Trent Frederic Wins NESN 7th Player Award

Boston Bruins winger Trent Frederic was awarded the 2023-24 NESN Seventh Player Award winner prior to his team’s regular season finale against the Ottawa Senators.

The 7th Player Award is voted on by the fans and presented ‘to the Bruin who exceeded the expectations of Bruins fans during the season.’

Entering game action on Tuesday night, Trent Frederic had set career highs in goals (18), assists (22), and points (40) in 81 regular season games this season. The 26-year-old, 6-foot-3, 220-pound forward ranks in the top five in even strength goals (4^th, 16) and even strength points (4^th, 38).

There were certainly plenty of solid candidates for the 7th Player Award this season. Centers Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha have done a more than admirable job trying to fill the giant shoes left behind by former Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron and longtime Bruins center David Krejci. Coyle entered Tuesday night’s game with a career-high 25 goals and 35 assists in 81 games. Meanwhile, Zacha was one goal shy of tying his career-high of 21 goals he scored last season and had set a career-high in assists with 38.

Forward Morgan Geekie has also exceeded expectations in his first season in a Boston Bruins uniform. Heading into game action on Tuesday night, the 25-year-old, 6-foot-3, 202-pound forward had set a career-high in goals (17), assists (22) and points with 39 in 75 games.

As opined here, though, Boston Bruins winger Danton Heinen and the season he’s had pretty much defined the 7th Player Award more than anyone else. Danton Heinen went almost the whole offseason before eventually signing an amateur tryout with the Boston Bruins on Sept. 5. Heinen had a terrific training camp and preseason, but thanks to the Bruins’ salary cap constraints entering the 2023-24 regular season, the team was unable to officially sign Heinen until Oct. 30 and eight games into the season. Since then, Heinen has become a useful, versatile two-way forward for his former head coach at the University of Denver and current Boston Bruins head coach, Jim Montgomery.

Heinen has done more than he’s been asked to do by the Bruins, and he now finds himself playing as the two-way, high forward on the Bruins’ high-octane second line with Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak. As the Bruins get set to close out the regular season, Heinen has 17 goals and 19 assists in 73 games this season. The 6-foot-1, 188-pound, 28-year-old winger was recently nominated as the Professional Hockey Writers Association Boston chapter’s nominee for the Masterton Trophy, given to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.