Former Bruins defenseman Dougie Hamilton returned to the TD Garden ice last night, this time in the uniform of the Calgary Flames. Hamilton left Boston after three seasons, mainly because he didn’t seem to want to stay a Bruin, and some acrimonious negotiations trying to keep him the Black and Gold. The Bruins fans welcomed Hamilton back with jeers, booing whenever the young blueliner got his hands on the puck.
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Hamilton appeared to take the booing (and the 2-1 loss to the Bruins) in stride.
“I kinda liked , it kept me going,” said. Hamilton after the game. “They’re obviously watching me out there. It means something to them. It’s just motivation for me.”
While some Bruins fans are missing Hamilton in the lineup, the 22-year old defenseman isn’t having a strong season with Calgary so far. At the moment, Hamilton only has 27 points (nine goals) in the 63 games he’s played this season. His production is lower than it was while he was playing with Boston. That’s partially due to the inexperience of his new teammates.
“We’re a young team, developing for the future and stuff,” offered Hamilton about his Calgary teammates. “You look at our core players, we’re all young players. Only getting better. We just have to keep developing as a team and keep improving and hopefully we can win a Cup one day.”
During the last offseason, members of the Boston media began a hatchet job on Hamilton. They called him unlikeable, and that he was essentially a snob who didn’t want much to do with his fellow players. It didn’t matter that he’d lived with fellow defenseman Adam McQuaid or that other players like Torey Krug went on the record saying that there was no such friction between Hamilton and the other Bruins. Still, the damage was done and it only hastened Hamilton’s departure.
Now Hamilton is back in Canada and seems happier as a Flame than he was as a member of the Black and Gold.
“I enjoyed my time (in Boston) and I’m thankful for all the opportunities,” Hamilton said. “I developed a lot as a player in the three years I was here. Learned a lot and everything. Just thankful for them and the opportunities they gave me and everything. You just got to think of that stuff and move on.
“I’m happy being a Flame now, and it feels so far removed already. It doesn’t feel the same as earlier in the season when it was kind of fresher. I feel I’m more a part of the Flames now and I’m enjoying myself.”