Why Providence is the Right Spot for Mason Lohrei…For Now

The 22-year-old defenseman will start the season in the AHL after an impressive training camp with the Bruins.

Mason Lohrei was sent down to the Providence Bruins, and that’s a good thing.

The 22-year-old defenseman stuck around in Boston for Monday’s practice before packing his bags for the AHL, and despite the demotion, training camp was anything but a bust for him. Apart from Matt Poitras and Johnny Beecher, who both made the opening night roster, Lohrei was a young player who proved he could potentially take on NHL minutes.

But not yet.

Lohrei only logged eight games with Providence in 2022-23 after two seasons of NCAA action with Ohio State. Consistent, lengthy ice time on the AHL blueline will be important for Lohrei’s development, and will make him a greater asset for the Bruins when he gets called up down the road.

“Mason had a great year and the message is: We’re really deep on the backend, and for him to get the minutes he needs for his development, he needs to go out and play some significant minutes in Providence,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said Tuesday.

“For us, we know he’s going to be a big part of our future. We see that he's a real good hockey player and it’s just a matter of time.”

The Bruins announced their opening night roster on Tuesday, which includes defensemen Brandon Carlo, Derek Forbort, Matt Grzelcyk, Hampus Lindholm, Charlie McAvoy, Kevin Shattenkirk and Ian Mitchell as the seventh D.

While Lohrei skated on a pair with Carlo and then McAvoy for the majority of preseason, the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of the Forbort-Shattenkirk duo will likely dictate how soon Boston’s management considers buying Lohrei a ticket back to Beantown.

“We’re going to expect Shattenkirk, even though he’s more offensive minded, to defend like every other defenseman and we’re going to expect Forbort to be as offensive minded as every other defenseman that we have in the situations that it calls for,” Montgomery said.

In the case of poor performance or injuries in the varsity squad’s defensive group, Lohrei has shown he can handle heavy minutes with some of the league’s best, and he’s only looking to improve. Lohrei was sent down to the AHL Monday evening after a grinding Bruins camp, and was on the ice Tuesday morning for Providence’s optional skills practice.

The kid wants to make The Show.

“His patience with the puck is probably the biggest thing. He has a lot of confidence in himself and that’s certainly one of the biggest things that you need to have, is the belief that you belong here,” McAvoy said of Lohrei at Bruins Media Day on Monday.

“The sky is the limit for him to become an outstanding player and he’s already taking strides there, so I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

For Lohrei, playing with the likes of McAvoy and Carlo was an indispensable learning experience, and he said the two veterans told him to “keep it simple” and stick to his style of play. Lohrei’s swagger on the ice was an evident part of his game the past month, and it’s something he’ll continue to lean on no matter the team.

“Just compete, physicality and then confidence,” Lohrei said at Bruins Media Day on Monday. “Confidence is the biggest thing no matter where you’re playing. Just trying to keep my confidence up and go out there and make plays and keep earning it.”

For now, though, the Bruins’ roster is set as they prepare to kick off their Centennial season at TD Garden on Wednesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hockey News will have full Bruins coverage for the 2023-24 campaign, so be sure to follow along.