Bruins Prospect Peter Cehlarik Signs With Lugano

Peter Cehlarik will not return to the Boston Bruins for the 2020-21 season. A source confirmed to Boston Hockey Now on Friday that Cehlarik has in fact signed with HC Lugano in Switzerland. Cehlarik will not be part of an expanded roster for the Bruins when the NHL season resumes this summer.

Although this brings an official end to Cehlarik’s time in Boston, the writing was on the wall. Last month, Peter Cehlarik was highly critical of coach Bruce Cassidy in an interview back in his home country of Slovakia. Cehlarik did not believe he was getting a fair shot in the NHL.

“I can’t cross the line to persuade Bruins [coach] Bruce Cassidy for good,” Cehlarik said, via translation. “Sometimes I felt as if he was just waiting for my mistake to send me back to the farm. They know what they are doing. They’ve invested years of development in me. It’s all about trust from a coach I don’t get. I still hear that I’m ready for the NHL, I have it, but when it goes like this, I need a change and a new start. It is high time.”

Cehlarik only played in three games for the Bruins this past season. He only collected a single assist, and posted a +/- of -1. He spent the rest of his season with AHL Providence. There, Cehlarik appeared in 48 games and scored 37 points (16 g, 21 a) for a P-Bruins team that dominated the AHL.

In all, Cehlarik appeared in 40 NHL games over the course of four seasons. He finished with eleven points (5 g, 6 a).

Last season, only one former NHL’er suited up for HC Lugano. That was defenseman Taylor Chorney. Ten days ago, they signed former NHL forward Mikkel Boedker.