Bruins G Rask surprised by reports Hamilton was unhappy in Boston

By foxsports
Published

There's still a month until the NHL preseason gets underway, but Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask was back in town Monday for Shawn Thornton's annual Putts and Punches for Parkinson's charity golf tournament, and Rask's attendance meant he had a chance to weigh in on some of Boston's moves this offseason.

One of the topics the normally brutally honest Rask addressed was defenseman Dougie Hamilton's departure. The Bruins traded Hamilton to Calgary ahead of the NHL Draft amid reports that Hamilton was unhappy in Boston and wanted out. Those rumors came as a shock to the goalie. 

"Obviously I was surprised,” Rask said to the media Monday. “I think everybody was surprised, but there’s always the truth somewhere. I haven’t heard what happened, but if he felt like he had to move on, he had to move on. I thought he felt comfortable with everybody, but what you feel deep inside is a different thing and he felt like he needed to move on."

Although Hamilton's departure leaves a significant hole in Boston's defensive corps, Rask told the media that he expects the Bruins to be just fine without Hamilton. 

"I don’t think there’s a reason to worry (about Boston’s defense)," Rask told the media. "I haven’t been worried."

Although the Bruins made some notable additions on offense, they have yet to sign an impressive player to replace Hamilton on defense. Instead, they added former Sharks defenseman Matt Irwin -- who has three years of experience in the league -- and prospect Colin Miller. 

(h/t NESN)