Riley Duran was like any hockey-mad kid growing up in Woburn in this century. The walls of his basement were adorned with posters of Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, Milan Lucic and Brad Marchand. As a matter of fact, they still are.

“It’s just funny all the Fatheads I got for Christmas and now you see them walking around the rink here,” said Duran, who is participating in this week’s Development Camp at Warrior Ice Arena.

“It’s just crazy how good guys they are. You grow up and think ‘Are these guys even human?’ And then you’re meeting them for the first time and they’re the nicest people of all time. They’ve just been so good to me.”

If Duran sounds like a star-struck kid, he didn’t show it when he got his chance to play with the Providence Bruins after signing his entry level contract out of Providence College last spring. In 11 games, he picked up a pair of goals and two assists.

It was an eye-opening experience for him – and those in charge of evaluating him.

“For me, to be transparent, I think he was a lot better than what I was expecting,” said P-Bruins coach Ryan Mougenel. “And not saying I had him at a different standard, but we were really surprised with how well well his game had grown and how confident he was in the American league.. He was excellent for us. For me, he’s probably a little bit ahead of where we thought he’d be at this time, so we’re excited about his growth, his development, the person, his work ethic, being a great teammate. I think Providence College does a great job with that.”

Because of call-ups, the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Duran was given the chance to skate up in the lineup with Patrick Brown. Mougenel expected some ruggedness from Duran’s frame, but what took him by surprise was his skill set.

“I thought he was more of a (grinder), which he has. But it was his skill set, his hands, his speed his separation, his willingness to get inside,” said Mougenel, who immediately used him on special teams. “We recognized that that’s a tough time of year to come in for most college players or junior players when things get ramped up a little bit. He excelled at that. We’re very pleased with him.”

So pleased that when GM Don Sweeney was ticking off names of young prospects that could fill the open wing spot on the varsity, he mentioned Duran along with Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov.

“I say this with respect — he’s just a simple player,” said B’s Development Coordinator Adam McQuaid. “He comes to work, he does the little things well. I was impressed with his board play, especially at the pro level already. I think he really established himself as a player that the coaches could rely on, which can be hard for a young player. I was also impressed with his poise with the puck and his ability to make plays. We saw that at times when he was at PC. We knew that it was there. But you just don’t know how it would translate, especially right off the hop turning pro, but he jumped right in and looked comfortable. Maybe some of that is being used to being in the area and being a local kid. We’re excited to see where he can get to.”

Duran, 22, will have to prove himself all over again when camp opens in September, but his stint in Providence last spring gave him a taste of what he’ll need to do to stick.

“Definitely, especially playing with the older guys like (Oskar Steen) and Brown, it just gave me a perspective on how much it takes,” said Duran, a sixth round pick (182nd overall) in 2020. “Those guys were such good role models. You bring it every day. They had a few more games than me compared to college, but it just goes to show that it’s such a more mature game and the little things matter, like taking care of your body.”

Duran scored just 27 goals in 103 NCAA games at PC. Could it be that there’s something about the pro game is more conducive to his game?

“In a way. It’s just a more mature game,” said Duran. “It’s not as rushed around as college. It’s a little slower, but more mature. Everyone’s in the right spots. Finding the back of the net gave me a little confidence. Yeah, I thought I played pretty well in Providence.”

While he’s got a shot at making the Bruin roster when camp opens in September, there’s no telling when and if Duran makes the Boston roster. The B’s don’t block ready prospects usually, but it’s rare that a young player gets thrust in the lineup before his time.

It’s a good bet there aren’t any prospects in the pipeline that would appreciate skating on Garden ice for the home team more than Duran.

“Just wearing a Bruins logo gives you motivation every day, no matter what,” he said. “I just want to come to main camp and give it my all and hopefully things work out.”…

The B’s finished up their Development Camp with a full scrimmage and some 3-on-3 work on Thursday. Oskar Jellvik scored a goal in the scrimmage and stood out all week. Usually a wing, he also played a bit of center in the scrimmage.

Dean Letourneau, the 6-foot-7 first rounder who will be Jellvik’s teammate at Boston College in a little over a month, also flashed some his high-end skill that his reach can facilitate. He’s got some maturing to do physically but there’s definitely some promise there….

There was a brief scare at the end of the final session when Jellvik went down and was slow to get up before leaving without putting any weight on his left leg. But afterward he said he was fine, just tweaked his ankle a bit.