Julien on Hamilton: ‘He’s catching on quickly’

Boston Bruins rookie defenseman Dougie Hamilton admitted to CSNNE.com that moving from a more open system in the OHL to head coach Claude Julien’s setup has been an adjustment.

“In the OHL it’s a little all over the place and sometimes guys are out of position more doing individual stuff,” Hamilton said. “Here it’s more team stuff where you need to be in the right place and always be an option. I definitely like it better here.”

Julien explains the main goal of his system and how the 19-year-old blueliner is fitting in.

“One of the mottos I use with our system all the time is that ‘they will come to you,’” Julien said. “You don’t have to run all over the place. If you’re playing your position then eventually somebody will come into that area. There are times when he’s tried a little too hard and found himself out of position. That’s where he gets into trouble.

“I told him once he gets used to it and it becomes second nature it will go a lot easier on his game. You can make less of an effort, but be in the right position and get more out of it. Then you can be fresher when you really need to push on the attack. He’s a smart individual and he’s catching on quickly.”

Still, there might be some growing pains every now and then. Hamilton insists that he’s not hitting a rookie wall, though.

“I still feel like I’m playing the exact same way as I did earlier this season,” Hamilton said. “Whether the passes aren’t working or pucks aren’t getting on net for rebounds so you can get assists there, I’m still playing the same way. I’m pretty happy with how I’m doing.”

So far, the Bruins seem pretty happy about his play, as well.