On a crisp September day, training camp for the Chicago Blackhawks has officially begun.
Goalie Spencer Knight was the first player to hit the ice this morning, followed by Drew Commesso to warm up. Knight recently extended for three more years with the team, and looked laser focused during the scrimmage and drills new coach Blashill had them run.
Within 15 minutes of practice for group one, Blashill dropped a few expletives and had the boys do board to board skate. The first goal of the scrimmage went to #93, defenseman Dmitry Kuzmin. Notable guys like Bedard, Vlasic and Donato looked right at home, gliding around and connecting passes, while guys like Moore stumbled around a bit before finding their footing. Bedard had a sweet goal against Commesso deking out the Ice Hog’s Fitzgerald.
New PTO Matt Grzelcyk was not on the ice this morning with group 1, but he will have familiarity with captain Nick Foligno and Ryan Donato as well as assistant coach Mike Velucci. He hit the ice later with group 2 wearing his usual #48.
Oh boy a lot has happened since my last post hasn’t it?
In case you’ve been living under a rock, Brad Marchand is now a 2x Stanley Cup Champion; in 2011 with the Boston Bruins and now 2024 with the Florida Panthers. The last remaining member of that 2011 team is now a Panther. Chris Kelly is still a part of the team but in a coaching position, but now the Bruins are left without a captain to guide them into a new season. As of right now, it looks like both David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy will be the two Bruins wearing the “A” this season.
New coach Marco Sturm is making his return home, as he played for the Bruins from 2005-2010 as part of the return of the Joe Thornton trade. Many remember Sturm for his heroics in the 2011 Winter Classic, helping Boston become the first home team to win the Winter Classic with his game winning goal against the Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton in overtime.
Out With The Old, In With The New
Along side the departure of Brad Marchand, the Bruins also said goodbye to some key players, while welcoming some new (and old) faces to the team.
NEW PLAYERS VIA TRADES
Player
Previous Team
Trade Info
Casey Mittelstadt (C)
Colorado Avalanche
Charlie Coyle was shipped out in return
Viktor Arvidsson (RW)
Edmonton Oilers
Bruins gave up a 5th round pick in 2027
Marat Khusnutdinov (C)
Minnesota Wild
Bruins gave up Justin Brazeau and welcomed back Jakub Lauko (who is currently a FA)
Henri Jokihariu (RD)
Buffalo Sabers
A 4th round pick in 2026 went the other way to Buffalo
Fraser Minten (C)
Toronto Maple Leafs
Brandon Carlo was sent in return
Victor Soderstrom (RD)
Chicago Blackhawks
Prospect Ryan Mast and a pick went to Chicago
Free agency saw the Bruins make some decent signings as well as add some question marks for this upcoming season.
Player
Team
Key Information
Matฤj Blรผmel (RW)
Dallas Stars/Texas Stars
Led in goals for the Texas Stars last season with 39
Tanner Jeannot (LW)
LA Kings
Signed a 5yr contract, $17M contract
Parker Wotherspoon (LD)*
Pittsburgh Penguins
Signed a 2yr, $2M contract with the Penguins
Jordan Harris (LD)
Columbus Blue Jackets
Signed 1yr, $825k contact
Ian Mitchell (RD)*
Detroit Red Wings
Signed a 1yr, $775k contract with the Red Wings
Sean Kuraly (C)
Columbus Blue Jackets
Signed a 2yr, $3.7M contract for a 2nd tenure with BOS
Mikey Eyssimont (C/LW/RW)
Seattle Kraken
Signed a 2yr, $2.9M contract
Alex Steeves (LW)
Toronto Maple Leafs
Signed 1yr, $850k contract
Cole Koepke (LW)*
Winnipeg Jets
Signed a 1yr, $1M contract with the Jets
Brandon Bussi (G)*
Florida Panthers
Signed a 1yr 2-way contract with the Panthers
Vinni Lettieri (C/RW)*
Toronto Maple Leafs
Signed a 1yr, $775K contract with the Leafs
Fan favorite Sean Kuraly is back for a second tenure with the team, hopefully he can electrify the team this upcoming season with his energy and never quit mentality. Tanner Jeannot missed the last few games and all of the Kings postseason games with a groin injury, but is known for his size and has gotten pretty crafty at finding the back of the net recently.
What’s Bruin: James Hagens
With the Bruins 7th overall pick in this years draft, Sweeney and co had James Hagens fall into their lap. The New York native center is committed to Boston College and was hailed as one of the standout picks. The 5″11 center won gold at the past World Juniors in 2025, recording five goals and four assists. He was projected as a two way center noted for his fast skating and light edges.
I made a similar post to this one last season, and with the Boston Bruins starting out this year with a historic 9-1-0 record I thought it was only right to do a follow up to see how this team has changed from last season.
The Boston Bruins currently have all 12 zodiac signs represented on the team, with the most common sign being Sagittarius which is a fire sign. I also included six potential/ common callups from the P-Bruins as well.
Zodiac Breakdown
HEAD COACH: Jim Montgomery (June 30th) is a Water sign, a Cancer. Represented by the crab, Cancer’s are highly intuitive to their surroundings, as well as emotional and creative.
THE CAPTIAN: Patrice Bergeron (July 24th) is a Fire sign, a Leo. Accurately represented by a lion, Leo’s are confident, loyal, and consistent. They are known for their fierce ambition and determination, and love to see their close ones thrive.
Brandon Carlo (July 24th) is another fire sign, a Sagittarius. Represented as an archer, this sign is optimistic, full of passion, intensity and adaptability. Carlo has worn the “A” on his jersey at times.
A.J. Greer (December 14th) is a Fire sign, a Sagittarius.
Charlie McAvoy (December 21st) is a Fire sign, a Sagittarius. He has also worn the “A” on his jersey.
Jeremy Swayman (November 24th) is a Fire sign, a Sagittarius.
Connor Clifton (April 28th) is a Earth sign, a Taurus. Represented by the Bull, these signs are noted being hard-headed, reliable, and loyal. They can, however, be resistant to change, inflexible and stubborn.
David Krejci (April 28th) is a Earth sign, a Taurus. He does wear one of the “A’s” on his jersey.
Brad Marchand (May 11th) is a Earth sign, another Taurus. He also wears an “A” on his jersey.
Charlie Coyle (March 2nd) is a Water sign, a Pisces. Represented by a fish, this sign is charged by its emotional side. They are able to identify with anyone, have great adaptability and are resourceful. Coyle sometimes will wear the “A” on his jersey.
Derek Forbort (March 4th) is also a Water sign, a Pisces. Darla’s dad could be viewed as adaptable, which is important especially while playing defense, being able to change on a dime while the game is going on.
Jakub Zboril (February 21st) is also a Water sign, a Pisces.
Jake DeBrusk (October 17th) is a Air sign, a Libra. Represented by the scales, this sign is known for being well-balanced, intuitive, and strive in a group dynamic.
Nick Foligno (October 31st) is a Water sign, a Scorpio. Represented by a scorpion, this sign is known for its loyalty and devotion. Similar to Taurus, they can be resistant to change, inflexible and stubborn.
Taylor Hall (November 14th) is a Water sign, a Scorpio.
Trent Frederic (February 11th) is a Air sign, an Aquarius. Referred to as the water-bearer, this sign is highly intellectual, prides itself in communication and can have quite a rebellious streak.
Hampus Lindholm (January 20th) is an Air sign, an Aquarius.
Matt Grzelcyk (January 5th) is a Earth sign, a Capricorn. Seen as the Goat, Capricorn’s are hard workers, determined and relentless. I believe Grz has also worn the “A” on his jersey as well.
Tomas Nosek (September 1st) is a Earth sign, a Virgo. Virgo’s are flexible, adaptable, and logical. This sign is a perfectionist at heart, and their main goal is to help out.
Craig Smith (September 5th) is a Earth sign, another Virgo.
David Pastrnak (May 25th) is an Air sign, a Gemini. Gemini’s can be seen as “two-faced” due to being represented by twins but this is not always the case. They are adaptable, quick witted and creative. Pasta has worn the “A” on his jersey this season. I am also a Gemini.
Mike Reilly (July 13th) is a Water sign, a Cancer. This sign is emotional, loyal, and dynamic.
Anton Stralman (August 1st) is a Fire sign, a Leo. They are loyal, confident, and determined to get things done their way.
Linus Ullmark (July 31st) is a Fire sign, a Leo.
Pavel Zacha (April 6th) is a Fire sign, an Aries. Portrayed by the Bull, this sign is categorized as passionate, motivated and confident.
Potential/Common Call Up Options:
Jack Ahcan (May 18th) is an Earth sign, a Taurus
Jakub Lauko (March 28th) is a Fire sign, a Aries
Marc McLaughlin (July 26th) is a Fire sign, a Leo
Fabian Lysell (January 19th) is a Earth sign, a Capricorn
Oskar Steen (March 9th) is a Water sign, a Pisces
Chris Wagner (May 27th) is a Air sign, a Gemini
Compatibility:
Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn) vibe well with other Earth signs and Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces).
Air signs (Gemini, Libra and Aquarius) match up well with other Air signs and Fire signs (Leo, Sagittarius, and Aries).
Line Chemistry*
Below is a typical line up for the Bruins, although injuries* can change around these lines.
Travis Roy was just 20 years old when his whole life changed forever, 11 seconds into his first college hockey game, Roy was paralyzed from the neck down. On Tuesday, November 6th, Travis Roy came to talk to students at UMass Lowell about how he overcame some of his darkest days.
The Travis Roy Foundation
Travis also has a foundation, The Travis Roy Foundation, which was founded in 1997. The foundations mission is dedicated to enhancing the life of individuals with spinal cord injuries and their families by providing adaptive equipment and to finding a cure through increased funding of research, resulting in self-reliance and the ability to be as independent as possible. More information about his foundation can be found here.
The Challenge: Some We Choose, Others Choose Us
“Sometimes we choose the challenge, and sometimes the challenges choose us” was how Travis opened up his speech. He went on to explain that while yes, he will forever be linked to a horrific hockey accident, he is more proud of being a well rounded person rather than a hockey player. He gave two primary motivating factors that help with achieving your goals: the desire for how good you can be and always having pride and accountability.
“How far are you willing to go for your passion?”
He always looked at the positives while recovering from his accident, each year making new goals to achieve. You always have a choice in things no matter what, and the way you choose to view things can change your outlook on life. You can either take that leap, or let your fears hold you back. Roy also stated that to him , “a positive attitude and positive state of being will take you further in life than anything else”. Opportunity is still there if you choose to see it.
The one thing that Travis said which really stuck with me was to appreciate the essence of life, and enjoy the simple things which motivates us to do and be better as humans. Don’t just settle for being average, rise above other peoples expectations of you.
Roy also has an autobiography titled “Eleven Seconds” which came out in 1998 and it details all about his early life, accident and his recovery.
Please consider checking out the Travis Roy Foundation and supporting his cause.
As of right now, the Boston Bruins currently are second in the Atlantic division, and the whole league, 17 points behind the red-hot Tampa Bay Lightning and riding a 17 point streak. The Bruins still have a core group of guys who have proven to do well in the post season, with a sprinkle of young, talented players.ย The first line: Marchand, Bergeron, and Pastrnak (with the exception of Heinen with Patstrnak out with injury) is one of the top lines in the NHL. The second line: DeBrusk, Krejci, and Cehlarik prove that the Boston Bruins are more then just a “one-line” team. Our fourth line: Kuraly, Acciari, and Wagner prove that they can start any game, as Bruce Cassidy frequently uses their energy filled line to start games more recently.
Recently at the trade deadline, the Bruins traded Ryan Donato and a conditional 5th round pick in 2019 to the Minnesota Wild for Charlie Coyle, who is a Massachusetts native. Personally I like this trade, even though Coyle has not put up as many points as Donato has since the trade, he has proven that he can make good plays and has scored in a recent game that went to a shootout to extend it. The other trade the Bruins made at the deadline was a trade to the New Jersey Devils that involved Marcus Johansson coming to the Bruins in exchange for 2 picks in the next two upcoming drafts. At the March 5th game, Johansson received a clean hit early in the game, which resulted in a lung contusion, which means he will be out for a few weeks. I went to the game, and saw the hit he received, which was indeed clean but brutal. Up until then, he had been playing very well for the spoked B.
Looking into the upcoming playoffs, the Bruins will most likely have a first round match up with the Toronto Maple Leafs again. Since the Leafs have signed John Tavares, they have been playing very well, which is difficult for the Bruins. My prediction is that this series will go all 7 games, with the Bruins winning in OT in game 7. The Bruins have been playing very well, and with the return of Pastrnak coming, I can see the Bruins going far in the post-season.
What comes to your mind when you hear the word “enforcer”? Did you picture a big tough, muscly guy? In the NHL, enforcers are supposed to respond to dirty or violent plays made by the opposing team. They normally respond by dropping the gloves and fighting a member of the opposing team, normally that teams enforcer, or goon. It is an unofficial role in the NHLย as enforcers only have skills to help them fight, not to score.
Recently there has been talk to ban fighting in hockey, which I do not agree with, as fighting has been a tradition in hockey since hockey first started in 1922.
There are two main reasons why you should stand up in your seats during a hockey game: someone scored, or there is a fight. My very first hockey game, there was a fight as soon as the puck dropped. I remember after the two players had finished fighting and got assessed penalties, Shawn Thornton became my favorite Bruins. Below is the video of the game I went to, but at that time Shawn Thornton was the Boston Bruins enforcer, as well as Adam McQuaid, who is highlighted in the video below Thornton’s.
Fighting in hockey adds to the entertainment value as well as protection for the younger star players. The enforcers know their role and stick to it well, even if fighting in hockey is slowly dying out. The websiteย Hockey Fightsย is a great tracker for all things related to fighting in hockey.
In Pop Culture
Enforcers are highlighted in pop culture, such as movies being made surrounding their role. The 2011 sports comedy, Goon, follows an enforcer for a minor league hockey team. Below is the trailer for the movie.
There was also a documentary released in 2016 that highlights the ice hockey enforcer role, it is one of my favorite movies. Below is also a trailer for the movie, it can be found on Netflix as well as other movie streaming sites.
In recent season, fighting in the NHL have gone down, as the game is now focusing on skill instead of showing toughness. Concussions are also a hot topic in fighting in hockey. Players are skating at each other at more than 30 miles per hour, you can imagine how it must hurt if you were to collide with someone and risk smacking your head against the hard ice. So far, six NHL players have died due to CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy. In short, CTE is a degenerative brain disease found in athletes. CTE is a very important issue in sports today, former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez, had stage three out of four CTE at the time of his death.
Tragedy
Derek Boogaard was an enforcer for the Minnesota Wild of the NHL until 2011. He died at age 28, due to an accidental drug and alcohol overdose while recovering from a concussion. An examine of his brain showed that he had an advanced form of CTE not typically seen in NHL enforcers. His death followed two other hockey enforcers which sparked the debate over if the enforcer role should even be in the NHL.ย While the league has taken some steps to address the concussion problem, most recently in banning blindside hits to the head and requiring that players suffering head injuries be examined in a quiet room away from the bench, it is still not convinced that the CTE found in Boogaard and other players posthumously is a direct result of their hockey careers. Since Booogaard’s death, his family have been running a camp for children age 12-18,ย teaching children how to not get hurt in a fight, as Boogaard, listed at six foot seven, knew how to fight well.
Hybrid Theory Thoughts Blog 