Heinen’s persistence earns Masterton nod
Danton Heinen is not one to speak highly of his own accomplishments.
Granted, if you ask his former collegiate coach and current bench boss Jim Montgomery, the steady Bruins forward is usually not inclined to speak much at all.
“Heino is not a guy that stays in touch,” said Montgomery, who coached Heinen at the University of Denver. “He’s not a networking person.”
Rather, the 28-year-old Heinen has let his play do the talking.
Once mired in hockey purgatory as a proven NHLer without a contract to his name, Heinen has gone from a training camp tryout to a key cog in the Bruins’ forward corps in a few months.
For his efforts in fighting for a roster spot and thriving in his second chance with the Bruins, Heinen was voted the team’s nominee for the 2024 Bill Masterton Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication. The nomination comes from the Boston chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
”It is mentally grinding at points,” Heinen said. “It’s hockey adversity. You kind of got to take a step back and have some perspective there, where it’s a game we play.
“Yeah, it is your life and stuff, but at the end of the day, we’re lucky to do it. There are a lot worse problems out there than trying to make a hockey team. Saying that, I’m grateful to be here and it’s a fun group to be a part of.”
Heinen’s humble comments may not come as a surprise, but his ascension as a top-six weapon is a development few saw coming.
Following a disappointing 2022-23 season in Pittsburgh, Heinen trudged through the summer without putting pen to paper on a new contract with any team.
Even though the Bruins extended a professional tryout contract, Heinen faced an uphill climb, earning that tryout more than two weeks after they gave a similar PTO to veteran Alex Chiasson.
Heinen outlasted Chiasson following several preseason games, but still had to play the waiting game once the season began.
It wasn’t until Oct. 30 — eight games in — that the Bruins finally handed Heinen a oneyear, $775,000 contract. He has been one of the best bargains in the league, collecting 16 goals and 34 points over 69 games.
Among players with standard NHL contracts, Heinen ranks fourth in cost per point at $22,794, per CapFriendly.
He has been utilized as a Swiss Army knife by Montgomery but seems to have found his calling on a top-six unit next to David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha. With Heinen’s steady, two-way acumen, the Bruins have found a winning combination.
In the 140:31 of five-on-five reps that the line has logged, the Bruins have outscored opponents, 14-4. Both Heinen and Pastrnak lit the lamp in the 4-1 win over Carolina Thursday.
Though Heinen may not fit the profile of a top-six stalwart, Zacha believes that his linemate’s overlooked skill set has helped him elevate his game.
“I think he’s very good with forechecking the puck and getting pucks back,” Zacha noted. “But also, I think people don’t see that much that he’s a very skilled player. He can make plays, he can score goals. And I think he’s getting more and more comfortable with us.
“He’s really easy to play with. He’s always going to be working really hard, and I think that he’s a really good piece.”
Heinen’s longtime coach believes that his achievements do not go unnoticed by his teammates.
”It takes a lot of the mental side of being strong, the mental side of wanting it,” Montgomery said. “It’s a good story, and it’s good for everybody else around in our locker room to see that.
“Good on him for battling through it and earning it. Because he earned it.”
Prepping for Panthers
Ahead of a home matchup against the Panthers Saturday, captain Brad Marchand was the lone Bruin who did not skate Friday at Warrior Ice Arena. Montgomery termed it a maintenance day. “Got his 400th goal, came in, and was like, ‘I’m done. See you tomorrow,’ ” the coach said with a laugh . . . Montgomery had no update on Justin Brazeau, who flew to Boston Thursday to undergo further testing on his upper-body injury. “Still week to week,” said Montgomery. “We don’t have any definitive information, unfortunately.” . . . Montgomery said he was very happy with the reshuffled D-corps during Thursday’s win — with Parker Wotherspoon skating with Brandon Carlo, and Matt Grzelcyk shuffled to the third pairing next to Andrew Peeke. The coach did not commit to sticking with this sixman grouping once the playoffs begin, but the overall D-zone structure has improved with Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm anchoring the top pair . . . In honor of his 23rd birthday, Johnny Beecher took a surprise shaving cream pie to the face at the end of practice from Mason Lohrei.