When Boko Imama suffered a bicep injury in March that required surgery, he was concerned about his future with the Pittsburgh Penguins. “I was just like, oh my God – I just hope that’s not my last time wearing a Penguins uniform,” Imama said.
The team decided to re-sign Imama, who turned 29 this month. Known for his physical play and positive attitude, Imama has become a valued member of the organization. His teammates, coaches, management, staff, and fans have all responded positively to his presence.
“I’m very grateful to be re-signed, to come back again better, stronger,” said Imama. Last year, he was the team’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which recognizes 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’s recovery is progressing within an expected four-to-six-month timeline. He noted that resting during recovery was difficult due to his usual intensity: “the hardest thing was just to chill, let’s put it that way,” he said.
In July, Imama traveled with family members to Dubai for a vacation that allowed them to reconnect and experience new things together. “With hockey, being away, life just keeps on going by… So, I feel like that trip was an all-for-one where it’s like… we connected so much. We were soaking up that Middle Eastern culture… It was great,” he said.
Shortly after returning home from Dubai, Imama co-hosted the Duclair Imama Development Camp alongside Anthony Duclair of the New York Islanders. The camp offers free training and education for young players and grew out of conversations following Black Lives Matter protests and their personal experiences with racism in hockey.
“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 explained.
He added: “It was like, all right, what can we actually do instead of just tweeting something?… For us, it was these hockey camps. All these things just sparked us into trying to turn the bad into the good.”
The first camp took place in Montreal and led to further investment through Duclair’s foundation; this summer marked its third year.
“I think every player knows how privileged we are to play this sport… But just to see those kids so excited every day… their parents were telling us how in the morning they’re ready on their own… It’s just like positive energy,” said Imama.
After these activities, Imama returned to Montreal for off-season training at Adrenaline Performance Center (APC), working out with teammate Kris Letang.
“I love to try different things… Like I’ve been kind of everywhere. I’m just a fitness fanatic,” said Imama.
He described Letang as a motivating presence: “He’s a guy that you want to keep around yourself because he’s always going… Meanwhile he’s still training… Kris was just crazy this summer… But it was definitely nice to go through the grind with him.”
