After being claimed off waivers Wednesday, Patera had to make a Vancouver-to-Minneapolis-to-Boston trip.
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Jiri Patera could hardly believe his eyes when he went to check the next destination on his hockey journey.
Boston, the Prague native found out, is a long way from the Western Canadian hamlet of Abbotsford, British Columbia.
“I’m just like, ‘Damn, it’s pretty much on the other side of the continent,’ ” Patera said Friday, just a few minutes after his first Bruins practice and just hours after completing his Vancouver-to-Minneapolis-to-Boston flight. “So yeah, tiring, but I’m really excited to be here.”
Patera stood out at Warrior Arena, regaled in his Canucks duds but wearing a Bruins practice jersey.
Patera, 25, was claimed off waivers Wednesday, a day after he was assigned to Abbotsford, the Canucks’ AHL affiliate.
He was in the middle of a workout when he got the word that he was on the move.
“I got called out into the GM’s office and yeah, they said that Boston filed a claim, and I was on my way after that,” said Patera, originally a sixth-round pick of the Golden Knights in 2017.
Like most of the NHL world, he has been following the
Jeremy Swayman story. The Bruins and their All-Star restricted free agent goalie have been unable to come to an agreement on a new contract.
“For me it’s a little bit of an odd situation,” he said, “but at the same time just trying to focus on myself, and that’s the main thing for me, just to get better every single day and just get on that NHL level.”
The 6-foot-3-inch, 212-pound Patera showed no signs of fatigue during the workout, taking a regular spot in the rotation with
Joonas Korpisalo and
Brandon Bussi. He flashed good mobility and a quick glove and seemed unfazed when there was chaos at his crease.
“I’d say that I’m a quick, athletic goalie,” said Patera, asked for a self-scouting report. “I think I’m patient on my feet and I think the reading of the play has gotten a lot better in my opinion.”
Most of Patera’s North American hockey experience has come at the AHL level, where he is 37-40-6 with a 2.92 goals against average and a .907 save percentage. He also has played eight NHL games, compiling a 3-3-1 record with Vegas.
Patera has some familiarity with
countryman David Pastrnak, with whom he skated when the goalie was a teen.
“[Pastrnak and
Pavel Zacha are] a little bit older than me, so I haven’t played with them [on national teams],” he said. “But I skated with Pasta when I was like 14 and he was just going to the draft, so I skated with him a few times in Prague.
Asked what Pastrnak was like back then, Patera said he sees the same character.
“Just he works really hard still,” Patera said. “He’s having fun on the ice, and it shows. He’s one of the best players in the National Hockey League.”
Bruins goalie coach
Bob Essensa took a few laps with Patera as practice was starting and had a simple message for his new pupil.
“Just have fun out there and just bring my best that I have,” Patera said. “I just think I had a good practice and yeah, it was a lot of fun. Good first skate, really excited. So yeah, it’s going to be a fun time.”
The chance to work with Essensa, who has a long track record of success, has Patera excited.
“I heard a lot of good things about him, and just to be a part of working with him and knowing his opinions and my game, I think it’s going to make me a better goalie as well,” he said. “So, really looking forward to it.”
Coach
Jim Montgomery said it’s unlikely Patera will get into Saturday’s preseason finale against the Capitals in Washington, so he’ll need to use the remaining practices to get sharp.
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