Charlie Hilton will be among the baby bears to watch this weekend at Boston Bruins Rookie Camp.
He’ll join 25 other Bruin hopefuls, including several draft picks and free agent signings playing in three games over four days. The Bruins faceoff against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Friday, Sept. 13, Columbus Blue Jackets, Saturday, Sept. 14, and the New Jersey Devils, Sunday, Sept. 16.
It’s a Black and Golden opportunity for Hilton, a towering 6-foot-5, 204-pound leftwinger from the Ontario Hockey League. He’s determined to make a strong first impression.
“I’m just going to try my hardest, and work as hard as I can,” said Hilton, who turns 18 on Sunday. “I find when I work hard, good things happen.”
Hilton should draw quite a reaction from the hometown crowd. Many of his friends and family are making the three-hour trip from Oshawa to see him take the ice.
“It will be fun,” said Hilton. “I’ll have some family and friends in the stands. It’ll be pretty cool.”
The giant forward fit right in during Wednesday’s double sessions at Warrior Arena. Utilizing his formidable frame, he measured up with several Bruin draft picks matching them stride-for-stride. He also showed little fear throwing his weight around along the boards, intangibles needed to take that aggressive next step.
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The winger is fresh off his first season of Major Junior Hockey with the Ottawa 67s of the OHL. The left winger netted four goals and seven points in 32 games.
“I got used to the swing of things pretty quick,” said Hilton. “Going from U18 to Juniors is definitely way faster with more skilled guys, but as you get use to it you settle in. I got used to it the first few months.”
Wearing jersey No. 96, Hilton is the latest giant to arrive in Bruins camp. He fits in perfectly with the team’s renewed interest in adding size to its roster. But the talented teenager knows it’s going to take a lot more than sheer brute strength to open a few eyes.
“I just want to play my game,” said Hilton. “I feel like I have good details in my game. If I just stick to that and work hard, that’s how I’ll get noticed.”
Despite being the youngest in camp, Hilton doesn’t feel like the baby bear of the bunch.
“I didn’t even think about it,” said Hilton, with a chuckle. “I didn’t even know (I was the youngest), but I’ve got the same goal in mind. It doesn’t change anything for me.”
The rookie hasn’t felt like a stranger at camp, reacquainting himself with a couple of familiar faces like former Oshawa 67 Brett Harrison and defenseman Jackson Edward of the London Knights.
A high-scoring forward Harrison played three seasons in the OHL, splitting 2022-23 between Oshawa and Windsor. He posted career season-high 34 goals and 69 points. Edward played three years with the Knights. The 6-foot-3, 199-pound blueliner posted career-best numbers with seven goals, 30 points and 92 penalty minutes last season,
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“I’ve watched a few of these guys like Harrison,” said Hilton. “He was in Oshawa, so I saw a lot of him growing up. I’ve played against Edward, and a few guys that I know of. I’m just looking forward to learning from them and take in what they do.”
Hilton’s tireless work ethic and continued evolution earned him a ringing endorsement from Ottawa 67s general manager James Boyd.
“Charlie is a player whose game has shown tremendous growth over the last number of seasons,” said Boyd. “He has a quick release shot and uses his size effectively, driving the net and protecting the puck.”
It was Boyd that reached out to Providence Bruins head coach Ryan Mougenel about giving the youngster a look. The call earned him the invite.
“He slipped through the draft, but he’s got a big frame,” said Mougenel. “He plays hard and has tons of courage. A lot of what you hear is from other people. I’d like our eyes to make the decision. He’s going to get a good opportunity in the rookie camp to make some noise and have people say the right things about you. It’s up to him.”
