New hire Adam McQuaid gives glimpse into his role, duties with Bruins
Formally retired for just seven months, former Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid didn’t have to look far for his first post-playing job, as he formally rejoined the organization as the team’s new player development coordinator last Friday.
It’s a job that seemed to there for McQuaid after the 34-year-old skated with the Bruins during their 2021 development camp at Warrior Ice Arena. And while the job was previously held by McQuaid’s former teammate, Chris Kelly, who will move to behind the bench as an assistant coach on Bruce Cassidy’s staff, it’s one of those jobs that comes with a considerably vague title. At least in terms of understanding what it means beyond the summertime skates on the team’s practice sheet.
Luckily for all, McQuaid had no problem giving us a better job description than LinkedIn and Indeed ever could.
“I’ll be spending a lot of time in Providence with the guys there and then traveling all over to see the prospects and draft picks, wherever guys are at [with] different colleges and junior leagues and maybe get over to Europe a little bit,” McQuaid revealed. “Pretty fortunate in Boston with some of the prospects [that] are local playing at BU, BC, and PC. And a lot of teams come in and out of there, so that’ll be kind of traveling around a bit and learning the ins and outs of the different leagues. And I’m enjoying looking forward to enjoying getting to know the players, too.”
As McQuaid mentioned, the Boston homebase will allow him to keep tabs on a few of the franchise’s NCAA prospects, from Boston College’s Trevor Kuntar (No. 89 overall, 2020) to Boston University’s Ty Gallagher (No. 217, 2021) and Providence College’s Riley Duran (No. 182 overall, 2020). The Bruins could also have top prospects such as Ohio State’s Mason Lohrei (No. 58, 2020) and Michigan’s Johnny Beecher roll through town at some point in 2021-22, too, and the Eagles will also welcome 2021 seventh-round pick Andre Gasseau to the Heights in 2022.
There’s plenty of bopping around to keep McQuaid, who has called Boston home since his playing days ended, busy.
And plenty of opportunities for McQuaid, who won a championship with the team in 2011 and went to another Cup Final in 2013, to remind the team’s future of what it means to play for the Bruins.
“I think I would obviously emphasize how awesome the city is and the organization and how embraced the Bruins are in Boston and obviously the success that the team’s had, especially [in] the past decade and more,” McQuaid said of his message to the Black and Gold’s next wave in this new role. “I think it’s one of those things that you show up and you compete and bring small things to the table and there’s obviously little details of the game that get you to the next level and keep you there. So I think it’s just getting your mind right. The mental side of the game is a huge part of the game. And I’m just hoping that I can be of help to guys however they need it.
“I do think that the Bruins are a first class organization and have set the gold standard for success and the demands that the players bring each day and hold each other accountable. And having played there for a while, I got to see it firsthand and I think I can communicate that to the younger guys that are coming in, what the expectations are, hopefully help them eventually realize their goal of playing in the NHL and being a Boston Bruin.”
And ultimately, when push comes to shove, this is a role that McQuaid played on the ice with regularity, as he’ll be asked to be a pro’s pro and help protect and steer the future in the right direction whenever and however possible.
“I still have a passion for the game and I want to be able to help out younger guys,” McQuaid, who talked to Kelly about the role before officially signing on with the team, said. “I know that at the junior [and] college level, there’s lots to figure out, lots to learn both on and off the ice. And I felt like this would be a role that I could embrace and enjoy doing and obviously to be able to be back for the Bruins organization, I’m really excited about that.”
Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Yell at him on Twitter: @_TyAnderson.
