Dougie Hamilton and Reilly Smith are no longer members of the Boston Bruins franchise. For Smith, that's likely due in large part to his play on the ice. Smith is a very good, if not great, player - he managed 33 goals and 58 assists over two regular seasons in Boston - who provides a strong skillset and impact, but seemed to fade during the season's biggest moments. Hamilton however, a budding offensive defenseman, possesses elite skills and developed to a great extent over the 2014-15 season. Hamilton, of course, is now a Calgary Flame. Rumors and reports swirled after the Bruins made the surprising decision to trade Hamilton to Calgary during the 2015 NHL Draft that issues existed behind the scenes for the young blueliner in Boston. Joe Haggerty of CSN New England recently revealed more behind Hamilton's problems and the B's decision to move him for picks.
"In Hamilton's case, reports that he was unanimously disliked are more hyperbole than truth; the young defenseman had a couple of friends on the team," writes Haggerty. "But he was never really a good fit for the Boston market, for the team, or for the identity of the Bruins. He read and heard -- and took to heart -- absolutely everything that was written and said about him (and a lot is written and said in this intense media market), wasn't nearly tough enough, and didn't seem all that interested in working on becoming the dominant two-way defenseman his skills indicate he can be. Instead he seemed most focused on power plays and points and becoming a great offensive defenseman, rather than a dominant all-around player."
Per Haggerty, it seemed that Hamilton simply wasn't willing to "pay the price to win." In Boston, where the hockey is as hard as the ice on which it is played, that means getting your hands dirty. Hamilton seemed unwilling to do so, focusing instead, as Haggerty notes, on his own stats. And yet, despite his awkward fit with the team, Haggerty reports that new Bruins GM Don Sweeney made several attempts to lock him up long-term.
"Despite it all the Bruins made five different contract offers to keep him, given his elite talent and Boston's inability to immediately replace him. Ultimately it was Hamilton who chose to leave Boston for Calgary, and his actions spoke louder than his words: He didn't want to play for the Bruins anymore."
The circumstances of Hamilton and Smith's departures matter little now that they're gone, but it does paint an interesting picture for a Bruins franchise that fell well short of expectations last year and is looking re-establish the gritty, net-crashing culture that brought them so much success in the past.
