Five Bruins that will roar in 2013-14 # 2 – David Krejci
Jun 24, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) falls to the ice as he chases after the puck controlled by Boston Bruins center David Krejci (46) during the first period in game six of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
A lot of the Bruins players that go above and beyond usually seem to be selected in the second round of a NHL Entry Draft. David Krejci is one of those players. He was chosen in the second round of the 2004 draft (sixty-third overall). Krejci is one of those players that has shined for the organization these last few seasons, but it was a rough start for the center of the Bruins lead line.
After the draft, Krejci spent two seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He didn’t go pro until the 2006-07 season. He started the season in the AHL Bruins but his skill set and his abilities quickly got him up to the NHL level. Krejci’s first NHL game was on January 30, 2007. The Boston Bruins were routed in a 7–1 blowout against the Buffalo Sabres. Not only was his first game a rough loss, he had also got injured on his third shift, receiving a concussion from a hit delivered by Sabres’ winger Adam Mair.
Krejci is one of those under the radar type players. (That’s surprising since he’s got three career hat tricks under his belt.) Everyone acknowledges his skill and his ability, but he doesn’t seem to get the adoration that a player like Patrice Bergeron does. (Don’t get me wrong Bruins Nation, Bergeron is all-around amazing.) Krejci for the last few seasons has been paired up with Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton. (With Horton’s departure to the Blue Jackets, he’ll likely have Jarome Iginla filling in on the wing.)Like Bergeron, Krejci is one of those players that makes everyone else better.
The Krejci line performed adequately in the abridged season last year. Krejci himself was tied for fourth in goals (10) and finished second in points (33) behind Brad Marchand. The Krejci line REALLY took off in the post season. Krejci led all players in goals(9, tied with Bergeron) and points (26). Players worried about Horton’s clutch skill and Lucic’s physicality. They either ignored or underestimated the Czech center’s ability to dance with the puck in a way that reminded me of a younger Jaromir Jagr. Krejci centered one of the best lines in the NHL last year, and with Iginla coming in it might be the very best in hockey.
David Krejci has been our 7th Player winner (2009). He earned the Czech Republic’s Golden Hockey Stick for being the best Czech player in hockey last season. This is a man who has fought through broken bones, concussions and even a bout of H1N1. This man is not just a hockey player, he has the constitution of a vending machine. After every physical setback, he gets better. A healthy Krejci is a dangerous Krejci. He’ll roar louder than practically any other Bruin this season (and the season starts in six weeks).
May 19, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins forward David Krejci (46) skates up ice against the New York Rangers in game two of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ivins-USA TODAY Sports