Getting a taste of going pro
Albano fits right in at camp
The rink at UMass-Boston is not usually overrun by NHL scouts. This year was different. Word around the league was that Colin Larkin, the older brother of Red Wings budding star Dylan Larkin, was worth a look. Pro scouts were regular visitors to the Beacons’ practices and games and, sure enough, Larkin was signed to an NHL contract by the Edmonton Oilers after the college hockey season, playing 14 games for AHL Bakersfield.
The scouting of Larkin had a residual effect on his UMass-Boston teammates. And one of those scouts, the Bruins’ Scott Fitzgerald, saw enough in Beverly’s Nick Albano, a right-handed defenseman, to recommend Albano for an invitation to this week’s B’s development camp.
“(Fitzgerald) believed in me, and it’s not like too many people are asking for (Division 3) kids,” said Albano, who played at Proctor Academy.
Albano, 21, said the tracking of Larkin made for an interesting year for the Beacons.
“It was kind of subtle how it happened,” he said. “We’d see a few guys sitting in the corner in our practices and kids would be like ‘Oh, San Jose’s here!’ It was definitely cool. Our practices definitely upped the tempo, no more joking around. It definitely helped us a lot. We were playing Norwich at Norwich and we had 28 out of 31 scouts there. That was awesome. You don’t see that in D-3 every day. Thanks to Colin. It was pretty special, and it helped me a lot.”
The 6-foot, 180-pound Albano, who finished his freshman season after two years of junior hockey, led all Beacons defensemen with eight goals and 27 assists. He has been mixing it up with first-round draft picks and pro players from European leagues and he’s hung in there.
“When you see he’s a D-3 guy, you’re thinking he might be a little off pace. But he hasn’t been,” said Bruins director of player development Jamie Langenbrunner. “He’s thrown himself right in there. I think he learned pro hockey today, got a stick in the mouth and is off getting his tooth fixed. He’s got some skill. It makes you wonder what some of the college coaches were thinking, not getting him into a (Division 1) school somewhere.”
Albano enjoyed every minute of playing with the spoked-B on his chest.
“Being a hometown kid, it’s unbelievable. Dream come true,” he said. “Everyone wants to be a part of the Bruins growing up, going to the games with your parents, seeing all the guys in warmups. (P.J.) Axelsson (now a European scout for the organization), I just remember him giving me a stick when I was young and then seeing him here is just like mind-blowing.
“It’s a complete blessing. Just can’t take anything for granted out here.”
Albano fully appreciates the level of competition in this camp.
“It’s definitely cool,” he said. “These guys are fast and they play with the best kids in the country and all that, and the Europeans coming over here having played pro, it’s crazy. They’re so fast. But I worked hard before this and got stronger and faster. Once I’m acclimated out there after the first day and today, I feel fine. I feel like I fit in.”
Though admittedly a little starstruck by the higher profile prospects in camp, Albano quickly pushed that aside.
“Everyone’s just blood, bone and muscle, so you just try to out-compete them,” he said.
That’s true, no matter where you went to college.