Drew Bavaro’s path to Bruins’ blue line included time at Bentley University - The Boston Globe
The Bruins signed the right-shot defenseman after two years at Bentley in Waltham and two more at Notre Dame.www.bostonglobe.com
BUFFALO — The career path that delivered Drew Bavaro here at noon on Friday, to play in his first rookie game as a Bruin, began a decade earlier when he checked into Cardigan Mountain School in Canaan, N.H., his hockey destination unknown.
“Yeah, left home in Florida when I was 13½ or 14,” Bavaro mused, shortly after he and his fellow Boston hopefuls suffered a 6-3 loss to the Penguins in the Prospects Challenge opener. “And here we are . . . kind of exciting to find out the challenge of the next level.”
Bavaro, 24, is a 6-foot-2-inch right-shot defenseman, whose circuitous path to signing a contract with the Bruins did not include getting drafted at age 18 and initially did not include playing for a high-end college or junior program. In a sport that appreciates pedigree, which top prospects begin to acquire sometimes in their pre-teens, he was the kid who showed up at Cardigan, let’s say, unencumbered by great expectations.
“I’ve always been a step behind in getting recognized,” said Bavaro, noting the “tough path” he’s followed thus far to fulfilling his dream. “I was fine with that. I think I wore that on my shoulder [as motivation] in every way. For me, it’s kind of been having to prove it every level.”
“I’ll always be grateful for Bentley giving me that opportunity,” he said. “I’ve always felt the best way to get better is to play, and they let me play a lot there. It made it hard to leave, the team and the guys, but I was convinced it was the right decision.”
The next stop was South Bend, a two-year stay at Notre Dame, where Bavaro put up a 10-10–20 line with the Irish last season. Intrigued by his development curve, the Bruins in the spring signed him to a one-year deal that ostensibly started here with the rookie tournament. He is guaranteed a minimum of $175,000, more than half of that in signing bonus, and will have the chance to see how his game measures up against the league’s best when the Bruins open their varsity camp Wednesday in Brighton.
Bavaro participated in the club’s July development camp on Guest Street and remained in town to work out. He lived for a while at Riley Duran’s family home in Woburn (the two briefly were Lawrence Academy teammates) and then moved in with some college and high school buddies in a downtown apartment. More important, as summer played out, he worked out regularly alongside a number of Bruins veterans.
“It was a huge advantage to be there all summer,” said Bavaro. “I was around guys like [Brad] Marchand, [Brandon] Carlo, and [Charlie] McAvoy. And that helps give a little bit of a relaxing step when you go out on the ice everyday with those guys. So when it really begins to ramp up, you don’t feel as much discomfort as I did the few times in the summer. Obviously, though, it’s going to be a big step up — those guys are the best players in the world, so I’m excited to see where I’m at.”
“[Bavaro’s] got a little bit of maturity in his game that has to grow,” said Providence coach Ryan Mougenel, who is serving as bench boss here. “But he’s a smart kid, and the more accustomed he gets to how we play, he’s going to be alright.
“His skill set is really good. He’s got a great shot and a good offensive mind — he’lll have to work through some hiccups, but there’s some good things there for sure.”
Bavaro is the one guy I had never heard of who stood out to me at Development Camp. His size, skating and playing style remind me a bit of Johnny Boychuk.
