Putting on iconic Bruins spoked-B paraphernalia before hitting the ice at Warrior Arena was a thrill.

“Yeah, it was awesome,” Wenczkowski told the Globe after camp wrapped up. “I played seven years of hockey in Boston, three years in high school, four years professionally, so I wore Boston across my chest. So, to be at this camp and wear the Boston Bruins logo just, it meant a lot to me, and I love the city of Boston, so I couldn’t think of a better place to kick off my little experience in the NHL, so I’m super grateful for it.”

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Wenczkowski played for the Boston Shamrocks of the Junior Women’s Hockey League during high school before moving on to the University of New Hampshire. In Durham, she collected 42 goals and 82 points in 148 games. Wenczkowski played three seasons for the Boston Pride and another for the Boston Fleet before calling it a playing career following the 2023-24 season.

Her hockey days, however, are far from over.

“I had a former Boston Pride coach [Johnny McInnis], he was a coach for the Maine Mariners, and he had reached out a few times over the last couple of years saying, ‘Come up and run skills, come up and run skills.’ I just never had the opportunity with my playing schedule and stuff,” said Wenczkowski.

With her summer free, she reached out to McInnis.

“Once I retired, my biggest goal was to get to an NHL development camp,” she said. “And so, I was like, ‘All right, I’m going to call Johnny,’ and he was like, ‘Absolutely, I will connect you with [Bruins assistant general manager] Evan Gold.’ I reached out to Evan, and he connected me with [player development coordinator and college scout] Parker [MacKay]. I had a couple calls with Parker and then connected with [player development coordinator] Adam McQuaid and they offered me the spot to be the guest coach this year, and it was awesome.”

Wenczkowski acknowledged there was a little anxiety as camp approached, but it quickly dissipated as she built a rapport with the staff and players.

“Absolutely I was a little bit nervous, but the guys were awesome from Day 1. Even being able to make little jokes with them and keep it serious, but fun,” said Wenczkowski. “I think there’s a great group of young men out there and yeah, they were great. I think a hockey player is a hockey player. Obviously, you’re a little nervous whether going into a new team. I started [coaching] at Princeton and yeah, I was absolutely a little nervous. I didn’t know anyone there right away.”

She found making quick connections was a way to break the ice with players.

“So just the little interactions and getting to know players and I feel like here, things happen so fast that I made sure to go out and introduce myself right away, shake their hand, and get to know them a little bit; where they played, where they’re playing next year,” said Wenczkowski. “I think that also helped the process just face to face and putting myself out there into those conversations. And I think it was a quick mutual respect between all of us.”

Wenczkowski found her year behind the Princeton bench was a great benefit and solidified the decision that coaching was the right post-playing-days path.

“I love the player development side. I love running skills. I try to be a really good communicator as a coach on the bench,” she said.

Wenczkowski said she drew on her experiences as a player, especially interactions with her coaches, to help shape her approach and style.

“I ran the [defense] last year and I made sure to, if there’s kids that weren’t playing a ton or might not play that game that weekend, I made sure to tell them. I think that’s something that they really appreciated and that’s something I appreciated as a player and would’ve appreciated a little more. So, kind of took that from my experience,” she said. “So, I’m always going to be a good communicator no matter what, good, bad, whatever those uncomfortable situations were, just to make sure they have them. I have them with the players. I think the skill side is great and the power play is great; I love running that.”

Wenczkowski has learned that part of being a coach is knowing when to go full throttle and when to pull back a little.

“You have to be strict on them and kind of put your foot down when something’s not going [well]. But it’s all because we care so much and the expectations we have and if a drill’s not going right or they’re having a tough practice, you kind of have to be bad cop a little bit,” she said. “But I think it’s also great to be a good cop. Sometimes you get to know the players and then they trust you and you build that special relationship. At the end of the day, we’re all family. You think about your parents, right? They’re nice to you, but when you mess up, they’re going to be strict, but at the end of the day, it’s just because they care and want the best for you.”

While a big part of Wenczkowski’s duties at Bruins Development Camp involved running individual drills, she also spent time working with players off the ice. Wenczkowski led a presentation on goal-setting that McQuaid called “awesome.”

“I got my master’s in sports psych, spent a year doing research on self-efficacy and all that fun stuff. And then another semester writing a journal article and then coming up with a presentation. It was a workbook probably through the summer,” said Wenczkowski. “So, I basically just touched on the importance of goal-setting and some of these guys came in and said whatever their goal may be, might’ve been, ‘I want to be a better skater.’ So, then my question to them for any goal they gave me was, ‘How are you going to do that? So, what’s your action plan?’

“I used the SMART method [specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound] to break down their goals and have them elaborate because at the end of the day, all these guys want to play in the NHL, but there’s a process they’re getting there. So, I think it’s important for them to know how to break it down. And we had camp goals, and we had summer goals, and then next season individual goals, and they can continue to use that throughout their career if they choose to. And I think just trying to teach them how putting pen to paper and having an action plan will help them.”

Will Zellers, one of Boston’s top forward prospects acquired in the Charlie Coyle trade, took a lot from his interactions with Wenczkowski.

“She’s very smart, wise beyond her years, the way she thinks games, she was a sports psychology major, so I mean she has that degree under her belt, which that’s half of the game right off the ice, the mental side of the game is pretty tough,” said Zellers, who will play at North Dakota this season. “Anyone here, I mean, they have a million resources here and she was an unbelievable resource off the ice and on the ice. She’s a really smart hockey mind, the way she thinks the game. So, any time you can learn from someone that’s won at the next level up, I mean, you take all the advice you can get.”

Wenczkowski has drawn inspiration from Jessica Campbell, the first female coach in NHL history. Campbell is on the Kraken staff.

“I think what she’s been able to do is phenomenal and I think it’s just going to keep opening the doors to other women to see her success,” said Wenczkowski, who will be back at Princeton in the fall. “I think it’s just showing women that you can do anything you set your mind to and just breaking down those barriers, I think is awesome.”

Wenczkowski played one season with the Boston Fleet in the PWHL’s inaugural season.
Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff

Hot times in Florida

3ICE tourney is a different game

Florida continues to be a hotbed of hockey.

The 3ICE tournament started Thursday and runs through Aug. 14 at the Baptist Health IcePlex, the Panthers’ sparkling practice facility just a Bobby Orr slap shot from Fort Lauderdale’s sparkling beaches.

The three-on-three tournament features eight teams (including Boston, which is coached by Bruins legend Ray Bourque) that will play four games in each of the tournaments four weeks.

The rosters will feature some familiar names, but the lineup of coaches is the real draw.

In addition to Bourque, Guy Carbonneau (Dallas), Ken Daneyko (New York/New Jersey), Grant Fuhr (Chicago), John LeClair (Tennessee), Joe Mullen (Pittsburgh), Larry Murphy (Minnesota), and Pierre Turgeon (Buffalo) will be behind the benches.

If you enjoy overtime during the NHL season, this league is right up your alley. The games are two eight-minute halves, so it’s best not to blink. Also, there are no penalty minutes. Penalty shots are awarded for infractions, but these are no ordinary penalty shots. The shooter gets a slight head start, but then opponents release and chase him.

“It’s different than your normal five on five,” Bourque told nhl.com. “They drop the puck and it’s a constant flow, even if there’s a goal scored. Your entire roster is five players and a goalie and there are no whistles unless there’s a penalty, when a penalty shot is called, and then the shooter is chased by everyone.

“It’s interesting,” he said. “There’s been no advance scouting. There’s no training camp. The game-day morning skate is about the extent of the coaches seeing the other team … of seeing our own team.”

The tournament winners are awarded the Patrick Cup, named in honor of 3ICE commissioner Craig Patrick.

Bruins legend Ray Bourque is among the coaches in the 3ICE tournament.Barry Chin/Globe Staff

ETC.

Thornton an adviser for Sharks

Speaking of former Bruins captains, Joe Thornton has a new gig, too.

Thornton, 46, the first pick in the 1997 NHL Draft, was named a player development coach and hockey adviser for the Sharks, for whom he played the majority of his 24 NHL seasons.

“Jumbo Joe” was traded to the Sharks during the 2005-06 season (part of the return was Marco Sturm) and finished the campaign with 29 goals and 125 points. He is the only player in NHL annals to win the Hart Trophy (MVP) while playing for two teams in the same season.

He also played for the Maple Leafs and Panthers and is one of 16 players to reach the 1,500-point plateau.

Macklin Celebrini, the first pick in the 2024 draft by the Sharks, lived with Thornton during his rookie season.

Canadiens making their move

Hard not to count the Canadiens among the teams earning high offseason grades after breaking through with a somewhat surprising playoff berth.

Trading for Islanders restricted free agent Noah Dobson and inking the right-shot defenseman to an eight-year deal worth $9.5 million per season was a clear sign general manager Kent Hughes is in win-now mode.

Dobson, 25, is just a season removed from a 10-goal, 70-point campaign on the Island. He could form a nice 1-2 power-play punch with Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson, who collected 66 points last season.

They’ll also take some of the pressure off (and create space for) buzzing forwards Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki.

What’s up with the Penguins?

Pittsburgh has had a puzzling offseason, which included signing forward Justin Brazeau and defenseman Parker Wotherspoon, both of whom played big minutes for the Bruins last season.

The Penguins didn’t make a big splash with a big name, declined to re-sign Matt Grzelcyk after a career year, and, according to puckpedia.com, still have $13 million in cap space.

Sidney Crosby, 37, has one year left on his deal and he could be in for a long one.

Brazeau was shipped to the Wild at the trade deadline in exchange for Marat Khusnutdinov (recently re-signed by the Bruins), Jakub Lauko (still available), and a sixth-round selection in the 2026 draft. Wotherspoon played a career-high 55 games but won’t come close to matching Grzelcyk’s power-play prowess or 40 points.

Quiz time: Of the top 10 all-time NHL point scorers at age 18, two are American. Name them … Heartfelt message from longtime Bruin Brandon Carlo, who was dealt to the Maple Leafs at the trade deadline. The defenseman took to social media to make his feelings known: “Boston will always be a part of me. I feel so lucky to have worn that jersey, to have called this city home, to have started my family here. The memories on the ice were special — but it’s the people, the teammates, the friendships that have truly changed my life. I’ll be forever grateful for every moment, every lesson, every bond built along the way. Thank you, Boston, for everything. Excited for what’s next!” Carlo will make his return to Boston Nov. 11 … Also, Brad Marchand is scheduled to be back with the Panthers Oct. 21 and Charlie Coyle with the Blue Jackets Feb. 26 … Raise your shillelagh if you’ve already made plans for Bruins-Canadiens in Montreal on St. Patrick’s Day … Sean Kuraly will wear his familiar No. 52 for his second tour of duty with the Bruins. Kuraly made a deal with his buddy (and former Blue Jacket teammate) Andrew Peeke to reclaim the sweater. Terms of the transaction were not made public, but we’ll keep digging. Peeke will take over No. 26 … The Bruins will make their 10th straight appearance at the Prospects Challenge in Buffalo Sept. 11-15. The Bruins young’uns will play the Penguins Sept. 12 and the Devils Sept. 14. The Sabres and Blue Jackets also will participate … Milton’s Aidan McDonough signed a minor league deal with the Penguins. McDonough, who scored 66 goals and 124 points in 124 games at Northeastern, is looking for a bounce back year. He missed most of last season after breaking his leg in an awkward fall during a fight while playing for the Charlotte Checkers, for whom he had 10 goals and 16 points in 16 games … Non-hockey item alert: Congratulations to Dick Connolly, who was recently feted with the 2025 Francis Ouimet Award for Lifelong Contributions to Golf at the annual Ouimet banquet. Since Connolly handed the inaugural Ouimet Award to his pal, Arnold Palmer, in 1997, the Ouimet banquet has raised nearly $17 million to benefit Ouimet Scholars … Quiz answer: Jimmy Carson (79 in 1986-87 with the Kings) and Bobby “Can’t Miss Kid” Carpenter (67 in 1981-82 with the Capitals).

Jim McBride can be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com. Follow him @globejimmcbride.