Axelsson Returns Home: Signs With Frolunda

Today marked an official end to the career of P.J Axelsson as a member of the Boston Bruins (for now), and possibly the NHL. It was clearly obvious to the Bruins fan base that their favorite Swede and under-appreciated penalty killer wasn't going to be returning to the Hub of Hockey for a 12th season, but the wishful thinking was active among the Garden faithful.

The doubts were reinforced with the Bruins July 1st signing of grinding left-winger Steve Begin to a one year deal worth 850,000 dollars. This was clearly a move to replace what the Bruins were anticipating to lose with the expected departures of Stephane Yelle and P.J Axelsson on the lower lines. Begin, who turned 31 last month is expected to see most of his ice time on the Bruins penalty kill, something that earned him his pay-checks in Montreal and Dallas.

Despite the addition of Begin into Boston, it's going to feel exceptionally weird on October 1st when we don't see Axelsson take the ice for the pre-game skate for the first time since 1996.

Axelsson's 797 games with the Boston Bruins, a truly rare scene in the current NHL due to the salary cap and free agency, put Axelsson in all different roles within the Bruins roster. Whether it varied from being on the Bruins top line or relying on the crafty Frolunda, Sweeden native to perform his Selke-like defense on the penalty kill, you could never say that P.J didn't give it his all out on the ice for the black and gold.

Personally, P.J Axelsson epitomized the common Bruin. He never had the goal scoring skills or enforcer's mentality, but when Axelsson took the ice, you knew you were going to see a player who'd never quit. His aggresiveness on the puck and smart style of play made him a fan favorite to the point where the 34 year old was running an annual pajama-pledging-drive.

Although reports indicate that the Bruin was offered multi-year contracts by fellow Eastern Conference foes, the deals were based on teams abilities to clear cap space, which (obviously) didn't pan out and with the Axelsson family expecting their new child in October, the idea of moving his family out of Boston became more of a nuisance than anything else when the Frolunda Indians came with a multi-year offer for "Peej".

The four year offer to play in his hometown was an offer P.J accepted with seemingly great ease. This is Axe's second stint with Frolunda H.C, a team he spent the entire duration of the NHL lockout with. In his first stint with the Indians, Axelsson's 10 assists in the playoffs set a record for the Elitserien (or also known as the Swedish Elite League).

Although the door remains open for Axelsson's return to the NHL in the future, it appears that his career as a Bruin is officially in the books.

Thank you P.J, see you in February when you suit up in that blue and yellow in Vancouver for the Olympics.

Bruins Ink Morris To One Year Deal

The life of a General Manager. In just 24 short hours, Bruins mastermind Peter Chiarelli has arguably revamped the Boston blue-line for the better with the signing of Derek Morris.

When the Bruins traded away fan favorite Aaron Ward, the thought process among NHL fans was "Oh, this makes sense, they do need to keep Phil Kessel and they creates the cap space to do so.". However, the internet started to buzz once again when Chiarelli stated that the move was made because he "had his eye on another defensemen".

Certainly with a limited amount of cap space, the options seemed slim. Many thought the Bruins were going to gamble on the recovering Sergei Zubov, while others thought the B's were poised to steal Mathieu Schneider away from the Canadiens. It turned out 90% of people in the Hub of Hockey were wrong as the Bruins signed puck-moving defensemen Derek Morris to a one-year deal worth 3.3 million dollars.

Bye-bye Kessel. Or at least it's beginning to seem that way, isn't it? With Chiarelli confirming that he was "done for a while", the future of the man who wears 81 remains in limbo, a spot that Kessel has become accustomed to. Considering the B's currently have enough players signed to the roster to put a product on the ice for opening night and plenty of depth at the right wing (Ryder, Kobasew, Recchi, Bitz, Wheeler) it seems more likely that Kessel won't be lighting the lamp at the TD Bank Garden for the Bruins come October 1st.

In the mean time, the mystery around the signing of Derek Morris is beginning to grow. Is he the puck-mover that the Bruins have been desperately seeking? Or is he just a rental player for arguably the Bruins best chance for a Cup come 2009-10? I for one, believe that Morris is simply a rental for this upcoming season when considering the crop of players with expiring contracts.

Despite the addition of the offensive upside that Morris brings to the table, is the price tag reasonable? Then I remember, this is the first month of free agency, nothing's reasonable. Again, I for one don't believe that Derek Morris is a player worth 3.3 million dollars considering the woeful season he had in the desert in Phoenix. Although his struggles were mighty with the 'Yotes, the 30-year-old seemed to regain his offensive spark when he was dealt to the New York Rangers.

When the season concluded, Morris finished with just 20 points and a -10 between Arizona and the Blueshirts. Undoubtedly, Morris' bright spot came with the Rangers, as he put up 8 points in 18 games.

This tenure with the Rangers was Morris' first trip playing for an Eastern Conference team and with the Edmonton-native slated to play along side Norris Trophy winner Zdeno Chara, it's entirely possible that Bruins fans and the rest of the Eastern Conference can see the revitalization of a player once thought to be dead in the desert.

Bruins Trade Ward To Carolina

An unexpected trade today became official this morning as the Bruins have sent veteran defensemen Aaron Ward to Carolina in exchange for a 2010 fourth round draft choice and forward Patrick Eaves. After the trade, newly acquired Patrick Eaves was placed on waivers and was going to be bought out if no one claimed him.

This was a cap dump by definition, however, the disagreement in the Hub of Hockey is beginning to grow.

First off, Aaron Ward was a fan favorite. Made popular for his rugged style of play and "Ward Wednesday" on the Toucher & Rich show on WBCN, where he would frequently bash a player from the opposition without care. Despite being overpaid in many people's eyes as Ward's numbers never quite justified the 2.5 million dollar a year salary, he earned the status of Boston's veteran defensive presence for young guys such as Mark Stuart and Matt Hunwick.

The biggest killer in this deal for most B's fans has been the fact that if Eaves doesn't get claimed, that he will be bought out. Boston is currently paying both Glen Murray and Peter Schaefer through buy-outs that are counting against the cap and now they're going to add another to the list? Between Schaefer and Murray the B's have 1.9 million dollars in buy-outs currently against the cap and with Eaves expected to join the list, the amount of buy-outs on the cap jumps up to over two million dollars.

This move was ultimately made to create the cap space needed to re-sign 36-goal scorer Phil Kessel. However, despite the eventual addition of Phil Kessel, the Bruins have created themselves a lack of NHL ready players on the blue-line.

Along with mainstays Zdeno Chara, Dennis Wideman, Andrew Ference and Mark Stuart the Bruins are expected to have young players Matt Hunwick and Johnny Boychuk join the NHL roster as their defensive core. With these six ready for the NHL season, the problem would develop if and when an injury strikes the B's defense. With no defensemen in Providence truly ready for the big leagues, there's a need for a seventh defensemen in Boston.

With Shane Hnidy signed in Minnesota, the obvious choice is gone. Kessel, who's expected to sign for four to five million dollars a season, Peter Chiarelli will simply not have a lot of money to add anyone for more than league minimum. Although Drew Fata was recently signed to a two-way contract, he's an undersized goon who really doesn't bring much to the table at the NHL level.

In a large pool of veteran defensemen looking for new homes, the Bruins may just get lucky. One name that sticks out to me for one, is former Bruin Kyle McLaren. The 32-year old defensemen has certainly experienced quite the fall from grace. After being sent to the AHL with his 2.2 million dollar cap hit, the 6'4 menacing blue-liner put up seven points in 22 games for the Worcester Sharks. When a trade that would have sent McLaren to Philadelphia was nullified after McLaren failed a physical, the doubts are growing that he will never return to the NHL level.

Along with McLaren, 47 year old Chris Chelios is still out there as a free agent. Despite struggling in the 2009 Playoffs for the Red Wings, the veteran could possibly be a nice addition as a seventh defensemen held to limited playing time. He has Stanley Cup experience and could even be a better mentor to the Bruins young guns than Ward was. I fully believe that if both were given to chance to play in the NHL then they'd accept league minimum contracts.

For some, the attempt to get back into the NHL will be difficult following major surgeries. Two names that stick out are Sergei Zubov and Rhett Warrener. Zubov is coming off major hip surgery and looking for a new home. The 39 year old defensemen has been a great powerplay weapon his entire career and had 4 points in 10 games for the Dallas Stars in 2008. Warrener, a former Calgary Flame mainstay is coming off major shoulder surgery and appears to be done in Calgary.

In 2007-08, Warrener's last season played in, he had 4 points in 31 games. With his shoulder possibly unable to hold up, a role as a seventh defensemen for league minimum could be a plus for both Warrener and the Boston Bruins.

One thing's for sure, this cap space freed up by the trading of the three-time Stanley Cup winner has made enough room to sign Kessel to a long term contract. As is the case with many NHL teams and the way they approach their restricted free agents, the Bruins are anxious to get a deal done with the potential 40 goal scorer of the future, which is now fully possible.

10 Bruins Games You Need To Watch Not Played At Fenway Park

As jubilant as Boston is that they'll be the host of the third Winter Classic, there's still 81 more games to be played in the Bruins quest for a Stanley Cup. Despite these games having roofs over their heads and lacking a 37 foot tall monster (although they do present us with a near seven foot tall captain), there's no denying that there's still a lot of buzz generating around these games.

10. New York Islanders at Boston Bruins (Saturday Oct. 10th: 7 PM)
Rarely is it a big deal when the 15th place team battles against the 1st place team from the year before, but the buzz about the newest Islander makes it worth the viewing. This game marks the debut of Jonathan Tavares at the TD Bank Garden. If the hype is correct and this kid is on the same level as Sidney Crosby was in his first year, then this battle between the rebuilding Islanders and Bruins should be a good one.

9. Ottawa Senators at Boston Bruins (Saturday Nov. 28th: 7 PM)
Will Dany Heatley still be a member of the Ottawa Senators come November 28th? I suppose that doesn't really matter because the story here is created by Boston's favorite player to hate, Alexei Kovalev. The long despised Canadien traded in his Montreal sweater for a divisional foe Sens jersey, but I'm sure that won't change the way the Garden faithful views him. It'll certainly be interesting to see how loud and long-winded the boo's are for L'artiste, even without the Montreal jersey on.

8. Vancouver Canucks at Boston Bruins (Saturday Feb. 6th: 1 PM)
Much of the excitement behind this game in my opinion, comes from the fact that this is Vancouver's second trip back to Boston since the lockout ended. Since then, both teams have found a new jersey styles and along with new directions for the better within their franchise. This game will also likely pit two of the best goaltenders in the NHL against one another.

7. Montreal Canadiens at Boston Bruins (Thursday Nov. 5th: 7 PM)
It's hard to make the case that any Bruins vs. Canadiens game lacks excitement because, well it's just plain not true. This will be the first regular-season meeting between the two teams since the Bruins four game sweep of the Canadiens in their centennial season. With the Habs adding two former Bruins in Paul Mara and Hal Gill while the Bruins add former Canadien tough-guy Steve Begin, expect things to get awfully chippy (per usual) in this Original Six clash.

6. Boston Bruins at New York Rangers (Sunday Nov. 1st: 1 PM)
This game may be competing against the time slots of most NFL teams, but I'm already locked in on this match-up. The Rangers are coming off a frustrating end to their season as they blew a three-game series lead to bow out of the conference quarter-finals and always provide great competition against Boston. A stat worth mention is the fact that seven out of the last eight meetings between these teams were decided by one-goal, including four over-time thrillers. In these eight match-up's the Bruins are 5-1-2.

5. Toronto Maple Leafs at Boston Bruins (Saturday Dec. 5th: 7 PM)
Fairly new Leafs GM Brian Burke is already putting his pattened Burke-stamp on the Toronto Maple Leafs. As he did in Anaheim, where he put together a Stanley Cup winning team, he's loading the Maple Leafs up with good ole' fashioned North American bruisers. Undoubtedly, his biggest splash came with the robbery of defensemen Mike Komisarek away from, Montreal, a player loathed by Boston fans and players alike. Along with Komisarek, the additions of Colton Orr and Garnet Exelby make the Leafs a lot scrappier and will ultimately provide a great physical contest when they come to the Garden for a Saturday night in Boston. Doesn't this one have Dallas Stars at Boston Bruins Part II written all over it?

4. Washington Capitals at Boston Bruins (Thursday Oct. 1st: 7 PM)
Opening night always has a great feel to it. From the fan fare outside the stadium, to the anticipation of the fans within the building. With Alexander Ovechkin and the rest of the Southeast Division winning Capitals in town, additional excitement may not be needed for most fans.

3. Chicago Blackhawks at Boston Bruins (Thursday Jan. 7th: 7 PM)
The excitement around this one is stemming from this being my pick for the 2010 Stanley Cup. It may be early, but I fully feel that with the additions these teams have made and the continuing development of their young stars into NHL studs that this game has all the makings to be a fine preview of what could be come June.

2. Carolina Hurricanes at Boston Bruins (Saturday Oct. 3rd: 7 PM)
The villian of all villains, Hurricanes forward Scott Walker and the rest of those Cardiac 'Canes will be making their first trip to Boston on October 3rd, the Bruins first Saturday night game and second game of the season. The reception for the boys from Raleigh will certainly be unwelcoming, as a sure to be rowdy Saturday night Garden crowd will let their feelings be known to the team that knocked the Bruins out of the second round. Also, it'll be interesting to see how the Bruins handle their (not announced, but sure to happen) retribution to Scott Walker for his sucker punch to Aaron Ward in Game 5. The series may be over, but as Shawn Thornton said "We (hockey players), have long memories.".

1. Boston Bruins at Montreal Canadiens (Friday Dec. 4th: 7 PM)
This will be the final send off to the Montreal Canadiens centennial (we can only hope) as the Bruins will square off against their most hated rival at the Bell Centre for the first time in the 2009-10 season. This date also marks the first game the Habs ever had in the league, making it the true centennial. With the crowd of 21,000 plus screaming Canadiens fans sure to give this game a playoff feel, expect the players to have an extra jump in their stride. One query I've pondered is whether or not the Habs will break out their prison-jumpsuit throwbacks for this one? We can only pray not.

Stealing The B's Thunder: Montreal To Have Outdoor Game?

Let me preface this piece by saying I hate the Montreal Canadiens. Let me preface that preface by saying I've learned that hating the Montreal Canadiens is like riding the biggest rollercoaster at (Original) Six Flags. One week, they're the cousin whose pants you hide in the tree during vacation just to see him get mad, but you'll help him because he's family. The next week they're the brother who decides to reveal your secret fascination with Hello Kitty products to a girl you fancy on the first date, causing you to curse his name and buy voodoo dolls in his honor.

This one though, this one hits a nerve.

Rumor's are growing that tomorrow when the NHL schedule is released, it'll be revealed that the Montreal Canadiens will take on the Washington Capitals at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, former home of the now extinct Montreal Expos on November 28th. Surely you jest, right? If the NHL really decides to take the spotlight of the outdoor game away from Boston, Montreal's biggest rival, by awarding the Habs an outdoor game to close out their centennial celebration, I for one, will probably require a bucket to vomit in.

The Montreal Canadiens centennial season, or apparently never-ending centennial season is going to continue into the 2009-10 season? Seriously? I guess the All-Star Game and NHL Draft weren't enough to appease the Habs faithful, now you're going to give them an outdoor game before the 2010 Winter Classic? I firmly believe that we've all had enough of this Montreal 100 season brouhaha. It's bad enough we had to watch Mike Komisarek become an All-Star thanks to the Habs voting scam, it's bad enough we had to see the Habs wear their red, white, and blue prison uniforms this season and to make this short (like the Habs newest top line) and to the point: The fans of the other 29 teams in the NHL have had enough.

Congratulations on being 100 years old Montreal, you guys really deserve it.

That doesn't make much sense, does it? Neither does rewarding Montreal an outdoor game after they've been rewarded with every other fan attraction possible for a team who finished in eighth place in the Eastern Conference and underachieved throughout the entire season. Legacy and longevity doesn't mean anything when you look at the Habs recent fortunes. They've boo'd their own goalie, chanted the name of the coach they ran out of town when the team faltered to win with a new coach, have gone 1-8 in their last nine playoff games, and currently have a plethora of question marks heading into the 2009-10 season.

They invade Boston three times a year and in the playoffs with their whistles, bells, face-paintings, and signs in French. Despite the Bruins recent success against the Habs, truth is that they've broke the hearts of Boston fans time and time again and now could be in line to steal the thunder away from Boston and the Winter Classic with an outdoor game of their own that could ultimately seat more people. If Bettman realizes the success he and the marketing department of the NHL have had with these outdoor games, he'll make the right choice (and make Boston a slightly less angry city) and limit it to just one game per year and keep Montreal out of this.

Honestly, when it boils down to it, no one outside the province of Quebec cares how old the Montreal Canadiens are.

Wrap In Wilmington: Rookies Conclude Camp

As is the case every year, the Boston Bruins rookies eagerly arrived in Wilmington to take the ice and show off their skills to Bruins coaches, executives and the fans. As the camp concluded, it appears that the development of players from the 2008 camp has continued to grow strongly due in large part to time with either the Providence Bruins of the AHL or maturity in the junior leagues. With the players officially back home, it's time to look back and review how the camp went.

Among those making their first impressions, defensemen Ryan Button and Russian prospect Yuri Alexandrov certainly made their presence known on the blue-line. Both showed great promise and were more than willing to use their size to their advantage during the drills and scrimmage. Alexandrov, who's spent his last two seasons in the KHL was demonstrating great skating abilities and was showing no signs of being unable to keep up with the North Americans.

Along with the blue-liners of tomorrow, Jordan Caron certainly surprised many of the fans in attendance at Ristuccia throughout the week. For a 6'2 forward, Caron had surprisingly good puck-handling skills and was a more than capable skater. During the drills, Caron frequently got into good battles for the puck with Yuri Alexandrov, which were very Bruin-like. It appears as if the gritty and not-afraid-to-get-your-hands-dirty style of play practiced by the Bruins is even showing up among their prospects.

Speaking of gritty, 2008 draft choice Jamie Arniel had a strong showing throughout the week. Playing on the 'gold-line' with Tyler Randell and U-Mass Lowell forward Scott Campbell, Arniel's strong play surprised fans who mainly know Arniel as a guy who made news clippings for his off-ice issues. Arniel's biggest improvement seems to be his shot, which looked phenomenally better than it was in 2008, and in the scrimmage Arniel showed his two-way style of play after scoring a goal past Matt Dalton on a breakaway after forcing a turnover. Arniel's development will be continued in Providence, where he finished the season in the Bruins attempt for the Calder Cup.

Although Arniel showed great improvement from 2008, he's not the only skater who shined out on the ice compared to last year. Maxime Sauve, the Bruins 2nd round pick from 2008 has shown an all around improvement in his game. Notably, his puck awareness has improved dramatically, along with ability to create scoring chances on the grey line, which consisted of line-mates Zach Hamill and Jordan Caron. Sauve will begin the year back with Val d'Or of the Q, but I'd pick the lefty to finish out the second half of the season with Providence if he continues to develop into a legitimate offensive weapon.

With the draft picks and free agent signings come the camp invites. This year the Bruins invited seven players to their camp, including Boston University's Jason Lawrence and loud-mouth Rob Kwiet, who's deking and loud personality was a hit among fans sitting in the frozen bleachers. Mark Isherwood, another camp invite had a strong showing and displayed some offensive skills for a defensemen. The other three un-signed invites, defensemen Brady Lamb, Tyler Ludwig and forwards Scott Campbell all played worthy of receiving contract offers from Boston as well.

For the Bruins, the need for a possible netminder of the future continues. Although Tuukka Rask is slated to be the goaltender of the future in the Hub of Hockey, it's never set in stone that he can hold up and have the mindset of a full time NHL goalie (see: Hannu Toivonen). Matt Dalton, a pivotal cog in the Bemidji State miracle run had a strong camp, displaying great mechanical skills while his only weakness appeared to be his blocker side. Sporting new pads and a new helmet, Michael Hutchinson had a great camp and looked as if he improved in every facet of his game from the previous year. Despite the strong showing of these two crease-protectors, the play of Adam Courchaine has gotten notably better, specifically when it came down to his shot recovery.

With the rookies set to return in September, they'll now either spend the next month and a half relaxing, or getting up to health as Tommy Cross, Yannick Riendeau and Zach McKelvie were held to minimal on-ice activity or none at all throughout the week.

As the fans got the chance to watch the rookies on the ice, then meet with them and get pictures after, one thing's for sure, the future of the Boston Bruins is looking brighter every year.

Blue-Liners of Tomorrow Shining in Wilmington

With 25 of the Bruins newest prospects taking the ice in Wilmington, the eyes of many Bruins fans have been focusing on the Bruins 2009 first round draft pick Jordan Caron among the other forwards, looking for the next Blake Wheeler. However, the guys on the back-end, the rugged and notably strong defensemen are getting some well deserved coverage at this year's rookie and development camp at Ristuccia Rink.

Among the crop of defensemen, Russian prospect Yuri Alexandrov is living up to the hype Bruins fans have heard so much of. This has been the first year where the Bruins have been able to lure their 2006 2nd round pick over to join and participate in the annual summer camp. Alexandrov is coming off a solid year with Cherepovets Severstal of the KHL where he put up 8 points in 26 games.

Yuri, at 6'1 has been working on becoming a stronger skater and is showing the promise of fulfilling that, as in all the drills Alexandrov has become a player who has been able to use his stick and size to his advantage and knock skaters off the puck. Along with using his body, the lefty has good acceleration skills and is a smooth skater considering his rather lanky frame.

Despite his fluency in English being in need of some work, Alexandrov's skill set appear to be up the snuff with the rest of the prospects, which is all that really matters when the camp draws to a close.

Another prospect who is showing great promise is the Bruins 3rd round selection in the 2009 draft, Ryan Button. Appearing to be excited to be a Bruin, coming from a family of Boston fans, Button's skating abilities are supreme and he can keep up with any of the forwards out on the ice and able to defend against them with ease. Throughout the camp, he's also shown signs of being a capable puck-moving defensemen who could only get better with time.

Tomorrow is the 2009 Development Camp's finale, as the prospects will take one final skate in Wilmington before returning in September for rookie camp.

One On One Interview With Yannick Riendeau

While 22 other members of the Boston Bruins organization were busy swiveling with one skate, hopping and testing their skills in physical drills, one man was working on getting back to full strength. That man was 21 year old QJMHL scoring-sensation Yannick Riendeau. Following the first day of public practices, I had the chance to talk with the Quebec native and ask him some questions. Although I took notes during the interview, forgive me if I'm paraphrasing at one point either for myself, or for Yannick, who spoke good English for a recently transplanted French-Canadian.

Some of these may not be direct quotes as stated due to our conversation mentality of the interview and his occasional lack of knowing what to say, being a partially newcomer to the English language.

Ty: Firstly, thanks for giving me the time to answer some questions, and you seem to have quite a resume and I wonder, why Boston?
YR: Well, they chose me and I agreed to sign here.

Ty: We know you've put up some phenomenal stats in the Q in 08-09, are you returning to Drummondville for another season or joining the Providence Bruins?
YR: I'll be playing with Providence in 2009-10 when I'm ready to return.

Ty: Now we know you have the sling on your shoulder, but what exactly happened and when do you anticipate to return and play for Providence?
YR: I tore my labrum in my shoulder, and I'm expected to be out for about 5 months, building up my shoulder back to full health with rehabilitation. I should be out until about the end of November, but if not, I expect to be ready for the second half of the season in the AHL.

Ty: In recent years, Boston has become very good at drafting and developing young talent such as Quebec native Patrice Bergeron, and even attracting young guys such as Blake Wheeler to sign with Boston, how do you feel towards what they're doing?
YR: Yeah, it's become an appealing place for the young guys, even in Quebec. I know they drafted Jordan Caron and I feel like as an organization they're making the right steps to attract the young guys to play for Boston.

Ty: You mentioned the young guys, there's a lot of talk about Phil Kessel and how he may not return to the Bruins, and there's previously been talk about him not fitting into the Claude Julien system, although his 36 goals tell otherwise, do you feel that you could fit in the Julien system and have you met with Julien yet?
YR: I met with Julien yesterday during the first day of training camp, and we got to talking about the basics, getting to know each other, and hockey. I really feel that his approach to the game is smart and his system definitely works and it's a good one to play in and one I think I could fit in.

Ty: Your numbers really don't lie, you seem to have a great shot and be a sniper from what we've seen. Would you say that your time in Drummondville really helped you become a more complete player?
YR: Yeah, I think of myself as a guy who can pass and be a sniper too. My time in the Q definitely made me a more complete player, from playing defense to passing the puck instead of just shooting. The coaches we had were helpful at getting me to get bigger and play harder to get to the next level.

Ty: When do you hope to be in the NHL with Boston?
YR: Well, I need to go through Providence first and you know, it's my dream to be in Boston, playing in the NHL.


Ty: I know you're from Quebec, so here's comes the question: Nordiques or Canadiens fan growing up?
YR: I was a Montreal fan. But not anymore. *laughs*
Ty: *laughs* Yeah, Boston's got to be your favorite now.


Ty: Lastly, who would NHL player would you compare yourself to in terms of style of play?
YR: I'd say Mike Ribiero, he was fast, sneaky and could really create chances.


Ty: Thank you Yannick for making the time to talk with me, I hope your shoulder feels better soon and you're back to full strength soon. Thanks again for choosing Boston.
YR: Thank you for the interview.


Following the interview, all I could say is that this guy's as nice as they come. Following his practice, he came out into the parking lot, keeping to himself while listening to his iPod and texting on his cell phone to a group of eager fans waiting for autographs. He had no issue taking his headphones off to answer the seemingly thousands of questions a small child with a jersey littered with autographs had ranging from "When did you first play hockey and what was your teams name?" to "What's your favorite color?". Personally, I can't wait to see this guy show off his skills in Providence and hopefully in Boston.

Rookies Take Ice, Show Skills

The arena's bone-chillingly cold temperature may have driven fans to their cars for their sweatshirts, but the action on the ice within the little rink in northern Massachusetts keep Bruins fans eyes peeled. In the first of four sessions of training camp open to the public, the Boston Bruins rookies showed their skills and continue to develop into Bruins hopefuls at the annual summer camp held at Ristuccia Rink in Wilmington.

Last year it was Blake Wheeler who captivated the crowd in attendance with his dazzling skating techniques and acceleration, and the year before the buzz was about now Boston-cult-like-icon Milan Lucic. Raising the question, who'll be the next name to keep an eye on leaving Wilmington? For me, players I had my eyes on were defensemen and Bruins 3rd round pick in 2009 Ryan Button along with Bemidji State netminder Matt Dalton.

Throughout the drills, Button showed strong defensive abilities with his stick and defending during the 2 on 1's. Along with his surely up-to-snuff defensive abilities, Button displayed strong skating skills and balance to make him a player to continue to watch carefully as the camp continues this week.

In Boston, the Bruins have 35-year old Vezina-winner Tim Thomas manning the crease and are expected to have The Finnish Flash, also known as Tuukka Rask serving as his back-up for the 2009-10 season. However, with Kevin Regan's talent poising a question mark to the future of the Bruins in net, GM Peter Chiarelli grabbed Matt Dalton from Bemidji State, who put together a fine season for the Beavers with a 19-11-1 with a 2.19 GAA in their Cinderalla chase for a Frozen Four Championship.

Dalton, in my opinion showed great post to post movement and was going down into the butterfly quickly and effectively. It may be early, but as time passes on, Dalton looked as if he could become more advanced than fellow goaltenders Adam Couchraine and Michael Hutchinson on the Bruins depth chart. Which is by no means a knock to Couchraine or Hutchinson, who both had fine days in between in pipes.

Although there was no sign of Boston College Eagle and B's prospect Tommy Cross on the ice due to a leg injury, the Bruins coaching staff had Yannick Riendeau doing skating drills along with shooting on Adam Couchraine and Matt Dalton without defensemen. Although Riendeau wasn't being defended against, his wrist shot shows to have some serious snap to it, even with a rehabilitating shoulder.

Two surprises out of today were David Krejci and Milan Lucic. Krejci was test driving a new Porsche following an indoor workout and Lucic was trying his best Houdini impression to get out of the parking lot before anyone noticed it was him.

Day two for the public tomorrow. In a perfect world, I get a better look at Russian defensemen Yuri Alexandrov and the newest Bruin, Jordan Caron.

B's Add Depth: Sign Sabourin & Fata

As is the case every year, the headliners may be off the board for the most part, but for Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli, it's become about adding depth in the organization in the event of injuries that could strike at any time. Today, Boston's producer continued to address this issue by adding two players with NHL experience to the depth chart with the signings of defensemen Drew Fata and goaltender Dany Sabourin.

For many Bruins fans, Dany Sabourin sounds familiar and for good reason. Before a trade sent him to Edmonton where he played a grand total of zero games, Sabourin was backing up Marc-Andre Fleury with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Sabourin's biggest game for Pittsburgh undoubtedly came against Boston in which he held the Bruins to just 1 goal and stopped 35 pucks as the Pens spoiled the Bruins home-opener with a shoot-out win. He went on to finish with a 6-8-2 record with a 2.85 GAA and .898 SV%. Although Sabourin's win-loss record may not be what the Bruins look forward to he's been the victim of just plain rotten luck when you see that in 8 of his total 10 losses when you include overtime the Pens scored just 2 goals or less.

When having the views of a cynic, the signing of Sabourin could mean two things. One of them being that Sabourin will mine the pipes in Providence of the AHL, or it could mean that Boston is prepared to move Tuukka Rask and rely on Sabourin as a back-up to the 5-million dollar man, Tim Thomas.

However, I'm quite sure that this move is create depth at the goaltending position in the event of an injury to the Vezina-winning Thomas or Finnish rookie Rask. I'm a huge fan of this move considering it adds depth to Boston's chart when you consider guys such as Matt Dalton and Kevin Regan aren't nearly ready for a call-up to the NHL in the event of an injury, and have zero NHL experience, something Dany Sabourin has over 50 games worth of.

Along with Sabourin, the Bruins also added defensemen Drew Fata. The 25 year old defensemen is coming off another year in the AHL where he spent the majority of the season with the Binghampton Senators after a trade sent the lefty out of San Antonio. In 71 games with the AHL Sens, Fata tallied 7 goals and 16 points, finishing with a -4 and over 130 minutes in penalties. Fata is expected to be a physical presence on the Providence blue-line and potentially in Boston if injuries strike the Boston blue-line like it has in year's past.

Fata's signing could also be an insurance policy in the event that Matt Hunwick does not return to Boston, which at this point, doesn't seem to be the reason behind his signing.

Although the financial terms of the contracts were not released per Boston Bruins club policy, it's believed that both players will be making NHL minimum and both contracts are one year deals. With over four million dollars left in cap space, the next guy in line for a contract appears to be Matt Hunwick, who went to salary arbitration on Sunday with Boston.

This Sheriff's Heading To The Wild (Out) West

Here comes the rough part of free agency. Anyone who expected the Boston Bruins to put out the same roster from the 2008-09 season was being naive. It was to be expected that with the limited cap space and amount of Bruins free agents to be that we'd be seeing some fan favorites take their exit out of the Hub of Hockey for broader horizons. Mark Shane Hnidy as the first of many bound out of Boston.

When the Bruins traded for the bruising defensemen back in January 2008, it was viewed as a desperation move by a GM who was simply running out of defensemen on the depth chart. Pulling the trigger to bring Hnidy into black and gold cost the Bruins winger Brandon Bochenski, a player who had experienced minor success in 2006-07 but failed to translate that into 2007-08 due to injuries and inconsistency under the Claude Julien system. The price for Hnidy was small, but no one expected what Hnidy truly brought to the Bruins blue-line.

Standing at 6'2 and with a face only a mother could love, Hnidy brought an added element of toughness to the Bruins defense. He would have no issues with burying a player into the boards, and his stern style of play earned him the nickname of 'Sheriff' in Boston.

Following another solid season as a 6th defensemen for the Bruins, Hnidy chipped in with the hits and added 12 points in 65 games, tying his career high from 2006-07 with Atlanta. Undoubtedly, his most remember incident came in a brawl with the Dallas Stars where The Sheriff went to work and demolished Matt Niskanen's face with several right hands.

Although never an offensive defensemen by any means and a frequent victim of poor decision making, there's no questioning that Hnidy, like many Bruins players, became a fan favorite with time. However, as the Bruins season ended, many knew that Hnidy would not be returning with Johnny Boychuk on the up-swing and Matt Hunwick anticipated to re-sign with the club for another season. Remaining on the list of 08-09 Bruins in the free agent pool are veteran center and face-off master Stephane Yelle, goaltender Manny Fernandez and restricted free agents Phil Kessel and Matt Hunwick.

With Hnidy bound for Minnesota, the Bruins are now in new need of a Sheriff. Mark Stuart anyone?

Recchi Returns For Another Round

Doesn't it feel good waking up a Bruins fan and realizing the change this organization has made? In previous years, a player such as Mark Recchi would never want to return to Boston, and even if he did, the Bruins front office would have no intentions of bringing the trading deadline acquisition back. However, under head coach Claude Julien and Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli, Boston has become a place where players actually want to play.

Following an encouraging message by Steve Begin to the Boston media of "I'm on the right side now" when asked about his tenure in Montreal, reports out of Boston indicate that 41 year old winger Mark Recchi has signed a 1-year contract worth 1 million dollars to remain in Boston.

When Recchi was acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange from could-have-been's Matt Lashoff and Martins Karsums, the reaction from Boston was welcoming and excited. Recchi's a proven winner, a great powerplay threat and he provides added veteran leadership in the Bruins march towards a Stanley Cup. Despite the Bruins failure to advance to the Conference Finals, Recchi's presence created an even more dangerous Bruins offense and powerplay.

In 29 total games with the Bruins in the regular season and playoffs, Recchi had 13 goals and 22 points, finishing with a -3. In these games, Recchi had a total of 5 powerplay goals and 4 powerplay assists, often gaining his goals through tip-in's and re-directs out in front of the net, a strategy that the 5'10 forward has used to his advantage throughout his entire career.

In the Bruins 7-game battle with the Carolina Hurricanes, Recchi fought through injuries before having surgery to remove a kidney stone the night before Game 7. His resiliency spoke great volumes to the British Columbia native's drive to win, even though he's already won 2 Stanley Cups in his illustrious career.

The addition of Recchi into the Bruins line-up for another season gives the Bruins three deep scoring lines, and that's without Phil Kessel. Also, the signing of Recchi could possibly point to Phil Kessel officially being on the out's in Boston. Recchi's signing adds another million onto the Boston cap, leaving just over four million dollars left to play with and re-sign Phil Kessel, Matt Hunwick and P.J Axelsson. It's obvious that one, or even two of the three will be let go, and will the rumor mill of Tomas Kaberle coming to Boston in exchange for Phil Kessel, thing's are about to get very interesting in Boston.

Bruins Sign Begin; Re-Sign Bitz, Boychuk

We knew there would be a big bang with just about every other club besides Boston, but still, talk about one crazy day. Today we saw Marian Hossa trade in his Detroit sweater for a Chicago one, Marty Havlat move to Minnesota and the Montreal Canadiens create a line of all players 5'9 and shorter. Some of the contracts were outrageous per usual (If Hal Gill's a 2.25 million dollar defensemen, so am I) but in the end, the Boston Bruins emerged from the day without overpaying for any of the marquee names in this year's pool.

Despite rumors of Marian Hossa coming to Boston lighting up internet boards for the second straight year, the Bruins were wary to not commit large money to players considering they're lack of cap space. As quick as the talks of Kessel for Kaberle seemed to have resumed, the idea was put to rest just as fast and it was deemed false. By 6 o'clock, the Hub of Hockey was still as quiet as it was when Scott Walker ended the Bruins season when news broke of a minor signing.

The Boston Bruins had agreed to a one year contract with forward Steve Begin. The contract will pay the bruising forward 850,000 in 2009-10 and certainly replaces the depth that will be lost by Stephane Yelle's departure, which Chiarelli also confirmed today. In 62 games between the Montreal Canadiens and Dallas Stars, Begin registered 12 points and finished with a -7. Although his stats may not impress the common Bruins fan, there are plenty reasons to be happy about this guy.

First of, as previously stated, he adds depth to a roster that could certainly use it with the likely departure of P.J Axelsson and question marks surrounding Phil Kessel and Mark Recchi. Also, with the addition of the 31-year old Quebec native, the Bruins become an even more gritty team. Begin's 185 hits in 62 games was good for 3rd among Stars forwards and his 38 blocked shots were only 2nd to Loui Eriksson, who partook in all 82 of the Stars regular season games.

For some, the injuries to Begin pose a question mark. Well, when you look at the style of play he brings to the ice every night, it's no wonder the 1996 2nd round choice by the Calgary Flames has had to spend some time on the shelf. Even in seasons plagued by injury, Begin has managed to dish out over 100 hits in every season. Despite the injury concerns, when you look at Begin's last fully healthy season, you can't help but be happy with this signing.

In 2005-06, Begin played in 76 games for the rivaled Canadiens, where put up 23 points, finished with a +9 and was credited with 202 hits and 64 blocked shots. Throughout his career, Begin has become an established penalty killer and with the future of P.J Axelsson uncertain as mentioned, it only makes sense that Begin is in all likelihood, Axe's replacement on the Bruins penalty killing unit. In his 62 games with the Canadiens/Stars, Begin averaged 1:37 minutes on the penalty kill per game. Along with that minute plus of time on the kill, he averages just over 10 minutes a game, making this signing a great deal for a proven 4th liner willing to drop the gloves when the bell tolls.

Along with Begin, the Bruins also re-signed winger and new found fan-favorite Byron Bitz. The 24 year old Saskatoon native had a solid year in Boston as he put 4 pucks by goaltenders and tallied 3 assists in 35 games for the Bruins. Following a willingness to drop the gloves with legendary scrapper Donald Brashear, Bruins fans began to watch the rookie more closely. After a 2-goal effort against the Florida Panthers where the Garden faithful began chants of "We Want Bitz!" repeatedly, a cult following seemed to be in the works. Shirts reading "We Want Bitz" were made and distributed. After a lackluster playoff performance by Blake Wheeler, the fan favorite found himself in the line-up, suiting up in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time.

It didn't take Bitz long to make an impression as in the Bruins Game 3 demolition of the Canadiens, Bitz netted an assist as time nearly expired in the period. Sure enough, Bitz found himself back in the line-up for the Bruins second round series against the Carolina Hurricanes where he scored a seemingly pivotal first period goal in the Bruins Game 7 loss to the 'Canes. These moments and flashes of scoring capabilities reminded many Bruins fans of an old player they used to call their own, Mike Knuble, a big winger who blossomed into a 20+ goal scorer at the NHL level. With the re-signing of Bitz taken care off, it's clear that the Bruins brass may see the same potential in Byron.

Rounding out the day for Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli was the re-signing of defensemen Johnny Boychuk. Boychuk, who spent most of the season with the Providence Bruins had another fine year at the AHL level, where he finished the year by winning the Eddie Shore Award, the AHL's honor for the best defensemen in the league. Boychuk finished with 20 goals, 46 assists and a +19 in 78 games for the Baby B's. It's a one year deal but as per club policy, the terms of the deal financially were not disclosed.

One issue that B's fans are still discussing is the signings that haven't been involving restricted free agents Phil Kessel and Matt Hunwick. As we close the book on the first day of free agency, both players are without contracts. While we haven't heard much talk about Kessel in the rumor mills today, the word on Hunwick per Joe Haggerty of WEEI.com was that many teams were showing a strong interest in Hunwick, and the Bruins not being one of them. Undoubtedly, this would come as a shock to Bruins fans if Hunwick is to leave, who showed potential of being the 'puck-moving defensemen' Peter Chiarelli so desperately desires in Boston.

With day two of the busiest time of year just hours away, it's just a short sleep for the 30 GM's of the NHL before they roll their sleeves back up and return to their phones.