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Boston Bruins: Who should win the NESN 7th Player Award?

By Caylee Allard

Mar 27, 2021; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Nick Ritchie (21) during the first period against the Buffalo Sabres at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 27, 2021; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Nick Ritchie (21) during the first period against the Buffalo Sabres at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /
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According to NESN.com, the Boston Bruins 7th Player Award is given each year to the “unsung hero on the team – the player that works hard every day for the good of the team without any expectation to be recognized.”

The 2021 nominees are:

  • Brandon Carlo
  • Connor Clifton
  • Trent Frederic
  • Matt Grzelcyk
  • Jaroslav Halak
  • Steven Kampfer
  • Jeremy Lauzon
  • Kevan Miller
  • Nick Ritchie
  • Zach Senyshyn
  • Oskar Steen
  • Jarred Tinordi
  • Dan Vladar
  • Jakub Zboril
  • Curtis Lazar
  • Mike Reilly
  • Jeremy Swayman

The award ballot has sparked some debate on Twitter considering everyone has a different idea of who should win and why.

Although the award means virtually nothing in the grand scheme of things, it’s always fun to see who wins considering the fans are the ones that decide the winner.

Nick Ritchie is most deserving of the Boston Bruins’ 7th Player Award.

Keeping in mind the description of what the award means, forward Nick Ritchie should be the 2021 winner.

In February 2020, Danton Heinen was traded to the Anaheim Ducks for Ritchie. The trade seemed detrimental at first, with Ritchie scoring just one goal in seven regular-season games, and one goal in eight playoff games. He had been added to the roster for physicality and offensive ability, and he never showed much of either.

Fast forward to the 2021 season, Ritchie has exceeded expectations compared to his play last year. He’s currently in a bit of a slump, but just up until recently, he was putting up points like he was meant to.

Ritchie has 10 goals and 10 assists in 44 games so far. He has also dropped the gloves on several occasions. He’s a hard-hitter who plays in the dirty areas and brings somewhat of the “Big Bad Bruins” atmosphere back to the ice.

Ritchie’s best season was for the Ducks in 2018-2019 when he put up 31 points in 60 games. He isn’t far off from that milestone and could reach or surpass it depending on how he looks throughout the rest of the season.

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However, since the trade deadline, Ritchie was placed on the third line with Charlie Coyle and Jake DeBrusk, two players who have been severely lacking offensive production this season. This is the main reason Ritchie has gone a bit quiet.

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