VANCOUVER -- Two New England natives, Matthew Boldy and Spencer Knight, heard their names called Friday night during the first round of the 2019 National Hockey League draft at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
Boldy, a 6-foot-2, 196-pound left wing from Millis, Mass., was taken 12th overall by the Minnesota Wild.
“It’s crazy, to be honest,” Boldy said about being drafted. “I didn’t realize it. It happened so quickly. It’s a dream come true. It’s something that you look forward to your whole life, and once it happens, it definitely happens quickly. But it’s something that I’ll never forget.”
Boldy, 18, was listed ninth among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings for the draft. This past season with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program Under-18 team, he totaled 81 points (33-48-81), including a team-high four shorthanded goals, in 64 games.
“You grow up really quick (at the NTDP),” Boldy said. “You move away from home a little bit earlier than some other kids. You grow up fast and you’re doing things on your own, being an independent person. You go from being a boy to a man a lot sooner than some other kids. It helps you mature and grow up and realize the things you have to do to help yourself. You have to take responsibility and do the right things on and off the ice.”
Boldy, a left-handed shooter, is a creative skater who owns one of the best shots of all draft-eligible prospects. Factor in his large frame and you have a player who’s dominant in the offensive zone.
“I describe my game as a skilled, power forward,” Boldy explained. “I’m someone who plays below the dots and uses his body but does it with a lot of skill and doesn’t rely on one or the other. I’m able to combine both together.”
One scout interviewed by The Hockey News firmly agrees.
“He’s really good down low,” the scout said. “He wins a lot of those battles down behind the goal line and can score.”
Boldy is just as talented at the other end of the rink, possessing an excellent defensive game.
According to The Hockey News, which ranked him as the eighth-best prospect eligible for the draft, the best-case scenario is that Boldy plays a similar game in the NHL as Calgary Flames left wing James Neal. Under-18 coach John Wroblewski compares him to Marian Hossa.
Boldy will begin his collegiate career this fall when he returns to his native state to attend Boston College.
“I grew up being a Boston kid, going to those games and growing up in that rink,” Boldy said about why he chose to be an Eagle. “It’s always been a dream of mine to go there and play there. It was an easy choice once I got that opportunity.”
With the pick right after Boldy, the Florida Panthers plucked Knight, an 18-year-old Darien, Conn., native.
“It doesn’t seem real,” Knight said with a wide smile. “It’s what you dream about growing up.”
Knight was joined at the draft by his parents, Chris and Lilly, two sisters, Claire and Hannah, and a “bunch of buddies from back home who made the trip.”
“It’s pretty cool and exciting for everyone,” he said. “It’s surreal.”
Boasting a 6-4, 193-pound build, Knight was the top-ranked North American netminder in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings for the draft, and for good reason. This past season in 39 matches with the Under-18 squad he had a 2.36 goals-against average, .913 save percentage and two shutouts as he tied the single-season NTDP record with 32 wins. He set the program record with 59 wins in 78 contests over the past two campaigns with the Under-17 and Under-18 teams.
“You grow up on and off the ice at the NTDP,” Knight explained. “As a player, I became more mature and I slowed things down and learned to be a solid goaltender. Off the ice, they develop you to be a good person, too. They teach you how to do the right thing and good things to be a good role model in hockey.”
Knight, who catches left-handed, grew up watching New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist but now compares his style to Carey Price (Montreal Canadiens) and Sergei Bobrovsky (Columbus Blue Jackets).
He reminds many scouts of Price because of his calm demeanor in the crease and his ability to consistently be in the right position. He also possesses the ability to act as a third defenseman with his stickhandling.
Overall, Knight has been regarded by some scouts as the best goaltender the NTDP has ever produced.
Said one scout who was interviewed by The Hockey News: “I don’t know what tools goaltenders need that this guy doesn’t have.”
As for the best goaltending advice Knight has ever received, he said it’s “all the simple ones.”
“Don’t let the highs get too high, or lows get too low,” he elaborated. “Sometimes stopping the puck is all you have to do.”
Like Boldy, Knight will be headed to BC to play next season.
“I wouldn’t want to be going there with any other goalie,” Boldy said. “He’s unbelievable at what he does. He’s the best in this draft by a lot. The way he carries himself and handles himself as a person is something you really admire, and I’m really looking forward to going to BC and seeing what we can do there.”
“(The Wild) are getting a guy who can bring it every night,” Knight said of Boldy. “He’s so consistent and such a good player — shot, hands, vision. Everything about him is big. He’s a very good leader, too. They are getting a heck of a player, that’s for sure.”
The Boston Bruins had one selection in the first round, nabbing John Beecher, a big center from the NTDP, with the No. 30 pick. A 6-3, 212-pounder from Elmira, N.Y., Beecher, 18, totaled 43 points (15-28-43) in 63 games with the Under-18 club. He entered the draft 49th overall among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings.
“I was pretty confident that I would be going (in the first round),” said Beecher, who has a left-handed shot. “I knew it was probably going to be mid to late. I was talking to Boston quite a bit in the past couple weeks and I couldn’t be happier to be going to the organization.”
Beecher was joined at the draft by his parents, Bill and Natasha, his older brother, Bryce, his best friend and his billet family.
Bryce, who’s now the men’s hockey equipment manager at Elmira College, has served as a source of motivation for John since they were kids. Born with hip dysplasia, Bryce was in a full-body cast for some time throughout his young life. He also underwent numerous surgeries.
“Bryce was even more nervous (during the draft) than I was,” John chuckled. “He’s my biggest fan and my best friend. I wouldn’t be here today without him. I love him to death. It’s one of those things where he’s my biggest supporter. Him being here with me today, sitting next to me, it meant the world.”
Beecher, a University of Michigan commit, describes himself as a “big power forward.”
“I use my size and my speed to my advantage, and I think my game really translates well to Boston,” he elaborated. “I’m a guy who gains a lot of momentum for my team. It’s exciting.”
The remaining six rounds of the 2019 NHL draft will take place Saturday, with the second round starting at 1 p.m. ET.
