Travis Boyd: 2015-16 Season in Review
Game 7’s for a rookie are tough enough. 10:57 into overtime of Game 7 against the Bears’ archrival Wilke-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Travis Boyd made a memory he will never forget. Cycling in the far corner with Liam O’Brien, Boyd from behind the net makes a move out front and from a tough angle and roofs the puck past the Pens netminder Casey DeSmith to send the Hershey Bears to the Eastern Conference Finals.
How he got here:
A 2011 sixth round draft pick, Boyd came to the Bears this year after ending the season last year with Hershey determined to make an impact on the young Bears team. Not only did he make an impact team, but he was a key piece for the Bears. Playing in all 76 games this season, the Minnesota native recorded 21 goals and 32 assists for a total of 53 points, which put him 8th among rookies in the AHL regular season. Along with the regular season, he played in 21 playoff games, recording two goals and seven assists for nine points.
Linemates:
As a rookie in the AHL, you probably could have not asked for better linemates than the ones Travis Boyd got paired up with, especially playing interchangeable between the wing or from the centerman spot. Towards the end of the season, Boyd joined a line with Chris Bourque and Chandler Stephenson, working as a winger with the two. But when Hershey found themselves in a tough position lacking depth through the middle of the ice, the 22-year-old centered a line with the AHL MVP and Sean Collins, before Jakub Vrana returned to action in February after injury, where he replaced Collins on Bourque’s and Boyd’s line.
Memorable performance: First pro hat trick, February 6 vs. Lehigh Valley.
Travis Boyd on Chocolate Hockey: