Bruins Show Off Their Top Draft Pick

Joe Thornton, who will be selected by the Boston Bruins with the first pick in the NHL draft June 21 and is in contract negotiations with the club, is making his first visit to Boston.

Tuesday, his agenda included a meeting with the local media.

At 17, Thornton is every bit the effervescent teenager. Yet the 6-foot-4, 198-pound center showed poise in answering question after question about his hockey future, his musical tastes, his hobbies, and his dreams.

“He’s got a presence about him,” said assistant general manager Mike O’Connell. “He kind of looks like someone important to people. There’s something special about him, an air about him. He’s a typical product of Canadian junior hockey. He’s very humble, has a good feeling of where he’s at and what he wants to accomplish. When he gets on the ice, I think you’ll see he’s very driven as well.”

As the top-rated youngster among those eligible for the draft, Thornton is widely believed to be a future franchise player.

“There’s not really any pressure,” he said. “I’m only 17 right now. I don’t think there’s big pressure on me right now. Maybe when I’m a little older and more mature and have a few years under my belt …” Thornton has one year of high school left, which he plans to complete by correspondence.