a native of Williamsville, N.Y., spent the 2019-20 season with the Youngstown Phantoms and finished 10th in the USHL in points scored (53) on 28 goals and 25 assists in 44 games.

“It’s just a dream come true today,” Kuntar told the Boston media on a conference call after his selection. “I literally had no words. It was a dream come true. I’m here with my mom and my dad, it was just one of the best moments of my life, so, couldn’t be more grateful.”

The left-shot forward possesses some size at 6-foot-3 and 203 pounds, perhaps best depicted by the fact that he was second on his Youngstown team in penalty minutes.

Kuntar compared his style of play to Dallas Stars physical enforcer Jamie Benn, who Dallas started referring to as “Beast Mode” during the 2020 postseason, and gritty Calgary Flames forward Mathew Tkachuk.

“Me as a player, I’m a hard-working player. I love to compete. A two-way power forward, I love to compete every night,” Kuntar said. “I think one thing I can definitely get better at is my feet. Just getting quicker. As you keep progressing in the game it gets faster and faster. I think that is probably one of my skill sets I’m honing on to get better at.”

Kuntar originally was committed to play at Harvard before de-committing and then joining Boston College. He explained his decision was in large part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and made around July.

“Their (Harvard) hockey season got postponed and they got switched to all online and they don’t give any athletic scholarships, so I just thought that it was best for me and a hockey standpoint to make the switch over and I’m super happy with my decision so far,” Kuntar said.

His arrival in the Boston organization will feature a familiar face, too. Kuntar was roommates with Curtis Hall, the Bruins 2018 fourth-round pick, during his first year at Youngstown. The 2020 third-rounder noted he’s “really excited” about having the chance to re-connect.

Kuntar explained that he was contacted this summer by a few of the Bruins head scouts, but never general manager Don Sweeney specifically.

“They were kind of just checking in, seeing how I was doing, basic hockey questions about my family and everything,” he said. “It was obviously different because we couldn’t meet in person, but it was a really cool experience.”

Kuntar was the second American-born player Boston selected after Wisconsin native Mason Lohrei was chosen with the Bruins’ second-round pick.

“I’m just super excited about that opportunity and to get to know the whole organization, staff and everything,” Kuntar said. “It’s just a once in a lifetime opportunity and I couldn’t be more grateful.”