On October 4, Parker Wotherspoon was cleared through waivers, one week prior to the Boston Bruins’ centennial season opener against the Chicago Blackhawks at home.
Could Wotherspoon now approve waivers?
It’s difficult to imagine, considering how the left-shot defenseman (selected 112th overall by the New York Islanders in 2015) has proven to be able to handle the demands of NHL competition in roles that are more demanding due to the absence of various regulars, as well as how he has assisted the Bruins in turning things around during the grind of a long season.
In order to bring Derek Forbort back in the lineup for his first away skate since December 3 against Columbus, Wotherspoon was given the night off on Saturday. Jim Montgomery, the head coach of the Boston Bruins, freely acknowledged that his team’s 9-4 victory over Montreal was the result of rust from spending seven weeks tending to a persistent lower-body injury.
What now, with the NHL’s top team, the Winnipeg Jets (30-10-4 and 9-1 in their past 10) taking on the Bruins on Causeway on Monday night at 7 p.m. (NESN, 98.5 FM)?
Notably, Johnny Beecher (whose NHL career had seemed so certain just a month before) and Mason Lohrei were sent to Providence (AHL).
The Boston Bruins may now make Wotherspoon a regular starter in their NHL lineup without the help of people like me. Ultimately, their management group and professional scouts witnessed Wotherspoon frequently during AHL games involving Bridgeport and Providence.
And why?
Of course, Long Island is home to several excellent D’men, including Ryan Pulock and Adam Pelech, to mention a couple. They were all from Bridgeport, which is where I was born. That’s a huge compliment to Bridgeport’s coach Brent Thompson, Wotherspoon added. “I spent six years with him. He’s just so brilliant at moving defensemen up to the next position, you know. He clearly sent those individuals up, so throughout the years, there was a small bottleneck, and I had to wait patiently—clearly for a very long time. But my belief in my ability to play in the NHL never faltered.
Another key member of the Islanders is Scott Mayfield, who spent four AHL seasons in Bridgeport, Connecticut, learning under Thompson. Devon Toews, whose NHL career has taken off and who serves as Colorado’s defensive partner for Cale Makar, was also employed there by Thompson.