The Bruins will see a familiar face wearing red when they meet the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden Thursday.
Dougie Hamilton arrived on the Bruins as the ninth overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and played his first three professional seasons in Boston. By the 2014-15 season’s end, Hamilton emerged as one of the team’s most valuable defenseman and appeared the heir apparent to Zdeno Chara on the blue line at age 22.
The Bruins abruptly traded Hamilton to the Calgary Flames on June 26, 2015 when they could not reach an agreement with Hamilton on a new contract when his entry-level rookie deal expired.