Three sons hope to rise with Bruins

WILMINGTON -- Wilf Paiement, Pierre Mondou, and Ryan Walter combined for 2,497 National Hockey League regular-season games and another 251 playoff contests. Mondou played nine seasons, all with the Montreal Canadiens, and won three Stanley Cups. Walter played 15 years with Washington, Montreal, and Vancouver and won one Cup. Paiement labored for 14 years for seven clubs and wasn't able to drink from the coveted chalice.

Now, all three have sons who are at Bruins rookie camp: 23-year-old Adam Paiement, 20-year-old Benoit Mondou, and 21-year-old Ben Walter.

Mondou, an eighth-round pick by Boston in the 2003 draft, arrived here from junior hockey on a tryout arrangement. Paiement, also a tryout candidate, played last year in the Central Hockey League, and Walter, Boston's fifth pick (No. 160 overall) in the 2004 draft, elected to leave UMass-Lowell after three years and signed a three-year deal.

This is the second Boston camp for Mondou, who got a taste of the pros in 2003. He said it hasn't quite gone as well as he hoped.

''I started a little slow," said Mondou, who had 59 points (16 goals) in 57 games with Shawinigan of the Quebec League last year. ''I had a chance but maybe I didn't capitalize. It's not finished but I think I can play better. I'd like to impress the general manager."

Paiement has faced challenges of his own. Last season, he played 44 games with Laredo (Texas) and had 19 goals and 39 points.

''It was good, it's right on the Mexican border," said Paiement. ''They just got hockey there three years ago and the people have really learned to like it. It's a nice place."

His father, whose last NHL season was 1987-88, now renovates and rents properties in the Toronto area. Two years ago, when Adam went to Montreal's training camp on a tryout and was assigned to Hamilton, he elected not to go. It appeared hockey might be over for him.

''I retired for half a year," he said. ''But then I played for San Antonio [one game] and Laredo [three games during the 2003-04 season]. I was just fed up with hockey."

But after Paiement had a taste of real life, laboring for his father, he changed his mind. He realized how much he missed the sport and said he wasn't ready for life in a normal work force.

As rookie camp wraps up tomorrow morning, his hope is to be offered a job somewhere in the Bruins organization.

''I'm just coming in here and working hard," he said. ''If I get a chance in Providence, I'd love to go there, but I don't have any expectations. I'm pretty hard on myself."

Of the three, Walter is the only first-timer in camp but also the only one with job security.

''Everything is kind of settling in now, I'm getting used to the pace," he said. ''It feels good, I'm happy to be here. I wanted to come in and have a great camp. I came in not really expecting too much of anything. I'm just taking one day at a time and hopefully stick around for a while."

All said their fathers have been invaluable resources throughout their young careers.

''He's not too hard on me, he just lets me do my thing," said Paiement. ''He supports me as much as he can. His best advice was that hard work beats talent unless talent works."

Mondou said he didn't see his father a lot because he traveled as a Canadiens scout. That didn't prevent them from being close.

''He's given me good advice," said Mondou. ''He told me that hockey was a mostly mental game."

Walter said his dad guided him through the draft process, helped him choose to go the college route, and was a sounding board when he decided it was time to turn pro.

''He's given me a lot," said Walter. ''Just coming into camp, he told me to play my game and do what I do best. I'm keeping that in mind."

But it hasn't all been beneficial. Sometimes it's about finding your own way.

''He tried to teach me [moves] on breakaways," said Walter with a laugh, ''but I have to do my own thing."