In light of the abbreviated season, the NHL chose to change its rules surrounding underage junior players, limiting that trial period to five games. For most teams, that deadline is looming, if not already passed.
There are players who still await their fate. There are some who have already been returned to their junior teams. Others -- Alex Galchenyuk, Mikhael Grigorenko, and Jonathan Huberdeau, to name a few -- have gotten word that they will stay in the NHL.
One rookie, however, has really made an impression.
Dougie Hamilton quickly turned himself into a fan favorite in Boston. And apparently, a coach's favorite too.
Bruins head coach Claude Julien even compared the nineteen year-old to Hall of Famer, Larry Robinson.
"The one guy that has come to mind for me is a little bit of Larry Robinson," Julien told The Star-Ledger. "Tall, he's not going to run anybody through the boards but he's solid and he moves the puck well and see the play well. I think everybody knows Larry was a pretty good player."
Yes, a good player indeed.
Hamilton was the ninth overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft. On Monday, the Bruins announced that the 6-foot-5 defenseman would not be returning to his junior team in St. Catharines, Ontario.
"Right now, to me, he's not playing like a rookie," Julien said. "He's not playing like a first year player. He's playing like a player that's been around for a while."
If Julien's predictions are correct, "Teach Me How to Dougie" is definitely going to become a regular on the TD Garden playlist.
