Frederic Brunet grew up a Canadiens fan in Gatineau, Quebec, so getting drafted in Montreal's Bell Centre was a dream come true.
The fact that the team that picked him was the rival Boston Bruins didn't change that, and it didn't change the loud ovation Quebec natives got throughout this year's draft when their names were called.
Will Bergeron and Krejci both be back?
Switching allegiances to the Bruins shouldn't be too difficult for Brunet, a 6-foot-2 left-shot defenseman whom Boston selected in the fifth round (132nd overall).
In fact, he's already trained with the ultimate Bruin: Patrice Bergeron. Meeting with reporters in Montreal, Brunet revealed that he's been training with a group of players in Quebec City that includes Bergeron, who is from Quebec City.
Brunet, who plays for Rimouski Oceanic in the QMJHL, said he only recently had his first conversation with Bergeron, and that he was a little too shy to really pick the 18-year veteran's brain.
"It was the first time I saw him and he presented himself before we started training," Brunet said. "Once we got done, I just took my gear and go to my home. But he said, ‘Oh, it’s your draft year and everything, you’re going there this weekend,’ and he just started to talk to me. I was shy to talk to him because he is kind of a big deal in the NHL and just having a guy like this in the gym is awesome. Looking at him every time in the gym – I just saw him once, but I can’t wait to see him do his thing, leading by example."
Brunet was heading back to Quebec City after the draft, and he suspects he might talk to Bergeron a little more now that he's a Boston prospect.
"I really liked the conversation. I think we’re going to have more once I get back to my training," he said.
If you're wondering if the Bergeron connection gave Brunet some sort of in with the Bruins, it doesn't seem like it did. Ryan Nadeau, the Bruins' director of amateur scouting, said Brunet never mentioned it when they talked, and that he never talked to Bergeron about Brunet.
"No, you know what’s funny? Most of the French-speaking, Quebec-based players will mention Patrice Bergeron at some point," Nadeau said. "Some of them will stay away from it because they’re afraid, especially to compare themselves to him. It’s a little bit easier when you’re a defenseman, you don’t have to say, ‘Well, I model my game after him.’ But no, we didn’t discuss Patrice in that. We may now."
As for what Brunet can bring to the Bruins, Nadeau sees a puck-moving defenseman who increased his offensive production this season (46 points in 63 games) while also improving his defensive play.
"A player that we had been tracking for a little bit," Nadeau said. "He had a big jump production-wise year over year. He’s a kid that we just, we really liked what he was doing this year and his game progressed throughout the season. We think he added some additional defensive layers to his game, as well as really smooth puck-moving kid with a good frame."
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