Parker Wotherspoon Continues To Gain Confidence, Impress Bruins

When the Boston Bruins headed to training camp in September, the defense was deep enough that Parker Wotherspoon was assigned to Providence ahead of opening night.

The 26-year-old defenseman got his first shot at the big club when he was recalled from Providence when Matt Grzelcyk landed on long-term injured reserve with an upper-body injury and Charlie McAvoy received a four-game suspension.

Wotherspoon suited up in three games during the stint registering one assist while averaging just over 13 minutes of ice time. When McAvoy returned, Wotherspoon was sent back down to Providence, but he wouldn't stay too long in Rhode Island.

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McAvoy would miss four more games after he suffered an upper-body injury during the Bruins loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 7 and Wotherspoon was once again recalled to help Boston on the blue line.

Wotherspoon has added 11 more games under his belt and seen an uptake in his ice time due to his dependability in the defensive zone as well on the penalty kill.

"I see a player that is getting very comfortable in our lineup," Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said, per the team. "He does play a lot of minutes. It's a wonderful opportunity for him, (Mason) Lohrei, players that have probably averaged between 14 and 17 to get toward the 20-minute mark just because we’ve got a couple of injuries back there."

Montgomery added: "I love his confidence because you can tell he hangs on to pucks, he's looking to make plays. That's what you want. You want players to want to make plays."

The former New York Islanders' 2015 draft pick, attributed his success during this second stint in the NHL to simply gaining more experience in the Bruins' system.

"The more games I play, the more comfortable I'll get. Just keeping it simple is my game," Wotherspoon said, per the team. "When I see (the puck), I just move it, simple as that. ... Being around the guys and the organization and more used to the system has helped a ton, just gains confidence."

Wotherspoon has provided the Bruins with a steady presence on the penalty kill in the absence of the injured Derek Forbort.

"I take great pride in being a defensive defenseman, too, and that's a big part of it," Wotherspoon said. "Playing aggressively and blocked shots, that's what I like to do."

Brandon Carlo headed to injured reserve on Jan. 11 after suffering an upper-body injury during the Bruins shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Jan. 8. Without a timetable for his return, Wotherspoon should be sticking around Boston for a while.