BOSTON — Noel Acciari knows what it means to be a Boston Bruins fan. He grew up as one, after all.
Back in 2011 when the Bruins last lifted Lord Stanley’s Cup, Acciari remembers gathering at his parent’s home in Johnston and grinding out a tough series against the Vancouver Canucks.
“I know exactly where I was when they won in 2011,” Acciari said. “I had just graduated high school at Kent (School, in Connecticut) and was with my buddies [...]
BOSTON — Noel Acciari knows what it means to be a Boston Bruins fan. He grew up as one, after all.
Back in 2011 when the Bruins last lifted Lord Stanley’s Cup, Acciari remembers gathering at his parent’s home in Johnston and grinding out a tough series against the Vancouver Canucks.
“I know exactly where I was when they won in 2011,” Acciari said. “I had just graduated high school at Kent (School, in Connecticut) and was with my buddies back home. We were watching and celebrating when they won that Game 7 in Vancouver. It was just an awesome feeling.”
Fast forward eight seasons and the Bruins are set to play in another Stanley Cup final series beginning Monday night. This time the opponent is the St. Louis Blues and Acciari won’t be watching from Johnston. Instead he’ll be playing for the Bruins and hoping to see his name scratched into the Cup.
“We’re excited and ready to go,” Acciari, 27, said after a Bruins practice this week. “I get what the fans feel, too. You’re not on the team but you’re such a fan that you feel that you’re included in the winning. It was an unbelievable feeling (back in 2011). To be able to play now with some of the guys who won it that season is a special feeling.”
Instead of cheering for veterans Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Brad Marchand and others, Acciari is skating alongside them. He’s living every New England hockey boy’s dream, chasing pucks and scoring goals for the Boston Bruins.
“It’s everyone’s dream as a kid, you want to play in the NHL and you want to play for the Stanley Cup,” Acciari said. “To be able to fulfill that dream right now is awesome. I will say that Providence College, and everywhere I played, got me ready to play at this point.”
Acciari’s road to the NHL — and success with the Bruins — was hardly a given. While a star at Bishop Hendricken and at the Kent School, Acciari blossomed into a key piece of some outstanding teams at Providence College. As a junior he tied for the team lead in goals with 15 as the Friars skated all the way to a national championship.
But even after that success the hard-hitting center was viewed as a long shot to one day skate in the NHL. PC coach Nate Leaman, however, saw a package of unique skills that could translate into success.
“He’s pretty special in what he does and what he does well,” Leaman said. “First I’ve never coached a player as tough as Noel. His stick is sneaky good but to play the role that he does he had to have people believe in him. (Bruins coach) Bruce Cassidy believes in him and the Bruins scouts who saw him at Providence believed in him.”
Acciari has scored one goal and totaled one assist in 12 playoff games. He knocked in six goals and tallies 14 points in 72 regular-season games, easily the best marks in his four seasons with the Bruins.
Those are solid numbers for a third- or fourth-line player but Acciari owns a growing reputation more for what he does outside of scoring goals. Quite simply, he’s one tough dude that no one enjoys playing against.
“I think if you ask around the league you have to know where Noel is at all times because he can pop you,” said linemate Sean Kuraly. “He sets the tone in that regards most nights. He’s just big, heavy and solid and his physical presence is huge.”
Leaman says Acciari plays “smash-mouth hockey” and contributes to a team in many ways. Cassidy agrees.
“He’s got a lot of will, a lot of mental toughness,” the Bruins’ coach said. “You can see him physically, he’s a good skater, he’s got decent skills but he’s not the top of the list there. But he’s just mentally a pretty tough kid who has the ability to step up and lead and play at the right time.”
That right time is now the grandest stage in hockey. It’s all a long way from youth hockey practices in Cranston and Warwick, high school clashes against La Salle and a national title ride at Schneider Arena.
“Sometimes it seems like I was just in college and other times it doesn’t,” Acciari said. “What's good is you take the experience of winning and playing big games and that can help you in the playoffs now. We're playing for the (Stanley) Cup. What more can you ask for?"