Thursday night was a special one for former Surrey Eagles captain Danton Heinen, as the Boston Bruins’ rookie scored not just his first career NHL goal, but his first two.
Heinen – a Langley native – scored both Boston goals in a 2-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. His first goal was a shorthanded tally, which was scored after he drove hard to the net and deposited a rebound off a David Backes’ shot.
“It was pretty cool… it’s something you dream of your whole life, and you kind of just go into shock for a bit there,” Heinen told reporters after the game.
heinen goal
The 22-year-old winger didn’t start the NHL season with the Bruins, but rather with the team’s American Hockey League affiliate in Providence, R.I.
In the AHL, Heinen has tallied one goal and seven assists in just four games, and twice has been recalled to the NHL by the Bruins – the most recent call-up coming Oct. 26.
Playing primarily on Bruin’s third and fourth lines, Heinen – who also played eight NHL games last year, but failed to get a point – has impressed in his NHL stint. In five games, he has two goals and three assists. With Boston currently dealing with a handful of injuries among its forward ranks, it’s likely that Heinen will earn an extended look with the big club.
Heinen played just one season with the Eagles, in 2013/14, but despite being a BC Hockey League rookie, he impressed enough to be named captain in January of that season after former captain Brett Mulcahy was traded. In 57 games that season, Heinen scored 29 goals and added 33 assists. That summer, he was drafted by Boston in the fourth round of the NHL Entry Draft, and left for the University of Denver, where he played two seasons before turning pro in 2016.
heinen interview
