Rewind backwards to a year ago where Dougie Hamilton was emerging from pre-season as a rookie, not really knowing what to expect for his first complete and non lockout shortened season in the NHL. This year, it’s a completely different story for the young blue liner.
Hamilton came into camp this season appearing to flourish with a newfound confidence that he gained at the end of last year. He is in tiptop shape and was raring to go at the start of camp. He’s impressed not only his teammates and coaches, but several reporters as well. He’s appeared more muscular, grown up, and his stick handling skills have improved with his ability to move the puck up and down the ice. He is skating with poise as he enters the final year of his contract with the Bruins. Hamilton is ready to face whatever the season may bring after the ups and downs of the previous season.
Hamilton was forced to step up his game last year as his fellow blueliners went down with injuries that kept them from the lineup. He was required to play more minutes than he was used to and rose up to meet this new challenge while often being paired with Chara. Together, they were dominant.
Everyone often tends to forget that Hamilton is only twenty-one years old. Even with the improvements of his game last year, he still has plenty of room to grow and improve. He has yet to grow fully into his true form and it will be awesome when he actually does.
Last year, Hamilton accumulated 25 points through 64 games. He tallied 7 goals and had put up 18 assists while patrolling the blue line. Although, he did miss 18 games due to injuries last year his performance still had a big impact. The more time that he plays, the more confident he becomes on the ice. This is apparent with Hamilton.
There’s going to be lofty expectations riding on Hamilton’s shoulders that he can continue to dazzle and impress, but the young defenseman seems prepared to face this challenge after his strong performance during preseason.
Saturday afternoon, it was announced that veteran defenseman Johnny Boychuk was traded to the New York Islanders in return for draft picks, freeing up some of the Bruins’ tight cap space. What does this mean for Dougie Hamilton?
For Hamilton it means that the Bruins are going to expect him to keep improving. They’ll want to see even more from him. He’s going to have to constantly be going above and beyond to play his best in hopes of filling the hole that has been made due to the Boychuk trade. He’ll have to play and set an example for his fellow blueliners.
Hamilton is ready to play a bigger role on defense for the Bruins. This season is bound to be a big year for him, as he needs to continue to impress the B’s in hopes of maybe securing more of a long-term deal with the team in the future. It will sure be fun to watch him in a black and gold sweater as he gets more and more games under his belt. Dougie Hamilton is ready to keep teaching everyone how to Dougie as the 2014-2015 season gets underway shortly.
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