How Bruins Learn to Play has transformed hockey in New England

Andrew Raycroft (left) helps coach Bruins Learn to Play sessions throughout the fall. (Boston Bruins)

You can hear the jump in Andrew Raycroft’s voice when he talks about the Boston Bruins Learn to Play program.

“It’s literally the best thing,” he said.

The former Boston Bruins netminder travels in youth hockey circles these days with his kids. He knows how, around the ages of 9 or 10, the voices start growing about needing to be on this club team or that club team. The pressure ramps up to train during the summer. It gets serious quickly.

But the Bruins Learn to Play program? It’s nowhere close to that.

“It’s so innocent,” Raycroft said. “It’s so genuine. There’s nobody that isn’t just trying to love the game.”