This Massachusetts Native Hockey Star Lives Out Dream on Ice

It's been almost two years since that fateful night.  It was definitely a night to remember, not just for the fans at the TD Garden, but for a young hockey player who was drafted by the Boston Bruins.

To make it even more of a dream, Marc McLoughlin grew up cheering on his beloved Bruins from his hometown of Billerica, Massachusetts, just 30 minutes outside of Boston.

That night in March, 2022, McLoughlin was called up from Providence for his first NHL game at the electrified Garden.  Sure enough, he saw his dream come true by scoring his first NHL goal in his first NHL game.

No matter what happened after that night, #26 for the B's had made the history books Here's the story from that night.

Fast forward two years, and McLoughlin is still playing hockey for the AHL's Providence Bruins.  You can find him on Instagram @marcmcloughlin25, and follow his path from Cardinal Cushing Academy to Boston College and everywhere in between.

While McLoughlin isn't making the headlines of other Massachusetts hockey greats who have been deemed by the hockey press as the top Bruins players from the Bay State, he's holding his own in Providence .

According to thehockeywriters.com, Matt Grzelcyk from Charlestown, MA, and Charlie Coyle, from Weymouth, MA, are the two current Bruins players who grew up in the area.

In fact, there are more Massachusetts natives playing in the NHL than you think.

Check out this list from quanthockey.com, which includes the stats on all the players born in Massachusetts who have played or still play in the NHL, including the latest Stanley Cup champion from North Chelmsford, Jack Eichel, with the Las Vegas Golden Knights.