Lohrei whips up a spread of steak, chicken, salmon and sides. He always makes sure to take a photo to send his mom, he said. There are also some extra mouths to feed – Matthew Poitras and Lukas Reichel are staying in Lohrei’s apartment for the weeks leading up to training camp.
“It’s great. Obviously I enjoy living alone, but it’s nice to have – especially in the summer – it’s nice to have guys. They don’t have a place here yet, so just trying to help them out a bit. It’s fun to have them around. We’re always just hanging out on the couch. Everything we do, we kind of just do together,” Lohrei said. “Potsy and I were just throwing the baseball on the street the other day because we had nothing to do.”
Lohrei and Borgen will be in a deep group of capable defensemen at camp – including Clifton, Charlie McAvoy, Nikita Zadorov, Hampus Lindholm, Jordan Harris, Jonathan Aspirot, Henri Jokiharju and Frederic Brunet. It is motivating instead of intimidating for them.
“I’ve always enjoyed pressure and competition. I just like those moments where you have to rise to the occasion,” Lohrei said. “Ever since I was little, I just think that’s something that I’ve always savored, and I want that. So I am excited. It is going to be high compete. We have 10 NHL-caliber defensemen that are all going for six spots. It’s going to be fun.”
What can Bruins fans expect from Borgen’s style of play?
“Just a simple defenseman. I focus more on the defensive side of things. Try to be a safety valve back there and do my job on the defensive side always. It’s nothing crazy – I try to move the puck up to the forwards, let them do the job up front. And if I can help out in any way up there, or if I see an opportunity to join the offensive side, I will here and there,” Borgen said. “Try to play hard.”
The mission for Lohrei is clear, and he’s been working on rounding out all areas of his game while getting bigger, faster and stronger. It is just a matter of weeks before he, Borgen and all the Bruins can put their summer training to practice.
“For the season, I think it’s about playing all 84…I want to contribute in all areas. Offensively, defensively, all situations, 5-on-5, 4-on-4, overtime, power play, penalty kill. I want to be somebody that can play in every single situation. And I think I do have the tools to do it. I think it’s just putting everything together, which it’s obviously been a process,” Lohrei said. “Just excited to go out and prove that I deserve one of those spots.”