While in Hershey, Boyd Aims To Be Best Player In The AHL

HERSHEY, Pa. -- Travis Boyd knows he belongs in the NHL. He’s just looking for another chance to prove that to the Washington Capitals - or any NHL organization in need of a versatile center/winger.

After salary cap issues hit hard in Washington, Boyd found himself back in Hershey this weekend after clearing waivers, and is making sure NHL teams know what he can do.

“Obviously they’re in a tough salary cap position, and they decided to go with Chandler Stephenson in that spot to fit that role that ultimately if you look back to July 1st after they signed those guys, the really only open spot was kind of on the 4th line for that 13th forward position.” Boyd said. “I think Chandler had a good camp and ultimately maybe he fits that spot a little better than I do. Obviously, it sucks to be down here. I’m just trying to be the best player in the league every night and if that’s the case, if it’s not Washington who’s calling me back up, someone comes calling and I can get a chance to go back up there and prove that I can stay up there and prove that I can be an everyday player in the National Hockey League.”

In two games back with the Hershey Bears, Boyd has been playing like a man possessed. He tallied a pair of goals and an assist in his AHL season opener in Lehigh Valley October 12th and followed that up with a pair of goals and an assist at Giant Center the following night against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

“That’s exactly what I want to be doing,” Boyd said. “Obviously as how things kind of shook out in Washington over training camp, obviously I wish I wasn't here - it’s great to be here - but ultimately I wish I’d still be up there in Washington or somewhere else at this point, but I’m just trying to dominate every game and trying to look good and get back up to the top.”

Of his points this past weekend, a goal and assist in both games came on the previously struggling Hershey power play that was 1-for-12 on opening weekend without Boyd.

“Oh I mean we got a great unit. I was surprised to hear that last weekend the power play didn’t go well because there’s still a lot of good players, but you got a guy like Djoos running it up on the top and then it’s basically pick a side,” Boyd said. “Sgarbs (Mike Sgarbossa) can make any play that I can make and I think that’s ultimately what kind of made it hard this weekend for teams killing against us. If you want to take Sgarbs away, ok I’m wide open on this side. If you want to take me away, give it to Sgarbs and he can make plays too, so ultimately the power play wins you a ton of games in pro hockey, and that’s huge for your team and ultimately, you saw it this weekend, a couple of powerplay goals in each game and what do you know we win two games, so hopefully we can keep going.”

After appearing in 53 games for the Capitals last season, one might expect Boyd to be a bit disgruntled at having to return to the AHL, but according to Hershey head coach Spencer Carbery, Boyd’s head is in the right place.

“I think he’s in a good spot mentally from the conversations that I’ve had with him,” Carbery said in the postgame press conference. “He understands what’s going on, where he’s at, and he’s refocused very very quickly on what he needs to do, and that sometimes is different for every player that’s gone through this situation of going to the NHL and coming back to the American League - it can vary how long that takes to get back into it and say, ‘Ok I’m going to control what I can control’ but he, just in talking to him, you can tell, or I can tell that he’s pretty focused and knows what he needs to do down here to get another shot in the NHL.”

Boyd also sees his return to Hershey as an opportunity to mentor the younger guys a bit as well, an opportunity he’s looking forward to having.

“My rookie year Scott Gomez came in; I can’t tell you how many things I learned from that guy in the month/6 weeks that he was here,” Boyd recalled. “Ultimately it’s a developmental league. Guys want to get better and guys want to make it to the National Hockey League, and I mean I don’t have a ton of experience up there - we got a guy, Matt Moulson on our team, who has over 600 games NHL game - I’m learning from him. He’s got these little crafty plays that I’ve never even seen. Ultimately if you start helping each other on your own team, ultimately everyone gets better and it pushes the team and good things happen.”

One of the things Boyd, who has 63 total (61 regular season and 2 playoff) games of NHL experience, has learned in Washington that he can impart deals with the speed differences between the AHL and NHL.

“Truthfully the game up top in the NHL is just so much faster,” Boyd said. “Guys are in the right position all of the time and after you spend a year up there and you’re playing games at that speed where everything happens so fast, you kind of come down here and you have an extra half second with the puck and when that’s the case it allows you to look around and make the best plays. Obviously the first two games here have been very good and hopefully we continue down the road here.”

But don’t get too attached to Hershey’s former Iron Man (he played in every game in the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 seasons) because if he has it his way, he’ll be moving back to the NHL soon. It’s just a matter of when and where.

Boyd said, “Again, like I said, obviously it was not my goal to be down here, but sometimes things like that happen. My attitude has been pretty simple - look that good. So if it’s not Washington who’s going to call me back up, someone else comes calling and if that’s the case, personally I just want a chance in the National Hockey League to play every night because I know if I get that chance I know I can do it, I know I can be an everyday player in that league. Down here, I’m working on my game and playing good hockey, so if that chance comes I can go ahead and take advantage of it.”