"It's a historic franchise," said Mast. "I think Original Six when I hear of them. They've been super successful for pretty much my whole life, and I just think of them as a very successful organization."
Mast, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound defenseman known for both his versatility and dependability, spent his rookie season in 2019-20 with the Sarnia Sting. The suspension of the 2020-21 OHL season kept Mast out of a Sting uniform for the entirety of last season, but he was able to get some game action in a tournament setting with a multitude of OHL players.
"The OHL didn't go back at all, but I went to the Erie PBHH Showcase that a lot of OHL guys went to and played at," said Mast. "I got to play 10 games there. That was all I had for a season pretty much, but it was a good 10 games and I was happy to get those games in. I'm excited to get a full season going again next year."
Mast's rookie season in Sarnia saw the defenseman record 11 points (goal, 10 assists) in 58 games. A mobile defenseman with size and puck-moving ability, Mast sees himself as a player who can contribute on both ends of the ice.
"I'm a big, right-handed, two-way defenseman," said Mast. "I think I value playing in the defensive end a lot, but I can get involved jumping in the rush too and making plays offensively. It's being a versatile, two-way defenseman."
With good size and a right-handed shot, Mast has already used one Boston defenseman as someone he can model his game after.
"There's definitely a lot of guys I like to watch and learn from," said Mast. "A Bruin that I think is a good one is Brandon Carlo. Similar body types and he's definitely someone I can learn from by watching him."
The Michigan native confirmed his current weight of 215 pounds, with some help coming from his mom's home cooking in Bloomfield Hills over the past year. "Yep," Mast confirmed with a smile and a laugh. "It's good, for sure."
