WickedBruinsFan's Blog http://www.wickedbruinsfan.com/blog/ Puts the Wicked into Bruins Fan. en Copyright 2009 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:26:19 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Kessel traded to Leafs News started trickling out a couple of hours ago that Phil Kessel, holdout and king of this summer's Bruins saga, was going to be traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs were the front runners again, taking the spot from the Nashville Predators. The Bruins traded Kessel for what appears to be two first round draft picks and a second round draft pick. The draft picks break down like this: 2010 first round pick and 2010 second round pick, and 2011 first round pick. Kessel reportedly signed with the Leafs at $27 million for five years. That means Phil the Thrill will be pocketing some $5.4 million per season. The Bruins couldn't afford that and while GM Peter Chiarelli said time and time again he would make room under the salary cap for the sniper, it never seemed like it was going to happen. Kessel doesn't fit in the direction the Bruins want to go. The Bruins wants grit and toughness, something Kessel never really showed he was. The Kessel saga has finally come to an official close. The Bruins have their first preseason game at the TD Garden tomorrow at 4 against the New York Rangers. http://www.wickedbruinsfan.com/blog/2009/09/kessel_traded_to_leafs.php http://www.wickedbruinsfan.com/blog/2009/09/kessel_traded_to_leafs.php NHL Trades boston bruins phil kessel toronto maple leafs trade Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:26:19 -0500 2009 Training Camp Schedule announced their training camp schedule yesterday.Nothing like cutting it close. Over the past few days, I was getting at least one question about whether there would be Bruins skating tomorrow or where would camp be on Monday or how about Wednesday. I wish I knew the answers, and now everybody does. The Bruins will have their off-ice testing done at Wilmington tomorrow. This is not open to the public. The fact that they won't be skating is disappointing. Camp opens on Sunday at 10 a.m. at the TD Garden.
Doors will open at 9:30 a.m. and breakfast, including breakfast sandwiches, fruit, yogurt, coffee and juice, will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. In conjunction with the open training camp sessions, Bruins fans will have the opportunity to purchase equipment used by Bruins players from past and present. Items that will be available include skates, socks, pads and helmets, among others. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Boston Bruins Foundation. The used equipment sale will begin at 8:30 a.m. for Bruins season ticket holders and 9:30 a.m. for the general public.
After Sunday and Monday, only practices at Ristuccia Arena are open to the public. You can check out the complete schedule and plan accordingly.]]> http://www.wickedbruinsfan.com/blog/2009/09/2009_training_camp_schedule.php http://www.wickedbruinsfan.com/blog/2009/09/2009_training_camp_schedule.php 2009 Training Camp boston bruins td garden training camp wilmington Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:12:09 -0500 Oh Phil, where did it go wrong? a post on CBC.ca about how a Kessel experiment would fail for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The structure needed for Kessel is what he already has in Boston. The points Elliotte Friedman made were a bit eye-opening.
One of the great frustrations teammates had with Kessel two years ago was that he tried to carry the puck too much. He adjusted last season, understanding that he was best at going up and down the wing, full-tilt. "He wants it in-stride, so he can just go," said one teammate. But that same teammate - and others - warn that you must have certain pieces around him. And, without those pieces, a Kessel experiment would fail. ***** It was much, much harder to convince Kessel that the extra work is necessary. There is still a feeling that he doesn't understand how important it is. One teammate said, "He is still young (22 in October), so he will figure it out." Others are not so charitable. ***** One of the reasons he dropped down to fifth in the 2006 NHL Draft were suggestions that he was coddled and not receptive to criticism. That label remains. Julien's had a tough relationship with Kessel because that's not his style. (The two even fought about the kind of stick Kessel used.)
Then earlier this afternoon, Kevil Paul Dupont wrote that endgame is coming closer and it's about time. But where have all the offer sheets been prior to this week? That is if he gets one. With everything coming to light in the past 24 hours, I wanted to share some examples I have seen over the past couple of seasons. - In the seasons he's been here, nine of out ten times, Kessel has been the first one out after practice no matter when it during the season (excluding injured players). The contrast is captain Zdeno Chara working out for hours after practice is over. That's not to say Kessel doesn't work out, but he hasn't really gotten bigger over the seasons. - Coach Julien and Kessel had a tough relationship. There were some moments where the relationship seemed good, like when Julien helped Kessel put on a jersey (in March). But back in February, Julien spoke to Kessel for quite some time away from the other players after practice. (Maybe that was the stick argument?) - To read that Kessel wasn't going to play through his shoulder injury until he heard his teammates were playing through worse injuries is absurd. If you're a team player, you play through anything regardless if it's during the playoffs or not. Chuck Kobasew played with broken ribs. Mark Recchi played with kidney stones. Then you have Andrew Ference who finished his shift on one leg. Kessel was praised when he came back from cancer, but to not want to play through a shoulder injury that a good majority of players play through when it matters, speaks volumes about his character. Over the past couple of months, the feedback from Bruins fans has been on both sides of the fence. Some don't want him to go, others can't get rid of him fast enough. I was a middle-of-the-road type, seeing both sides, but when it comes down to it, the Bruins don't have the cap space for Kessel. It's as simple as that for me. When you don't have the money, you don't get the high-priced item. Why should the Bruins trade one or two (likely two) pieces away to make cap space for Kessel? Say Chiarelli trades two roster players for the cap space, and Kessel only fills one of the vacant spaces, what happens to the other space, which would probably be on the blue line? The easier thing is to trade Kessel's rights or let him go via an offer sheet. The goals will come from other players who don't get the ice time because Kessel had it. The power play time alone that will be available when Kessel isn't here will give somebody the chance to score more goals on the man-advantage. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how many goals a player has. It matters when they're scoring them and if those goals are game-winners. (I'm not overlooking the fact that Kessel had many game-winners in shootouts.) Salary matters in the salary cap world, and if a player is only known for scoring goals and lacks a rounded game (example is killing penalties) then is he really worth $5 million? I hope the Kessel saga is resolved by October. There was enough Kessel talk over the summer. It's time to focus on the 2009-2010 season.]]> http://www.wickedbruinsfan.com/blog/2009/09/oh_phil_where_did_it_go_wrong.php http://www.wickedbruinsfan.com/blog/2009/09/oh_phil_where_did_it_go_wrong.php 2009-2010 Season boston bruins claude julien free agents peter chiarelli phil kessel Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:30:54 -0500 Preseason games on NHL Network the NHL Network's preseason schedule this afternoon. You can catch up to four preseason Boston Bruins games on the NHL Network. The first game is September 16th against Toronto. The remaining game for NHL Network in the US is September 25th against Ottawa. Canadian viewers can see the September 15th and 19th games against the New York Rangers. ]]> http://www.wickedbruinsfan.com/blog/2009/09/preseason_games_on_nhl_network.php http://www.wickedbruinsfan.com/blog/2009/09/preseason_games_on_nhl_network.php 2009 Training Camp boston bruins nhl network preseason Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:59:46 -0500 The Bruins signed... one-year contract earlier today. Wozniewski, 29, was in the St. Louis Blues and Pittsburgh Penguins organizations last season playing for their AHL teams. He had 3 goals and 18 assists in the AHL last season. He played one game in the NHL with the Blues. The Bruins probably wanted to add a little more depth behind the big six (Zdeno Chara, Dennis Wideman, Andrew Ference, Derek Morris, Matt Hunwick and Mark Stuart) in Boston. Johnny Boychuck should be on the cusp of being the seventh defenseman in Boston (read: healthy scratch, plays when needed). However, there is risk recalling and re-assigning Boychuk to/from Providence. Boychuk could be plucked off waivers. Wozniewski gives Providence a little more depth on their defense. It looks like Wozniewski was skating with the Chicago Blackhawks in their informal workouts.
One standout was Buffalo Grove native Andy Wozniewski. I had not seen him up close before today, and that's one big defenseman. At 6 feet, 5 inches and 220 pounds, he can't hide. Wozniewski is a journeymen who was traded in March from St. Louis to Pittsburgh for former Hawk (coincidentally, also a Buffalo Grove native) Danny Richmond. He reminds you that guys that can play the game at a high level at that size don't grow on trees. It's probably a reason he's still hanging around after not being drafted.
Depth is always a good thing to have. A team can never have enough of it because injuries always happen. (Did you think I meant the Bruins signed Phil Kessel? Sorry.)]]> http://www.wickedbruinsfan.com/blog/2009/09/the_bruins_signed.php http://www.wickedbruinsfan.com/blog/2009/09/the_bruins_signed.php Providence Bruins Signings andy wozniewski boston bruins providence bruins Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:51:58 -0500 You say multi-year, I say how many? Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien was signed to a contract extension on Friday. He had one year left on his contract and received an extension. The terms/years were not released. That bothers me a little bit. Terms and conditions always get disclosed at some point. I talked to a few other fans and sources and the majority seem to think it is a three year deal. I hope Julien sticks around for a while. There hasn't been a coach in Boston in a while that can get the absolute best from his players on a relatively consistent basis. With that said, can you remember when Bruins fans hated Julien during the 2004 playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens? Seeing footage of that playoff series and the 2008 playoffs doesn't bother me so much anymore knowing that he's on the right side now. Moving onto a different tangent now, I went to a couple of informal skates this past week. (Pictures can be found in the gallery.) There are no words to describe what it was like to see familiar faces (Dennis Wideman, Tim Thomas, Shawn Thornton, Milan Lucic) and Providence Bruins (Andrew Bodnarchuk, Brad Marchand, Johnny Boychuk, Zach Hamill) back on the ice. And there are also no words to describe what it was like to see Andrew Ference with hair. (I'm sorry Andrew, but he hardly has any hair during the season.) September is one of my favorite months and within reason. It doesn't even matter who is on the ice as long as I hear skates cutting into the ice and pucks hitting the boards. No other sound compares. The rookies are up in Kitchener Ontario now. There are a few other teams holding rookie camps up there. Best of luck to the Bruins' rookies. I think informal skates will continue in Wilmington while the rookies are away. But I can't wait to see everybody at training camp on the 13th. It's crazy to think the regular season starts in less than a month. http://www.wickedbruinsfan.com/blog/2009/09/you_say_multiyear_i_say_how_many.php http://www.wickedbruinsfan.com/blog/2009/09/you_say_multiyear_i_say_how_many.php 2009-2010 Season Transactions boston bruins claude julien contract extension informal skates kitchener ontario training camp wilmington Sun, 06 Sep 2009 04:12:57 -0500 Bruins start informal skates will begin informal skates at Ristuccia Arena starting this morning. The skate will start at 11 a.m. and players are not known yet. Informal skates are a precursor to training camp. Some of the full-time NHLers and some of the prospects that are "too old" for rookie camp who are returning the area should skate. It is worth checking out if you have the time and are craving hockey. You might see Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Milan Lucic or Tim Thomas. I went last year and have gone in past years. You can check out pictures from last year in the gallery. You never know who you'll see or what you'll see when you go. I am planning to go to a few skates since my schedule is wide open the next couple of weeks. I can't wait to freeze my butt off and watch the Black and Gold!]]> http://www.wickedbruinsfan.com/blog/2009/08/bruins_start_informal_skates.php http://www.wickedbruinsfan.com/blog/2009/08/bruins_start_informal_skates.php 2009-2010 Season boston bruins informal skates wilmington Mon, 31 Aug 2009 03:17:42 -0500 Rookie camp roster here. The rookies attending are: Goaltenders (3): Adam Courchaine, Matt Dalton, Michael Hutchinson Defensemen (7): Ryan Button, Scott Fletcher, Brad Good, Alain Goulet, Mark Isherwood, Rob Kwiet, Marc Zanetti Forwards (13): Jamie Arniel, Chris DeSousa, Zach Hamill, Jordan Knackstedt, Jason Lawrence, Lane MacDermid, Taylor MacDougall, Jeff LoVecchio, Levi Nelson, Tyler Randell, Max Sauve, Peter Stevens, Jason Wilson Will not participate due to injury (1): Jordan Caron
Brad Marchand, Mikko Lehtonen, Jeff Penner, Andrew Bodnarchuk, and Kevin Regan, who were first-year pros in 2008-09, will not participate in the club's rookie camp in Kitchener, Ontario. They will kick off with the big boys when training camp officially opens on Sept. 12 at TD Garden.
It's almost time for hockey again. ]]> http://www.wickedbruinsfan.com/blog/2009/08/rookie_camp_roster.php http://www.wickedbruinsfan.com/blog/2009/08/rookie_camp_roster.php 2009-2010 Season boston bruins kitchener ontario roster training camp Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:11:02 -0500 Mid-August update at the TD Garden range in price from $32.50-$289.50. Games are split between "regular" and "gold" status. There are limited games available for the Student Section ($29.50), and the Tufts Medical Center Family Section ($20/$30 adults, $10/$20 child) are the lowest priced tickets. The Bruins also have ten-game mini plans available. Games are split between Family, Business, Rival and Superstar plans. If you can't make it to a game (or simply can't afford to), the NHL released their national television schedule today. The Bruins will be on Versus seven times, including the season opener against the Capitals on October 1st. The other six games aired on Versus are November 3rd (Red Wings), November 10th (Penguins), January 4th (Rangers), March 15th (Devils), March 29th (Sabres) and April 5th (Capitals) games. The Winter Classic game will be aired on NBC. Fans can register to win the right to purchase tickets to the Winter Classic at Fenway Park. Ticket prices will range from $50-$350. The ticket drawing will begin on September 15th at noon and run through October 5th. ]]> http://www.wickedbruinsfan.com/blog/2009/08/midaugust_update.php http://www.wickedbruinsfan.com/blog/2009/08/midaugust_update.php 2009-2010 Season Winter Classic boston bruins ticket prices winter classic Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:06:32 -0500 Tickets on sale August 20th August 20th at 10 a.m. Tickets can be purchased at the TD Garden Box Office or online. Fans should note this is much earlier than the September dates in previous years. I was asked on Twitter earlier if this would included Winter Classic tickets and after reading the release, I think it is safe to say that the Winter Classic is the only game that is not on sale.
Individual tickets for Bruins games played at the TD Garden during the 2009-10 preseason and regular season will go on sale on Thursday, August 20 at 10:00 a.m. at the TD Garden Box Office and online at www.bostonbruins.com. For games played at the TD Garden, tickets will range in price from $10.00 - $289.50. In addition to seat location, ticket prices will vary depending on opponent and date of game. Please note that ticket prices are subject to change.
Keep in mind, the NHL is the one that holds the reigns on the Winter Classic. The Bruins are merely the host team and Boston is simply the host city. The Bruins' obligation for the Winter Classic is to their season ticket holders and it sounds like it might end there. There should be tickets available to the Winter Classic for general public, but one would have to research how the experiences were in both Buffalo and Chicago for the previous Winter Classics. On a side note: If you're looking for a cool calendar to sync with your mobile device or any calendar, might I suggest the one I created yesterday? The WickedBruinsFan Google Calendar has all the key Bruins dates, starting with training camp and preseason games, and it includes every Bruins game for the 2009-2010 season. I added the ticket sale date a few minutes ago and some upcoming charity events. If you want it, use it. ]]> http://www.wickedbruinsfan.com/blog/2009/08/tickets_on_sale_august_20th.php http://www.wickedbruinsfan.com/blog/2009/08/tickets_on_sale_august_20th.php 2008-2009 Season Boston Bruins boston bruins google calendar schedule td garden ticket prices winter classic Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:05:08 -0500