Trevor Kuntar is proving to be a chip off the Little Ball of Hate’s block.
From his tenacious to the point of being annoying nature, to his nice touch around the net, the former Boston College Eagle is making his presence felt at Bruins training camp.
The left winger’s rambunctiousness is very reminiscent of a young Brad Marchand. Especially when it comes to the uncanny ability of ticking the opponents off to the point of distraction. He plans to utilize those infuriating traits to the full.
“It’s definitely a huge part of my role,” said Kuntar, 23. “It was something I kind of grew into. I love to compete and play hard. Love to play with a little bit of edge. A lot of people don’t like it. I’ve come to find the older I get the more people don’t like it, the more I enjoy it. Hopefully I can get people off their game. It just gets me more into the game.”
Kuntar’s talents were on full display Sunday afternoon during the Bruins 3-2 exhibition loss to the New York Rangers at TD Garden. Skating on the fourth line, flanked by center Jaxson Nelson and Patrick Brown, the trio provided plenty of energy.
Trailing 2-1, Kuntar sparked the Bruins comeback jumping on a rebound of a Nelson drive. The left winger shoveled a backhander past Rangers goalie Dylan Garand tying the game.
The rugged winger also tussled with several Rangers throughout, doing an effective job of getting under their skin.
“Whether I’m scoring, blocking a shot or winning a battle, I think I can always affect the game positively,” said Kuntar. “I just try to have a positive impact on the game every day and keep it like that.”
Earning comparisons to Marchand is the ultimate compliment to Kuntar. The former BC Eagle has watched the Bruins captain evolve over the years, from a hard-working uber-pest to a bona fide NHL All-Star and 100-point scorer.
“He’s had such a great career,” said Kuntar. “He’s played on the edge and is definitely someone I look up to. Obviously, he’s the captain and a great leader. He brings it every single day and competes. That’s something I want to do, and hopefully bring to Boston at some point.”
Getting to know Marchand and the rest of the veterans has been an amazing experience and defied any preconceived notions.
“You see everyone on TV and are very star struck,” said Kuntar. “But once you are around them, you realize they’re just guys like us. Everyone in this organization has been so awesome. They’re really inclusive. They want to help us and make us feel like part of the team. That’s been the best thing, how they treat everyone the same.”
A 6-foot, 205-pound forward, Kuntar was drafted by the Bruins in the third round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The Buffalo native appeared in 70 games with the Providence Bruins last season scoring 10 goals and 20 points. He previously played three years at Boston College, serving as an assistant captain in his junior season.
According to Bruins coach Jim Montgomery, Kuntar brings plenty of intangibles to the ice.
“He’s a feisty energetic winger that plays with a lot of edge,” said Montgomery. “We like that. He seems to always be around the puck, which hockey players tend to do.”
If recent history is any indication, Kuntar knows he’ll get his shot of making it onto the Bruins roster at some point this season. He only needs to look at how forwards Johnny Beecher and Matthew Poitras both made the jump last year.
“Obviously, I want to make the team,” said Kuntar. “Hopefully I’ll (open some) eyes while playing my style of hockey. I have a unique style where I play on the edge, but also score too. When I come into games, I want to be the hardest worker on the ice. Not lose any battles, finish my checks, play hard and be hard around the net.”
If he does that, he’ll be a Causeway Street fixture in no time.
