While meeting with reporters between periods Saturday night, John Wensink didn't hesitate when asked if there were any current Bruins who would have fit on the Boston teams he was a part of in the late 1970s.
"Trent Frederic."
Wensink, who played four seasons in Boston from 1976-80, was on hand to take part in a pregame celebration of those "Lunch Pail A.C." teams that won over Bruins fans with their tough, gritty, blue-collar style of play. He jokingly recreated his most famous moment, looking over to the New York Rangers bench, stretching out his arms, and signaling "come and get me" like he once did to the Minnesota North Stars.
Wensink, who lives in the St. Louis area, is still a Bruins fan and still watches every game. His pick of Frederic might be slightly biased. Not only is Frederic a St. Louis kid, but Wensink once coached him and knows his family well.
"I love the kid," Wensink said of Frederic. "He's a St. Louis kid. I actually coached him in the Quebec peewee tournament. I was one of his coaches in the Quebec peewee tournament. I love the way he plays. He's a great kid. His family is just a top-notch family. So, I pull for him a lot."
His pick being biased doesn't make it wrong, though. Frederic's effort Saturday night in what was ultimately a 2-1 overtime loss would make Wensink and those late '70s teams proud.
Frederic scored the Bruins' only goal, driving hard to the net and knocking in a rebound early in the second period, a true "lunch pail" finish. A couple shifts later, he helped set up a lengthy offensive-zone possession with some strong puck protection, including just about stiff-arming a Rangers defender at one point.
A few minutes after that, Frederic did what Wensink and the Lunch Pail A.C. may be best remembered for: Fighting. He dropped the gloves with Rangers captain Jacob Trouba, landing a hard shot and scoring a quick takedown. That was carryover from these two teams' last meeting, when Trouba whacked Frederic upside the head with a two-handed slash, which resulted in a fine but not a suspension.
"I think Freddy's getting really comfortable knowing what he is, what his role is on the team and how he has success, most importantly," Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said after the game. "He's playing real direct north and he's skating really well."
After the game, Frederic said it was "cool" to have a game like that with Wensink in the house, but that "it would've been a lot cooler if we won." He also said he appreciates Wensink thinking he would have been a fit in that era.
"I think he might be a little biased because he knew me as a younger kid," Frederic said. "He actually texts my brother still. I think he watches most of our games. He's a big fan of the Boston Bruins and he's a big fan of me, so that's pretty cool. Meeting him, knowing him, he's an awesome guy. It's funny seeing that video when he goes after the [Minnesota] bench and tells them to sit down. It's pretty iconic. He's a tremendous guy."
