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‘Dream come true’: Smith, Thrun & Graf Excited To Play in Boston for First Time As NHL’ers

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Will Smith with Brad Marchand (photo courtesy: Bill Smith)

BOSTON — For once, the visiting team might feel welcome in Boston.



Lexington’s Will Smith, Southborough’s Henry Thrun, and Lincoln’s Collin Graf are about to play their first NHL games in TD Garden.

North Marshfield’s Ryan Warsofsky is about to coach his first NHL game, as a head coach, in Boston.

This isn’t mentioning San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier (raised in Holliston and went to Boston University), Macklin Celebrini (played at BU and older brother Aiden still plays there), assistant coach Doug Houda (won a Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011), assistant conditioning coach Pat Dugan (most recently with the Providence Bruins), and others in the front office.

Smith reported about 100 family and friends will be attendance at TD Garden, including some of his ex-Boston College teammates. Graf reported about 30, including some of his ex-Quinnipiac teammates. Thrun reported about 30. Warsofsky said about 40-50 for him.

So what’s the moment going to mean for this quartet of San Jose Sharks?

“It’s a dream come true,” Smith said.

“It’s a pretty full circle moment,” Thrun said. “When you dream of playing the NHL, you think of playing in your hometown team’s building.”

He added: “So to be able to play in this rink, ironically, it’s actually the last rink in the NHL [for me], I’ve played in all other 31 rinks.”

For Graf, the moment might be just a little more special, because he never played at TD Garden in college, unlike Smith and Harvard alum Thrun.

“I remember going to a lot of [Bruins] games as a kid and sitting in the stands and watching them,” Graf said.

Smith and Graf actually share the same favorite Bruins moment: Both were in attendance for Boston’s Game Seven comeback, down 4-1 in the third period, over the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2013.

Speaking of sharing, Smith shared his first time on TD Garden ice as a member of the Sharks with best buddy Celebrini.

“It’s special,” Smith said of his former BU rival. “We had a couple of big games here against each other and just kind of going over the goals that happened in the game. It was funny just kind of being out there now that we’re teammates.”

No doubt, this is going to be an emotional game for the San Jose Sharks.

“There’s some extra feelings and emotions. This is where a lot of us, a lot of guys on the team have grown up, myself included, and you’re gonna take it in and enjoy the moment,” Warsofsky said. “But then, when the puck drops, it’s a kind of another hockey game.”

Will Smith and Jonathan Lanza with Charlie McAvoy (photo courtesy: Bill Smith)

 

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