Newly signed Bjork ready for the NHL

The 20 year old Notre Dame product will be an intriguing prospect to watch at training camp.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
Newly signed Bjork ready for the NHL
Keystone Press

Boston Bruins prospect Anders Bjork has had a whirlwind start to his pro hockey career. After another stellar season in the NCAA with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Bjork, the Swedish named American from Wisconsin, was named to team USA for the IIHF’s World Hockey Championships. While USA failed to land a medal at the tournament, Bjork played well and was rewarded with an entry level contract from the Bruins earlier this week.

Just a week ago Bjork was at a crossroads in his hockey career. Sign a contract and turn pro, or return to college for his senior season. He elected to turn pro, but not without some careful consideration. "It was really tough," said Bjork. "There are a lot of factors and I wasn't really sure. I just wanted to make the right choice for my hockey career, but I also had to think a lot about my degree and school and stuff like that…there was a lot going on in my head.”

Now that the 20 year-old can play with a clear head, he’s expected to push for a roster spot with the Bruins for 2017-18. His 109 points over 115 career NCAA games proves that he has the ability to provide offense, something the Bruins could use more of throughout their bottom six forwards. "I've got a lot of work to do this summer," said Bjork. "Obviously, there's a ton of good prospects and young players in the organization, so it's going to be tough to earn a spot on the Bruins in Boston. I'm going to be training really hard.” 

With expiring contracts for Ryan Spooner, Dominic Moore, Drew Stafford, Tim Schaller and Noel Acciari, the runway may be clear for Bjork. Whatever he decides to do with the opportunity is up to him.