Bruins: Local call for Walter

The Bruins completed their selections on the second day of the National Hockey League draft in Raleigh, N.C., yesterday, adding five more prospects to the two they chose during Saturday's second round.

In all, they took six forwards and one defenseman. One of the forwards -- center Ben Walter -- plays at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell and is the son of former NHL standout Ryan Walter. He was picked in the fifth round (No. 160 overall).

"I'm very excited," said Walter, who lives with his family outside of Vancouver during the summer. "I was a little nervous sitting up there, but I was having fun with it. It didn't really matter when I went in the draft. I was just hoping to get picked up by a team and it's great it was Boston.

"I wasn't sure exactly where I would go. People told me different things, so I was kind of ready for anything. I was really happy, though, when they called me. I think it worked out really well. Boston is like my second home now because I'm always there during the year."

Walter wrestled with the idea of playing major junior hockey before deciding on the college game.

"It was a tough decision, but I'm glad I made it. It was the right one for me," he said. "It's a good program and we're going to have a really good team next year. It's really worked out for me.

"There were a couple of schools [interested], but they wanted me to go back and play another year of junior and Lowell wanted me right away and they gave me a really good shot. Last year, I got a lot of ice time. We have a really young team, so a lot of guys are getting a big opportunity to play."

Ryan Walter had a distinguished 15-year NHL career, playing for Washington, Montreal, and Vancouver. He played 1,003 games, with 646 points and 946 penalty minutes, from 1978-79 to 1992-93, and it wasn't a tough decision for Ben to follow in his father's footsteps.

"I've been around hockey my whole life and it's rubbed off on me," he said. "It's always been something I wanted to do. It's a big step for me that way. [A pro career] is what I'd like to do. That's my goal and I'm going to work as hard as I can to get there."

Walter believes he plays strong at both ends of the ice.

"I make plays and I can put the puck in the net," said Walter, who had 34 points -- 18 goals -- in 35 games as a sophomore at Lowell last season. "I think I see the ice well and have a good knowledge of the game. I've played mostly center, but I can play wing also. I try to work pretty hard on faceoffs. Part of my dad has rubbed off on me that way. He loved teaching that part to me. He gives me lots of little tips."

Walter also worked with his dad during the filming of the movie "Miracle," about the 1980 gold medal-winning US Olympic team. His father was a consultant on the film as well as playing a referee, while Ben was an extra as a member of the cheering crowd during the game against Russia.

"That was a lot of fun," he said. "I worked for almost a month and a half. They shot for so long on the one game that they needed us there the whole time."

He plans to return to Lowell in the fall, where he's studying business management, and will play it by ear as far as when to take the next step in hockey.

"Right now, my plan is to finish my school, but we'll see what happens," he said. . . .
Saturday, the Bruins traded three picks to San Jose to move up to No. 63 overall, taking center David Krejci of the Czech Republic with that pick. At No. 64, which was their only other pick of the first three rounds, Boston selected Latvian right wing Martins Karsums. Yesterday, in the fourth round, the Bruins took right wing Ashton Rome with the 108th overall pick. Rome played with Moose Jaw of the Western Hockey League last season, amassing 37 points and racking up 139 penalty minutes in 72 games. He moved up from the No. 190 ranking among North American skaters by Central Scouting at midseason to No. 121 at season's end. In the fifth round (No. 134 overall), Boston chose another right wing from the Western League: Kris Versteeg, who played for Lethbridge. In the seventh round, the Bruins grabbed defenseman Matt Hunwick of the University of Michigan (No. 224 overall), and the club's final pick -- at No. 255 in the eighth round -- was 18-year-old forward Anton Hedman of Sweden, who last year played for Stocksund. Hunwick moved up from the No. 179 ranking at midseason, finishing at No. 151. He had one goal and 14 assists and 58 penalty minutes in 37 games.