Wagner right at home
Walpole native ready to start
Chris Wagner has plenty of familiarity with his new team, but that shouldn’t be mistaken with complacency.
The Walpole native in many ways is still wrapping his head around playing for his hometown team, but his focus remains on finding a role with the Bruins and making an impact in his first season.
“At first it kind of feels weird because I’m not leaving to go somewhere,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s still work and you get to go to the rink and it’s fun. I’m excited to see my family and friends, it’s a great feeling.”
The 27-year-old has previously laced up with the Ducks, Avalanche and Islanders before signing a two-year deal with the B’s over the summer.
He doesn’t have much experience at the Garden, having played just three games there and not appearing on the scoresheet in any of them. The first one came in his rookie season in 201415 with the Ducks, then he played two a year ago, one coming after he was traded to the Islanders.
Despite his lack of personal history at the rink located about 30 minutes from where he grew up, Wagner did make an impression.
“My first game at the Garden I kind of got into it a little bit, but that was it,” he said.
Wagner has never scored more than seven goals in a season, reaching that career high a year ago between Anaheim and New York. His 79 games in 2017-18 are the most he’s played in a season.
On an already deep roster, Wagner will likely spend most of his minutes on the fourth line, skating alongside Noel Acciari — someone with whom he’s not unfamiliar.
As kids, Wagner played on the same line with the former Providence College star with the South Shore Kings of the EJHL.
“I’m not afraid to scream at him or yell his name,” he said. “He’d probably say the same thing. It’s nice to know at least one guy from your childhood and be in the same locker room, it’s pretty cool and unique.”
Any extra comfort level helps with a new team, especially in the strange training camp timeline the Bruins have had, making it especially difficult for new players like Wagner to get used to their new club.
After traveling to China early in the preseason, Wagner didn’t get to skate on Garden ice as a member of the Bruins until right before the penultimate preseason contest against the Red Wings last Wednesday.
Little things like that have helped it hit home that he’s a member of the team he grew up watching.
Since his foray in the EJHL, Wagner hasn’t really had a local “home base” before signing with the Bruins. He played his college hockey at Colgate and was a fifth-round selection of the Anaheim Ducks, all the way across the country.
Playing with the Islanders since the middle of last season has Wagner adjusted to the East Coast once more, but being on the Garden ice as a member of the Bruins carries some more weight.
“It’s a little different than Warrior (Ice Arena),” he said. “It’s pretty cool. Pretty excited to get out there in front of the crowd, it’s what makes the Garden special. I’ve been watching it forever and can’t wait to get started.”
For him and the other newcomers, the trip overseas was a unique opportunity to get closer to teammates in a way that wouldn’t usually present itself in a typical preseason.
There are advantages to that, but also disadvantages for former outsiders looking to fall into a routine while adjusting to a new team.
With a week of normalcy under their belts, Wagner and the Bruins are finally prepared full for the long upcoming season.
He might not be the splashiest name on the roster, or come with the same hype as the young players who have dominated headlines throughout camp, but for a Bruins team in need of some veteran depth, and a forward with the flexibility to make a positive impact throughout the lineup, Wagner brings something important to the table.
“You want to be versatile, that’s kind of what’s kept me in the league,” Wagner said. “Or got me in the league to start with. It’s played every position so I kind of take pride in that.”