Still only 21, Dougie has been asked to fill a big role this year with the Bruins. He is in his 3rd full season in the NHL after making his debut in the lockout shortened 48-Game season in 2012. From the onset he earned the trust of Coach Julien and his Team-mates. It is rare to see a 19/20 year old step into a steady role as a defencemen in the NHL, he did and looked very calm doing it. Was great to see Dougie get involved in the playoffs as the Leafs and Bruins squared off in Round 1. As a huge Leaf fan was really cool to travel to Boston with a great friend and Bruins Fan Kevin to see Game 2. Leafs won the Game 4 - 2 much to my delight and a smattering of Leaf fans that made the trip. Dougie ever gracious, had passes for us to sit in the Friends and Family seating area, then after the game we got to go down to a reception area where the players come and meet their Friends and Family. What a thrill for both Kevin and I to interact with the players and family. What was so cool was Dougie was so thankful that we came to see him play, he said it was really cool knowing that someone is there to see him play. Of course as a Leaf fan our hearts were ripped out when the unthinkable happened in Game 7. With 10 minutes to go, they were up 4-1 and ended up losing it in OT, will never forget that. If you want to relive it:
Leafs' Hearts Broken!.
In the 2013/2014 Dougie started to be used more, with around 18 minutes a game. Certainly a trusted defencemen, but Julien generally would lean on others when defence was a priority. By the last third of the season this was starting to change as Dougie notably stepped up the physicality of his game. At 6' 5" and 212 he has the goods and used his size and body position very well to end the season. Got to see Dougie play in Detroit with my Son Mat, he had a big game, including a great goal right in front of us. Again he took time out to meet us after the game, which was a thrill for Mati.
Fast forward to the present the Bruins are 15 games in and who would have known that Dougie would be logging more ice-time than any Bruin. With key injuries in the defence ranks, including Chara he has been averaging 23 minutes per game this year. Last five games he is over 25. So far this season he has 3 goals and 7 assists and has a plus 3 rating. These are great stats for any defencemen, let alone a 21 year old. We are incredibly proud to be fuelling such a great hockey player. Each step of the way in his career he has emerged as a go to player - great to see that he is a part of the success the Bruins are seeing early in 2014/15 season.
If you would like to understand how Dougie fuels - check it out at
www.ImOnIce.ca.
- Darcy Haggith, President, Infinit Nutrition Canada
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