Any talk of a potential interview with Panthers defenceman Jay Boumeester comes with a bit of a warning from your peers.

"Have you ever talked to him before?" one reported asked when I brought him up.

"He's dull," said another. "Very. I wouldn't bother."

His reputation precedes him, but Bouwmeester was nonetheless one of the most sought-after all-stars this weekend in Montreal. And almost all of the many, many questions he fielded were regarding a potential trade from South Florida, something he obviously wasn't all that interested in discussing.

For a guy who has been in the league since 2002-03, Bouwmeester's still treated as a bit of an unknown, someone who has yet to establish a presence among NHL stars because of where he plays. After meeting him in person, I can see why the media doesn't quite know what to make of him.

Bouwmeester doesn't look, or act, like a professional athlete. While almost every other player wore a suit to their media availability session on the weekend, he showed up in a golf shirt and a pair of specs, looking more like an engineering student than an NHL star making $5-million a year.

He's also as unassuming as they come. Bouwmeester's quite simply an introvert — not just soft spoken, but downright timid — and the prospect of talking to hundreds of media in Montreal over the weekend wasn't his idea of a good time.

As one tall, quiet guy from Western Canada to another, I had a chance to chat with Bouwmeester on Sunday — without bringing up his contract status. I asked what his weekend had been like given all the attention.

"Ah, the one day there was, you know, the kinda press day, there was a lot, but it's no big deal," he said. "You deal with it. There's obviously a lot of media and stuff here so ... it's all good.

"It's probably all good exposure for the game."

Bouwmeester said the attention is also something he's gotten better at dealing with over time.

"You get used to it. You deal with it. It's part of the job, I guess.

"I wouldn't say it's difficult. It's maybe something you don't really enjoy," he said, quietly. "It's not a pain in the ass or nothing, it's just something you deal with it and it doesn't really — it's not too painful, so..."

At this point, another reporter jumped in with a question about how his three-point performance in the all-star game might help him land a bigger contract as a free agent.

"Do you think you raised the ante?" he was asked.

"I wouldn't think so," Bouwmeester said. "A game like this, you kinda take it with a grain of salt, I guess. No, I don't think that that's got anything to do with anything."

He also talked about his team, and how the Panthers could win if they "play a certain way," and said his goal production — he's on pace for a career high — was more a matter of getting a few bounces than anything. 

You can see why he frustrates the media and why many write him off as not worth an interview. Bouwmeester rarely gives the answer that's being sought and speaks with a lot of stops and starts.

He says he's become more comfortable with the media, but I think for the most part he knows they leave him alone if he doesn't engage in a real conversation. There's nothing wrong with being quiet and introverted — it's something I'm sure a lot of fans can relate to —  but it is a challenge for someone whose day job comes with a certain amount of fame.

All that said, I disagree that he'll avoid playing in a Canadian city at all costs. Bouwmeester may not enjoy being poked and prodded by the media, but he's learned to live with it.

I think he goes to one of the highest bidders come July 1.

My last question for Bouwmeester was about his father, Dan, who landed his son in a bit of hot water lately after saying the Panthers "shouldn't even be in the NHL" to one local reporter.

"Ah, he's ... I dunno," he said. "Don't listen to my Dad."