This is Bartkowski’s 4th NHL call-up in 3 seasons. He has yet to make a lasting impression with the big club, although he was one of the last players cut at the beginning of the 2010-11 season. He traveled with the team to Europe to start the season, and finished the season with the Cup Champs as a Black Ace. At 24, his development in the AHL has hopefully progressed so he can make a more positive contribution during this opportune call-up after getting cut from training camp at the start of the season.
Earlier this afternoon, Matt Bartkowski was recalled by the Boston Bruins. He is en route to join the team in Toronto, where they face the Maple Leafs tomorrow night.
His last-minute call-up meant that Colby Cohen slid into the Providence Bruins line-up tonight against Bridgeport.
Bartkowski has been called up due to injuries to Adam McQuaid and now Johnny Boychuk, who got hurt today at practice. The extent of Boychuk’s injury is not yet known, but the Bruins were without a 7th defenseman with the prolonged injury to McQuaid.
In 56 games this season with the P-Bruins, Bartkowski has 3 goals and 21 assists. He is 2nd on the team in defense scoring, behind Torey Krug.
Bartkowski is in his 3rd season with the P-Bruins. He has been recalled by Boston for 6 games in 2010-11 and 3 games last season. He has yet to record an NHL point, has 4 penalty minutes, 2 shots, and a -3 rating. He was also part of the Bruins Black Aces squad during their Stanley Cup run.
The 24-year-old Pittsburgh native was drafted by the Florida Panthers in 2008 at 190th overall. Bartkowski’s rights were traded to the Bruins as part of the Dennis Seidenberg deal in March of 2010 and upon his arrival, he was signed to an entry-level contract. He played 2 years of NCAA hockey at Ohio State University before making the jump to the AHL.
During his call-up last season, he appeared in 3 games in October for the Bruins. His last game was October 8, 2011 against Carolina, where he only had 4:29 of ice time on 7 shifts. In an ongoing joke, his first 3 NHL games were against his hometown Penguins (January 10th and 15th, 2011 and March 5, 2011.
A Cup A Bruin 