Boston Costume Fitting Precedes Boston Bruins Roster Milestone
Racks of capes, feather boas, and fuzzy onesies filled the room while top hats, sunglasses, and masquerade masks lined the walls of Boston Costume in Cambridge on a recent Friday, nhl.com reported. Rookie defenseman Frederic Brunet and teammates James Hagens and Matt Poitras visited the shop to select a group Halloween outfit for the team. Fraser Minten missed the outing, leaving his teammates tasked with securing his costume.
Costume Selection and Roster Depth
The trio browsed the aisles to finalize a group concept before facing inventory hurdles. “I wish Mints was here so he could lead us,” Matt Poitras said as the group weighed options. The players initially planned to dress as Willy Wonka and the Oompa Loompas after seeing the idea on Instagram. “Fraser said, ‘I am going to be Willy Wonka,’ so I was like, ‘Okay,’” Frederic Brunet said. Eric Propp, who manages the rental department at Boston Costume, assisted the players after working with Minten during the previous Halloween season. Oompa Loompa outfits lacked sufficient stock, forcing the players to pivot their plans. Propp noted that Minten previously wore a lobster suit during a prior visit, describing the moment as memorable. Minten joins a larger group of young players on the active roster this season, including Poitras, Hagens, Brunet, Marat Khusnutdinov, JJ Peterka, and Mason Lohrei, all 25 or younger.
Scoring Production From Young Players
Young players have contributed heavily to the team’s offensive output early in the season. During a four-game road trip, the Boston Bruins scored 16 total goals, with nine coming from players 24 or younger. Matt Poitras recorded three goals, Fraser Minten added two, and Marat Khusnutdinov, James Hagens, Frederic Brunet, and JJ Peterka each scored one. In a 6-4 victory against the San Jose Sharks at TD Garden, Hagens and Minten each registered a goal and an assist, Peterka tallied two assists, and Khusnutdinov scored.
Head Coach Assessment on Veteran Leadership
Head coach Marco Sturm highlighted the value of veteran leadership in stabilizing the team’s younger roster additions. “It’s always a learning process. The nice part here on this team is you have those veterans on your team. Those leaders – they’re huge,” Marco Sturm said. “That is something that has always been here with the Bruins – we always had a good, core leadership group. I think it just helps our young guys to get going. It’s a long year, and the biggest thing about that age is being consistent. So we just try to stay on them as much as we can. But again, those are the kids right now that have been playing really good, so we’re happy with them.”
Related reading