The Bruins will rely on new faces when they play the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday, but this 22-year-old defenseman's debut might not have happened.
Mason Lohrei was among three call-ups Boston made Wednesday after it placed Matt Grzelcyk on long-term injured reserve and Charlie McAvoy was suspended four games. Lohrei's call-up came after Matthew Poitras' and Johnny Beecher's strong starts to the season, and Lohrei will hope to get off to a strong start when he makes his NHL debut.
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Head coach Jim Montgomery voiced his confidence in Lohrei, who has four points in seven games with Providence this season. But the 2020 second-round pick had a unique way of finding out about his call-up.
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"(Tuesday), we were actually getting ready to go to Wilkes Barre, and I filled up a cooler and was carrying it outside. Our equipment guy grabbed the cooler and was like, 'Hey, go to the coach's offices,'" Lohrei told reporters, per team-provided video. "It was 12:27 p.m. ET. The buses left 12:30 p.m."
Lohrei is expected to pair with Brandon Carlo, which he did in the preseason. The defenseman had a solid training camp and will get a tough test against the Maple Leafs, but the Bruins are confident the Ohio State product will be able to hold his own.
Featured image via Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports Images