Four reasons Garnet Hathaway was 'made to be a Bruin'

When Matt Keator, Garnet Hathaway’s agent told the Washington Post’s Tarik El-Bashir that his client was ‘made to be a Bruin,’ he wasn’t just talking up his client after Hathaway and Dmitry Orlov had been traded to Boston for Craig Smith and draft picks on Thursday.

Keator knows something about the type of hockey player Bruins fans like. He represented Boston captain Zdeno Chara, who epitomized the concept.

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It’s not just that Hathaway comes from Maine and played college hockey in Rhode Island although he is from Kennebunkport and played at Brown.

What Keator said wasn’t just about geography. El-Bashir tweeted:

“Agent Matt Keator re: Hathaway to BOS: “He’s disappointed to be leaving the boys but he’s excited to live out his childhood dream of playing for his hometown Bruins. He’s kinda made to be Bruin because he plays the style that the fan base loves.” #Caps”

Keator is right. Hathaway is likely to be popular with Boston fans. Here’s why:

1. The phrase Big Bad Bruins has historically been thrown around too liberally since its origination in the 1970s, but Hathaway makes Boston a little bigger and a little badder.

The 6-foot-3, 208-pound Hathaway is an intimidating wing who likes to hit. Bruins fans like guys who like to hit. According to the Daily Faceoff, “Among 426 forwards with at least 200 minutes played at 5-on-5 this season, he ranks 12th in hits per 60.” That’s despite missing games earlier with an injury.

2. He once picked a fight to stick up for a teammate in 2019 when he already had a broken nose. This wasn’t a busted beak from a previous game, that had already been treated. Nope, he’d broken it earlier in the game. But when Rangers forward Brendan Smith delivered a hit he didn’t like —coincidentally on Orlov — Hathaway went after him, broken nose and all.

“He’s a special guy in terms of his compete, his battle, his character,” former Caps coach Todd Reirden told the Washington Post. “It’s really high-end.”

3. He’ll score some big goals from time to time. Hathaway has a big heavy shot and hung in to get it off for the game-winning goal, right before getting drilled by Connor Clifton, in Washington’s 2-1 win over Bruins earlier this month. Boston fans weren’t happy about it at the time, but in hindsight, it shows a new Bruin scoring a tough-guy goal.

4. New England fans love New England players. Hathaway grew up in Maine. His father John, who looks like a casting director’s Maine lobsterman with a full beard and longish sea-weathered hair, owns Shucks Lobster, a company that shucks lobsters in coastal Maine. What’s more New England than that?