By Michael Bonavita and Matt Dillane
Coming off his second straight 20-win season including a record-breaking five shutouts, Quinnipiac goaltender Michael Garteig earned an invitation to the Boston Bruins Development Camp.
The Prince George, British Columbia native participated in the second session of on-ice activities at Ristuccia Memorial Arena on Tuesday, facing shots from players within the Boston Bruins’s system and from other camp invitees.
“It’s fun,” Garteig said. “It’s good experience for myself to come to a place that’s close to Quinnipiac. [There’s] a lot of connections through Quinnipiac students and [Massachusetts] students so it’s kind of fun for me to come and go to a place like this and I’m just relishing every moment, taking in the experience.”
Garteig is one of five student-athletes from Quinnipiac’s men’s ice hockey team attending development camps around the National Hockey League this summer. Rising Juniors Sam Anas and Devon Toews attended New York Islanders camp while Tim Clifton attended Montreal Canadiens camp. Also, rising Sophomore Landon Smith joined the Winnipeg Jets camp.
The close-knit bond the team shares allows Garteig and his teammates to constantly talk and check in with one another.
“I’ve been training down at Quinnipiac. Sam (Anas) is down there, Matt Peca stayed there before [he went to] camps. I see all those guys. They take [the development camp] the same way I do. Relish the experience, make a good impression, and leave it up to [the team’s front office] to make the decisions and that’s all you can do.”
Despite strong numbers over his career at Quinnipiac and earning all-conference Third Team honors, the soon-to-be senior has yet to win a championship.
“I’ve played there three years so far. In three years we’ve made it to the [NCAA] tournament and in three years no championship. So our goal is to get back to the tournament and win a national championship.”
Heading into this year, he feels his squad is right there.
“Every college team wants to win, but I feel like we can get to the tournament and make a run for it. Anything can happen there and it’s been proven in the last couple of years with who’s won it.”
Well, what about after this year? After the glory of college hockey comes to an end?
Garteig isn’t too worried yet. He’s focused on the present.
“I’m looking to have a great senior year at Quinnipiac and to win a championship,” he said. “When I come here, [The Boston Bruins] try to make you feel like a pro and they make you feel what it’s like to be a Boston Bruin for a week. It’s short and sweet and it’s a lot of fun, [but] like I said, make a good impression here and see what happens.”
Garteig will remain at Bruins camp until July 17. From there, he plans to head back to Canada for the remainder of the summer before one final trip to Hamden looking to claim college hockey’s ultimate prize.
