When Boko Imama got hurt at the end of March, with his bicep injury requiring surgery, “I was just like, oh my God – I just hope that's not my last time wearing a Penguins uniform,” he said.
Imama didn’t have anything to worry about, as the team made it a priority to re-sign the forward, who turned 29 this month. Imama quickly became a beloved member of the organization with his physical style, boundless energy, and positive attitude - qualities that his teammates, coaches, management, staff, and the fans gravitated towards.
“I'm very grateful to be re-signed, to come back again better, stronger,” said Imama, who was last year's team nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.
“I was very happy. I mean, that's the only thing I wanted, right? I'm happy the team felt the same. I didn't want to test the market or nothing like that. I just had one team in my head. That's how we got it done quick, because I just wanted to be a Penguin again. I love it there.”
Imama was given a recovery timeline of four to six months, and said he’s feeling good. But as someone who approaches pretty much everything he does with intensity and passion, “the hardest thing was just to chill, let’s put it that way,” Imama said with a laugh.
So, a trip to Dubai at the beginning of July was well-timed. It was initially going to be just Boko and his mom, as Dubai has always been her dream destination. But two of his sisters – Boko has four – and their dad also wanted to come. So, they made a family vacation out of it.
“With hockey, being away, life just keeps on going by, and sometimes you feel like you're missing out on family and all that stuff,” Boko said. “So, I feel like that trip was an all-for-one where it's like, yes, we're on vacation, but I feel like we connected so much. We were soaking up that Middle Eastern culture, too, just trying new things together as a family. It was great.”
A few weeks after getting home, it was time for the Duclair Imama Development Camp. It was started by Imama and Anthony Duclair, who has appeared in over 600 NHL games and currently plays for the New York Islanders. The Montreal natives have been friends for years.
“It’s basically free for those kids, and we give them pretty much an NHL schedule where it's all these workouts, all this training, education videos as well,” Imama said.
The idea came during the pandemic, when Black Lives Matter protests arose following the death of George Floyd. Between that movement and their personal experiences being on the receiving end of racism during games, Imama and Duclair wanted to take action in some way.
“It was like, all right, what can we actually do instead of just tweeting something?” Imama said, “We're thinking, like, what can we actually do that is going to be tangible and actually be useful for the cause. For us, it was these hockey camps. All these things just sparked us into trying to turn the bad into the good.”
The first one, held in their hometown, was a big success. Anthony was able to launch the Duclair Foundation, which allowed them to invest more funds in the second one. This year was the third annual Duclair Imama Development Camp, and it brought such joy to everyone involved.
“I think every player knows how privileged we are to play this sport, but knowing that it's a big privilege, you're also kind of stressed, nervous, trying your best,” Imama said. “So, sometimes, you forget to have fun. But just to see those kids so excited every day, wanting to be there... their parents were telling us how in the morning, they're ready on their own. Nobody's dragging their feet. It's just like, positive energy.
“The Dubai trip was number one, but then the hockey camp was definitely number two, just by making people's days.”
