Penguins' forward Boko Imama: 'Just being true to myself got me here'

The Nashville Predators wanted to start heavy.

The Pittsburgh Penguins responded in kind.

Before a 3-0 win by the Penguins on Feb. 1 at PPG Paints Arena, the Predators — by rule — provided their starting lineup first, and it included Michael McCarron, a 6-foot-6, 232-pound forward who largely plays an aggressively physical game.

Upon seeing the Predators’ starting six, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan submitted a crew of starters that included the wonderfully melodic name of Boko Imama, a fiercely combative 6-1, 221-pound forward.

The puck was dropped, and both teams largely skated the length of the rink for 29 seconds until a hand pass halted play. Imama and McCarron exchanged some thoughts near the benches before a linesman stepped in and steered each faction away.

Not much happened during that sequence, but it meant the world to Imama to be used as a deterrent to McCarron, a steady nuisance, especially to the likes of franchise center Sidney Crosby.

“Oh, absolutely,” Imama said Thursday in Cranberry. “Absolutely. Starting the game, I knew Nashville wanted to start with their bigger guys. I’m happy that (Sullivan) put us out there. I wanted to make sure we’re the ones setting the pace and not the ones retreating. Definitely exciting.”

That jubilation comes from the perspective of limited service time in the NHL.

Imama has only 21 NHL games on his resume and cherishes each and every experience they have provided.

“It’s always good to be in the league, playing in the NHL,” Imama said. “Obviously, it’s a dream happening, but I know I have a lot of work to do to earn my spot.”

Recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Jan. 25, Imama has played in six games with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Primarily stationed on the left wing of the fourth line, he has no points while averaging 5 minutes, 28 seconds of ice time.

An undisclosed injury he suffered during a 3-2 road win against the New York Rangers on Friday led to a scratch for Saturday’s 3-2 road loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.

His next appearance this season will represent a career high for Imama, but the prospect of any kind of statistical milestone offers little to him. His pursuits are far more profound.

“I’m trying to be a Penguin, so I’m not really looking at things that happened in the past or anything like that,” Imama said. “Just make sure that every day I come ready and do what I have to do.”

That approach striving to reach and stay in the NHL is greatly appreciated by teammates who have firmer standing in the league.

“He wants to be a part of this team,” said defenseman P.O Joseph, friends with Imama dating to their days as youths in Quebec. “He has that energy of just being an older brother, not only for me but other guys. He’s always in a good mood. It’s fun to see him taking it all in. Sometimes, we forget how big this is and how lucky we are. He comes in and just reminds us that every day is a blessing for us to be here doing this.”

A major component of what Imama does is fight. Thus far, he has one fighting major with the Penguins. That came via a bout with Utah Hockey Club forward Liam O’Brien on Jan. 29.

Upon being selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the sixth round (No. 180 overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Imama realized his route to the NHL would be driven primarily by physical play.

“When I got drafted back in 2015, (Lightning management was) pretty clear on the reason that they drafted me,” Imama said. “I was this big physical guy. I knew a big part of my game would have to be that physical element. It’s something that I just embrace. It gave me success in my career. It’s one of the big reasons I am here. It’s something that I figured out back in the junior days.”

The long-term ramifications of injuries caused by fighting — namely, concussions — are no secret. Imama understands them and does what he can to avoid them.

“First of all, I’m a God-fearing man, and I put my fate between his hands,” Imama said. “I just try to do things right, make sure I’m prepared before every fight. Making sure I’m also protecting myself. Getting on the offensive but also doing it smart. It’s a problem that gets talked about a lot. When I see stories on this, I make sure I can learn something from it and make sure I keep myself safe as well.”

Imama also understands his job security as an NHLer is not safe and likely won’t ever be. That’s why he cherishes whatever time he has in this league and has become one of the Penguins’ most popular players among teammates.

“Oh, he’s awesome,” forward Cody Glass said. “He’s a beauty. One of the greatest guys of all time. He’s willing to do anything. Block a shot, take a hit, fight. A glue guy that he’ll do all the dirty work that goes unrecognized. But as players, you see it, you see how hard he works, what it took for him to get to this point. You want to root for him, you want to push for him. He’s such a positive person in the locker room.”

If Imama wants to stay in that locker room, he understands what he has to do.

“Bringing the energy, being physical, standing up for my teammates, those are things that I always do, whether I’m in the NHL or the AHL,” Imama said. “Just being true to myself got me here.”