Tyler Seguin is heading into his third NHL season since being dealt away from the Boston Bruins, and has become an offensive superstar and potential Hart Trophy candidate while blossoming into one of the league’s best players for the Dallas Stars. But it’s still pretty clear his end with the Bruins organization still bothers him, and he admitted as much to TSN 1050 radio on Wednesday during an interview with the Toronto station.
At its heart, Seguin admitted it was tough not answering all of the questions, both on and off the ice, that dogged the young prospect when he was traded from Boston to Dallas for Loui Eriksson, Joe Morrow, Reilly Smith and Matt Fraser.
"I think the real tough thing was being able to keep my mouth shut," said Seguin. “That was real difficult after the trade happened, seeing all the things that were going on. I had radio stations and newspapers where people were asking me if I wanted to post an article just saying my story. Seeing all the Behind the B stuff and that footage, it was tough. I used it more as motivation and just said I'll use my words on the ice."
Among those critical comments was then Bruins assistant GM Jim Benning, who was captured on “Behind the B” during Bruins war room discussions about potentially trading Seguin. It was clear Benning felt the Bruins could live without the young star, and that the Bruins were reaching their boiling point with an immature player that wasn’t where the B’s needed him to be. Benning famously said on the TV show that: “We’ll miss [Seguin’s] speed…in the regular season, we’ll miss his speed. If we get guys that we think we can [win] with, then it is what it is. We’re winning every year, we’re not babysitting.”
Current Bruins assistant GM Scott Bradley was equally on board with dealing Seguin to Dallas, and thought there were “too many red flags.”
“I just think there are too many red flags with him. He has a lot of talent, we know that. He should be scoring. I’m disappointed, he brings up [Patrick] Kane, if he gives us half of Kane, we win the Stanley Cup,” said Bradley. “He hasn’t proven he’s tough enough or can play our style of game. I don’t know if a leopard can change his spots, but he’s going to have to or else we’ll be sitting here next year doing the same thing.”
In fairness to the Bruins, Seguin didn’t do much in the playoffs with the Stars during his first season in Dallas. And he was suspended for the final game last season in Dallas for missing a team meeting in much the same fashion he was reprimanded for the same issues in Boston. He had 77 points in 71 games last season and will always carry the memories of winning the 2011 Stanley Cup in Boston.
Boston Bruins
"It was awesome because I got to see what it was like to be on a winning organization and a team, seeing all the details of what it takes to be a Stanley Cup champion and be a part of that type of group,” said Seguin, who has averaged 37 goals and 80 points in his two years in Dallas. "Boston is always going to be a part of me. I'm just not a part of it anymore."