Boston Bruins Austin Czarnik Ready to Turn Heads At Camp

Apr 9, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; A general view after the game between the Boston University Terriers and the University of North Dakota in a semifinal game in the men’s NCAA college ice hockey Frozen-Four tournament at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Among the players to watch at Ristuccia Arena when Boston Bruins Rookie Camp opens Sept. 10 will be smaller in stature but highly skilled center Austin Czarnik, who had a stellar NCAA career for Miami University of Ohio.

The Bruins quickly scooped up the highly coveted undrafted free agent at the end of March, shortly after the RedHawks lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Boston felt the right shooting Czarnik, 22, 5’9”, 161 lbs, was sufficiently ready to forego Development Camp in July after playing three games for the Providence Bruins at the end of last season and picking up two assists.

As a result many NHL rink-siders and fans may be getting a first look at Czarnik when he takes the ice with 23 other B’s hopefuls at rookie camp, which includes games Sept. 13-14 in Buffalo against the Devils and Sabres rookies. He should be in good shape after preparing for the season with Miami this summer, thanking the RedHawks for a “great couple weeks of training” in a Sept. 4 tweet.

Czarnik brings great playmaking abilities, as well as a quickness and slipperiness that was reminiscent of Sergei Samsonov and Brad Marchand in a key March game against Denver when he cut, circled and sliced through the defense while protecting the puck in the offensive zone for about a quarter minute before scoring an eye-catching goal that helped lead Miami to an NCHC title. His scoring, speed and net finish were also on display when he notched a hat trick against North Dakota earlier the same month.   

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The Washington, Michigan native likely will begin the season in Providence as a skilled depth center where he can develop his pro game and potentially bulk up a bit to withstand the rigors of the NHL further down the road.

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Czarnik has a great hockey resumé to this point. He had nice runs with the U.S. National Under-18 Team (winning a WJC Gold Medal in 2009-10), USHL (20 goals, 34 points in 46 games in 2010-11; all-star appearance), and U.S. Under-20 (WJC Top 3 Player on Team in 2011-12) before amassing 169 points in 159 games over four seasons at Miami, while serving as captain the last two and capturing CCHA Player of the Year and a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as Top Collegiate Player in 2012-13.

“Czarnik is an undersized dynamo who dominated at the NCAA level,” according to Hockey’s Future. “His size and lack of bulk will be a challenge in pro hockey but his package of offensive instincts, passing and stickhandling skills, speed and high energy level make him an intriguing prospect. Long-term his physical stature suggests his game may be more suited to playing in Europe, but his high level of productivity hints that he could one day challenge for an NHL spot.”

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Giving the latter more credence is that Czarnik’s quickness fits well with the NHL’s drive for more offense amid recent rule changes and trends favoring fast, highly skilled players. He is also good on faceoffs (53% last season) and finished his collegiate career with a plus/minus of +50, while his speed and skill make him both a threat on the powerplay (21 powerplay points in 2013-14) and in shorthanded situations (he led the NCAA with 4 shorthanded goals in 2012-2013).

Czarnik further has a couple close connections to current and former Bruins. Fellow Boston prospect and two-way power center Sean Kuraly, 22, 6’2”, 209 lbs, drafted by the Sharks in 2011 and acquired by the B’s in June, was Czarnik’s former teammate at Miami. Czarnik congratuled Kuraly in a tweet after the trade, saying he can’t wait to play with him again. Kuraly returns to Miami this season and will take over the team captaincy for Czarnik.

Meanwhile ex-Bruin Reilly Smith was Czarnik’s former linemate on the RedHawks when Czarnik was a freshman in 2011-12 and the second-leading scorer behind Smith. Czarnik went on to lead the team in scoring the next three seasons.

“He’s a good, fierce young player,” Smith told the Boston Herald. “He’s talented. He likes to have the puck on his stick and he’s a good passer.”