EVEN AT FORWARD, BOKA MAKING A STRONG CASE TO STAY IN AMERKS LINEUP

Mar 14, 2022

By Suzie Cool

 

With the never-ending roster challenges the Rochester Americans have been facing this season due to injuries, the taxi squad and National Hockey League call-ups, it only makes sense that unordinary circumstances are going to occur.

 

For Amerks defenseman Nick Boka, he saw that just a few games ago as he was challenged to take on a position he’s never played before.

 

However, that was the catch. As much as Boka was challenged to take on a more offensive approach to the game as a forward, the young defenseman has made it tough on the coaching staff to have him out of the lineup.

 

“I think he’s challenged me in terms of he’s played so darn well,” said Amerks head coach Seth Appert when asked about challenging Boka to take on the forward position. “He forces his way into the lineup, whether that’s at forward or at D, so it’s a real credit to him that we have thought, as a staff, that he was so necessary to have in the lineup at times that we were willing to play him at a position he’s never played before.”

 

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Now it’s no secret that the Amerks have been faced with their fair share of adversity when it comes to the constant roster shuffling since the turn of the new year, but Appert needs a player like Boka in his lineup with the energy, competitiveness and value he’s been bringing as of lately.

 

“Yes, some of it is roster related, but it’s also how he brings so much energy, competitiveness, nastiness, and toughness to the lineup. To his teammates, he’s just made himself extremely valuable and he’s done that every day.”

 

Last season, Boka spent majority of the year with the Fort Wayne Komets (ECHL), finishing with career-highs in both assists with 14 and points with 18 in his 44 games. Boka also went on to produce a pair of assists in 13 contests to help the Komets claim the Kelly Cup Championship and finished the season third among all Komets defensemen in both assists and points. Additionally, Boka made his AHL debut during the playoffs with the Ontario Reign as he skated in one game.

 

On Aug. 18, 2021, Boka signed a one-year AHL deal with the Amerks and didn’t appear in his first regular season game at this level until Jan. 7. Since then, Boka has went on to play in 16 games with Rochester, really ramping up his ice time as of late and tallying three points.

 

Even though Boka started the 2021-22 campaign bouncing back-and-forth between Rochester and the Cincinnati Cyclones, he said the journey that he’s on has been a huge learning experience for him.

 

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“It’s a huge learning experience from me. Especially with the coaching staff having played a ton of NHL games and kind of taking me under their wing.”

 

The biggest thing Boka has taken away from his AHL experience this season, is how competitive he has to play to get himself into the lineup.

 

“For me, the biggest thing is just not going over the edge. You know, I have to play really competitive to really get a chance in playing in the lineup.”

 

That all changed at the end of February, though, when the Amerks were heading into a home-and-home series with the Toronto Marlies on Feb. 26 and 27 to close out the month. As the Amerks were shutout 4-0 in the first game of that weekend’s action, the team was on the bus headed north of the border and that’s when Appert had an idea that would give Boka valuable experience that would teach him even more about the game.

 

“It just felt that the only way we were going to win was with guys that were going to absolutely battle for each other,” said Appert. “There’s varying degrees of that, right? Some guys are more skilled or cerebral or smart, and some guys are real battle warriors. I just felt we needed all those guys in the lineup that were that way.”

 

Boka was the player that Appert was looking for and the young forward jumped at the opportunity to give himself more games in the Amerks lineup.

 

WATCH: NICK BOKA AFTER PRACTICE ON MARCH 8

 

“If I could play center and it’s an opportunity for me to get in the lineup and play, I jumped at it, and he (Appert) has been very supportive in helping me build my confidence in that transition.”

 

The transition has been one that has made Boka appreciate the amount of work his forward group puts in for him and his team on a daily basis. Boka now knows just how hard forwards work to keep the team in each and every contest, adding a lot more respect that he already had.

 

“The biggest thing is it’s given me a lot more respect for the forwards and how hard they work every single day. It’s really tough playing that position and, I think, defensively you take for granted not having to really expend yourself every single shift.”

 

Boka then finished with, “I think more than anything it’s not just knowing how hard they’re working for you.”

 

At the end of the day, Appert wanted a player that he knew was going to go out and fight for his teammates in a time where the roster was challenging to put together.

 

“He told me ‘I’ll give you everything I got,’ and that’s why he was going in.”