Sometimes, it's easy to forget that Nick Boynton just turned 24.

The Boston Bruins' defenseman is so solid on the blue line that he often seems like a grizzled veteran, rather than the still-developing youngster that he really is. To wit, Boynton is in just his third full season with the Bruins.

But, already, he is a mainstay on Boston's blue line as they battle down to the wire, chasing both the Northeast Division crown and the Eastern Conference title. In fact, Boynton leads all Boston defensemen in average time on ice per game, emerging as first-year coach Mike Sullivan's first deployment option in almost any situation.

While Boynton's emergence has taken some by surprise, Boston captain Joe Thornton is not among that group. Thornton, also 24, has watched Boynton's development for almost a decade.

The two players starred in the Ontario Hockey League at the same time. At that time, Thornton was a high-scoring pivot for Sault Ste. Marie, while Boynton was a big, physical defenseman for the rival Ottawa 67's. Needless to say, the players' paths crossed often, sometimes resulting in breathtaking collisions.

"I grew up playing against Nick," explains Thornton. "He's always impressed me since we were 15. We played together a lot, too, on travel teams and international teams, so we became friends along the way.

"He never gave me the cheap shots or anything like that, but he was always a tough guy to go against. He's just so calm. He doesn't make any mistakes. He's so solid out there. That's why he's so good."

In 1997, both were first-round picks in the NHL Entry Draft. Thornton went No. 1 overall and immediately joined the Bruins, beginning his ascension toward superstar status. Boynton, meanwhile, took a more roundabout route.

Drafted ninth overall by Washington, Boynton could not come to contract terms with the Capitals. He re-entered the draft two years later, selected in the first round, 21st overall, by the Bruins.

Upon joining the Boston organization, Boynton was deemed not quite ready for prime-time duty and dispatched to Providence, the team's primary affiliate in the American Hockey League. Although the Baby Bruins play less than an hour south of Boston, it is a vastly different life in Rhode Island's capital.

Still, Boynton was happy for the opportunity to refine his game, even though it involved tedious bus rides to cities all over the Eastern seaboard and the taunts of fans -- sometimes even the home supporters -- in intimate arenas a world removed from the cathedrals of the NHL.

It was there that Boynton was able to find his comfort level, learning his trade against more experienced and better players during a sometimes painful trial-and-error phase. Those two years in Providence established Boynton's almost uncanny ability to rarely repeat a mistake.

"You're not a very good player and you don't last long in this League if you don't learn from your mistakes," explains Boynton. "I'm always trying to learn every day. I spent two years in the minors and my first year was a really tough year.

"All of a sudden, you're struggling and you start to think that maybe you should think about doing something else. My first year in Providence was a real eye-opener. (The fans) know their hockey their in New England and when you are going bad, there's nowhere to hide out there."

So, Boynton faced his shortcomings head-on and worked tirelessly on them. After a two-year apprenticeship, he joined Boston full-time in 2001-02. And, it was immediately obvious that Boynton had learned his lessons well.

His first year with the Bruins, Boynton finished with 18 points in 80 games. Even more stunning, he was an impressive plus-18 -- the second-best total among NHL rookies. The next year, he compiled 24 points and a plus-8 rating, announcing to everyone that he had arrived as a force in the NHL.

Again, Thornton was among the first to notice, noting how Boynton was resembling the confident player he remembered from their run-ins as precocious teenagers.

"Suddenly, you could see it click," said Thornton. "He realized he could play at this level and he could do the things he wanted to and it started showing in his play."

Now, it is impossible not to notice Boynton's confidence. After 68 games this season, he already has 24 points and is poised to set career bests in almost every category. Plus, he played for the Eastern Conference in this year's NHL All-Star Game in St. Paul, Minn., his first All-Star selection.

It has been an amazing evolution for Boynton, one so stunning that it has even rattled the always steady Boynton during those rare times he stops working on improving and reflects on all that he has already accomplished.

"This is something you dream about as a kid," said Boynton during All-Star Weekend. "To have it happen is almost too much to explain. It's just unbelievable. I got to go to the YoungStars Game in Los Angeles a few years ago and I remember sitting there afterward and watching the All-Star Game and it was just unbelievable. Now, I am a part of it and it is really hard to believe."

Almost as hard as it is to believe that Boynton is all of 24.