Last night was the first time Mike Mottau took the ice at Boston Garden as a professional hockey player, but it's not the first time the New Jersey Devils defenseman thought about it.
Mottau grew up in Avon, and readily acknowledged sneaking into a few Bruins and Celtics games in his youth.
"Growing up a Bruins fan, it's always a thrill even to come to the game," he said. "To play them is even better."
Better still to beat them, and Mottau's Devils knocked off Boston, 3-1, bolstered by the play of Mottau and another former Boston College star, Brian Gionta. Gionta gave the Devils a 1-0 lead in the middle of the second period with his 10th goal and Mottau picked up an assist on Jamie Langenbrunner's power-play goal at 14:34.
Though it was Mottau who won the Hobey Baker Award as the top collegiate player in the country in 2000, it was Gionta who made the quick transition to the NHL. Quick, creative, and dangerous with the puck, Gionta split time between New Jersey and Albany of the AHL in 2001, his first season, before taking a regular role with the Devils in 2002.
He demonstrated his slippery skating and scoring chops last night, flying past two Bruins defenders to claim the right wing, then ripping a shot from the right faceoff circle to beat goalie Alex Auld.
It's taken Mottau a little longer to find a comfortable spot as his career has taken him around the country from team to team. Drafted by the Rangers in 1997, he spent most of his first two seasons with Hartford of the AHL before he was traded to the Flames. He later signed with Anaheim in 2003, though he did not see action with the Ducks. From 2002 to 2006, he had AHL stints in Hartford, Saint John, Cincinnati, Worcester, Peoria, and Lowell. In July 2006, he signed with New Jersey as a free agent, spending last season in Lowell.
This year, he came to training camp healthy and intent on carving out a spot. He has played in 26 of 31 games for the Devils, scored his first NHL goal Oct. 6 against Florida, and hopes he's found a home in New Jersey.
"It's a good group of guys, all about the same age," said Mottau, who is 29. "I'm trying now to just stay consistent and limit my mistakes by being in good position defensively, with my stick, and physically. It's just a small thing but when you're playing against guys this good, it makes a big difference."
Mottau and Gionta were both in town for their alma mater's 7-2 romp over Harvard Wednesday night. Though Mottau, who has a home in Duxbury, chose to stay home to celebrate his daughter's first birthday, Gionta was at Bright Arena, where the 5-foot-7-inch forward got to watch a familiar scene as 5-5 Nathan Gerbe pumped in four goals for BC.
"It's just always fun seeing all the guys you went to school with," said Gionta.
The loyal locals also slogged through yesterday's snowstorm to see Gionta and Mottau play. Though traffic jams left many seats empty - "ushers and families were the only ones in the stands at the start," said Mottau - there were familiar faces for both scattered through the crowd. Mottau spotted his parents before the game, and said some of his buddies made sure to pound on the glass to get his attention.
"It's really exciting to be able to play in front of family and friends," said Mottau. "To get 2 points is a bonus. I had some butterflies in my stomach at the start."
The puck dropped and the butterflies dispersed, and with a victory in the final game of a three-game road trip, Mottau had a chance to savor his first skate at the Garden in the Show.
"It's been frustrating but it's almost made it more rewarding now, after sticking with it," he said.
Barbara Matson can be reached at matson@globe.com.
