While Boqvist may soon be out of time with the Blackhawks, as he's expected to report to the London Knights for the 2018-19 OHL season, he said his first NHL training camp has been a valuable experience.
"It's so good to be around NHL players, to try and enjoy so much here and take all the stuff that they throw at me," Boqvist said. "Of course, I talk to [Keith and Seabrook] a lot and they've helped me so much. I hope that I can be here one day with them."
The eighth-overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft is coming to the end of a long offseason program in Chicago. Since being drafted, Boqvist took part in the Blackhawks Development Camp in July, before heading to Traverse City, Mich. to play in the 2018 NHL Prospect Tournament earlier this month.
He got his first taste of NHL action on Tuesday night, traveling with the Blackhawks to Columbus where he played 18 minutes in a 4-1 preseason loss to the Blue Jackets.
"The game was not the best one, but a preseason game is a preseason game. So hopefully, I can take some steps to play better," he said. "I was a little nervous when I saw [Blue Jackets defender] Seth Jones and that type of player. I've looked up to them."
Boqvist also added that he knew about the cannon that the Blue Jackets fire off at Nationwide Arena after they score a goal. But he said he learned plenty from his first minutes of game action.
"You don't have too much time with the puck and you need to make a good first pass," Boqvist said. "I think I started pretty slow but then I stepped up my game a little bit."
The next stop in Boqvist's 2018 odyssey will likely be to the London Knights of the OHL, where he will look to put his experience with the Blackhawks to use against younger competition.
"I'm going to try and take everything with me," he said. "You have to try and be a leader."
