Projo Bruins Blog

February 2007 Archives

BOSTON -- Brad Boyes has been dealt to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for defenseman Dennis Wideman.

Boyes had been rumored to be part of a deal, but he said he's still shocked by the transaction.

''At the same time,'' he added, ''I'm excited to go to St. Louis. The Blues have made a lot of moves lately, especially the last couple of days. I'm looking forward to going there and getting another opportunity again."

Bruins assistant captain Patrice Bergeron was stunned and a bit disappointed by the trade.

"He is one of my best friends on the team," said Bergeron. "It's tough to see him go. Obviously I wish him all the best and I hope it's a good thing for him, and for us, too. I really wish him all the best."

Earlier in the day, the Bruins moved defenseman Paul Mara to the New York Rangers in exchange for veteran Aaron Ward.

-- JOE McDONALD

With the NHL trade deadline looming at 3 p.m., the Boston Bruins today shipped offensive defenseman Paul Mara to the New York Rangers in exchange for defensive-minded defenseman Aaron Ward.

Ward, 34, is 6'2'' 225 pounds and played a key role on last season's Stanley Cup champions, the Carolina Hurricanes. He reportedly has feuded recently with Rangers' star Jaromir Jagr.

Mara, 27, is 6'4'' 219 pounds. He was acquired by the Bruins from Phoenix for Nick Boynton in June.

Mara is paid $3 million a year. Ward signed a two-year, $5.5 million deal with the Rangers last summer.

As expected goaltender Hannu Toivonen and defenseman Mark Stuart have been assigned to Providence. Stuart just arrived at the Dunkin' Donuts Center, but I have not seen Hannu, yet.

I'll have more from both guys after the game and in tomorrow's Journal.

Sitting here at Schneider Arena getting ready for the PC versus UNH game and I'm thinking about the transactions the Bruins made this afternoon.

1. Good move signing Marco Sturm to a four-year deal worth $14 million.

2. Because the Bruins grabbed goaltender Joey MacDonald _ no relation _ off the waiver wire via Detroit means that Hannu Toivonen is heading to Providence.

Tim Thomas has played very well this season as a starter and it would be a waste to continue to keep Toivonen on the bench. He needs to play. Sure, he won't be too happy about his assignment, but in the long run it will pay off.

By no means do the Bruins want to trade Toivonen, 22, because he's too talented to give up on this soon.

MacDonald gives the Bruins a backup with NHL experience opposed to using Jordan Sigalet or Phil Sauve from Providence.

As far as the P-Bruins are concerned, they're going to welcome Toivonen with open arms. The club has lost too many important pieces due to call ups or injuries, and with the playoffs in view, a goaltending upgrade is crucial at this point.

The P-Bruins will host Foam Finger Night tonight at the Dunk, making it the team's seventh promotion of the season with six more to go for a total of 13.

The club has marketed the team more this year than in recent past, including highway-side billboards, radio and television spots as well as print advertising. With the team's new-found marketing campaign, why hasn't it come up with some better, something like fellow AHL team Syracuse Crunch is promoting for this Saturday's game against the Manitoba Moose.

According to the team's official press release, the Crunch has invited Britney Spears to spend an all-expenses paid trip to Syracuse this weekend to provide "tranquility" for the pop star. The team is also offering any woman who shaves her head free admission to the game. There have been some pretty zany promos in the past, but this one takes the cake.

Maybe the P-Bruins can have Buddy Cianci night when the former Providence major is released from federal prison this year. Fans attending the Dunk in black and white pinstripes get a free hot dog or something like that.

>> Continue reading: Top this promotion

The Boston Bruins recalled forward David Krejci from Providence this morning. He was removed from the ice half way through the P-Bruins' practice and told by coach Scott Gordon he was returning to Boston for the second time this season. His flight was scheduled to leave around 2:15 and he'll join the Bruins in Toronto for tonight's game against the Leafs.

Defenseman Mark Stuart has been recalled from Providence. There's no news of a trade or an injury. His name is not on the official game sheet but I'll post more as I get it. . .

The Boston Bruins dealt free-agents-to-be Brad Stuart and Wayne Primeau to the Calgary Flames for Andrew Ference and Chuck Kobasew, general manager Peter Chiarelli announced late Saturday.

"There was no chance at signing (Stuart).'' said Chiarelli. "So you have to try to go out and find a replacement. We've had discussions with Brad since the fall and we weren't really getting anywhere, so that's part of the equation.''

Kobasew recently dislocated his elbow and is expected to be out of the lineup for 2 to 3 weeks, Chiarelli said.

Defenseman Stuart, 27, and center Primeau, 30, who were acquired along with Marco Sturm from San Jose in the Joe Thornton trade in 2005, will both be free agents at the end of this season.

Defenseman Ference, 27, has three years remaining on his contract after this season. Right winger Kobasew, 24, who played one year at Boston College, has another year left on his contract after this season.

Ference has 2 goals and 10 assists for 12 points in 53 games for Calgary while averaging 26 minutes of playing time per game.

Kobasew has 4 goals and 13 assists for 17 points in 40 games. He averaged 18 minutes per game.

"It's sad to see (Stuart and Primeau) go,'' said goaltender Hannu Toivonen. "They are both great hockey players and great people, but it's a business and we as players just have to do our job and play hockey. Management will do their's.''

Jeremy Reich has a new nickname _ Sudafed.

The P-Bruins forward was been recalled to Boston twice in two days earlier in the week and he currently remains on the Bruins' roster. When Sturm was unavailable to play Saturday in Carolina, Reich was promoted from Providence and played just 26 seconds.

He was reassigned to Providence after the game and arrived home at 3:30 a.m., and played significant minutes for the P-Bruins on Sunday. He was recalled to Boston on Tuesday for the Bruins game in Washington and quickly set the tone when he dropped the gloves.

When Lewis was asked yesterday if Reich's energy has helped the team, the coach joked that he's like Sudafed, a quick jolt of energy.
"He maximized his minutes," said Lewis. "He was physical and he had some scoring chances. Yeah, he was good for us."
Reich said he just wanted to play physical enough to get noticed and help the team at the same time.

Glen Murray, who missed Tuesday's game in Washington with a groin strain, was back in the lineup last night. He "tweaked" his groin during practice on Monday when his skate hit a rut. He had the same injury last season and missed five games. With the Bruins in a do-or-die situation, he didn't want to miss an extended amount of time.

"This is a big time of the year for us," said Murray. "We need to get some wins and I want to be out there helping in anyway I can."

Forward Marco Sturm, who suffered facial lacerations and a concussion last Thursday against Buffalo, missed two games but also returned to the lineup last night.

With the trade deadline quickly approaching on Feb. 27, the rumor mill has been churning in full force.

The latest gossip has the Bruins dealing defenseman Brad Stuart to the New Jersey Devils. Stuart, whom Boston acquired from San Jose in the three-player trade for Joe Thornton last season, will be an unrestricted free agent in July, and there's been talk Stuart wants out of Boston. On the surface that transaction doesn't make sense because why would Chiarelli deal a top-two defenseman to a team within the conference.

An industry source said yesterday that's all it is, a rumor. It's likely, the Bruins will deal Stuart for the right price and acquisitions.

Goaltender Tim Thomas will start for the Bruins tonight. Forwards Glen Murray (groin) and Marco Sturm (facial injuries/concussion) are questionable for tonight.

Both participated in the team's game-day skate at the Garden this morning, and Murray actually stayed on the ice longer than normal. He said it'll be a game-time decision. Sturm will be evaluated again this afternoon, but it's unlikely he'll be in the lineup.

more to come. . .

The Boston Bruins recalled P-Bruins gritty forward Jeremy Reich after last night's game. The seven-year pro will join the Bruins in Carolina today to replace injured forward Marco Sturm. Reich, who has 105 penalty minutes in 45 games in Providence this season, has nine games of NHL experience with Columbus (2003-2004).

The Bruins just made the transaction official. Defenseman Milan Jurcina was traded to Washington in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

The Boston Bruins have not released a statement, but the team has traded defenseman Milan Jurcina to the Washington Capitals. TSN.ca is reporting the Bruins will receive a fourth-round draft pick in exchange.

"I'm disappointed," said Jurcina. "I like it here in Boston, a great city, I love everything, and the fans. It's disappointing to go, but it's probably good. Washington has young defensemen, not the older, experienced guys. It'll be a great group of young guys and it'll be fun on the ice."

When asked if it bothered him that he was dealt for a reported fourth-round pick, Jurcina said: "It doesn't matter to me. I could have gone for nothing to somewhere else, the main thing for me is to get a new opportunity."
There has been speculation that Jurcina and his agent, Allan Walsh, requested a trade in December, but a team source denied it.

Jurcina was orginially selected by Boston as its seventh pick (241st overall) in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. The four-year pro spent his first two seasons in Providence and played 51 games for Boston last season.

The 6-foot-4, 233-pounder has played 40 games for the Bruins this season, including the last 28, but is not in the lineup tonight against the Buffalo Sabres. He has two goals and one assist, while sporting a minus-5 rating with 20 penalty minutes.

"It's all about ice time," said Jurcina, who showed up at the Garden around 3:45 to collect his things. "If you don't get the ice time you can't show what you can do, so that's probably the main thing. The coaches were great, the system was great, it's just when things are not going well [it's time for change]."

In Washington, Jurcina will be reunited with fellow blueliner Shaone Morrisonn. The pair played together for the P-Bruins during the 2003-2004 season.

According to TSN.ca, Boston Bruins defenseman Milan Jurcina was traded to the Washington Capitals in exchange for a fourth-round pick. The Boston Bruins have not confirmed this transaction.

More to come . . .

The slowly sinking Boston Bruins will likely make a trade sometime today or tomorrow, involving defenseman Milan Jurcina.

According to an industry source, there are three undisclosed teams involved in negotiations for the 23-year-old blueliner. What the Bruins will receive in return is not clear at this point.

There has been speculation that Jurcina and his agent, Allan Walsh, requested a trade in December, but a team source denied it.

Jurcina was orginially selected by Boston as its seventh pick (241st overall) in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. The four-year pro spent his first two seasons in Providence and played 51 games for Boston last season.

The 6-foot-4, 233-pounder has played 40 games for the Bruins this season, including the last 28, but is not in the lineup tonight against the Buffalo Sabres. He has two goals and one assist, while sporting a minus-5 rating with 20 penalty minutes.

The Bruins just concluded their game-day skate at the Garden and head coach Dave Lewis finally challenged his players to be a little more physical.

"We've been playing awful," he said. "The play has been unacceptable. The performance, collective and individually, has been unacceptable. You look for reasons to change it. We're in a situation where we have to change it today, and we have an opportunity to change it today because it's a new day and you can't change yesterday's weather.

" . . . we need to do what you have to do to win. Whether it's the physical play at a certain time of the game, whether it's the courage to go into the corner first and get hammered, whether it's to give somebody a face wash to support a teammate. Whether it's to block a shot; whatever it takes, we have to do. We're not doing that. We're not getting it done."

During the morning skate the players seemed relaxed and a bit jovial. Maybe that will change come face off and the Bruins will bring that physical aspect that they desperately need against the high-flying Sabres.

Goaltender Tim Thomas, who will start tonight, said this morning the team needs to gain some respect back. Buffalo "is a team that likes to humiliate you, so a little respect back would be nice," he said.

It has been reported that the Bruins are shopping Milan Jurcina. The 23-year-old defenseman has played 40 games this season, including the last 28. His minutes have slowly dwindled and he is not playing tonight against Buffalo. Fellow blueliner Jason York, who has missed the last nine games with a knee injury, will be in the lineup. It's likely the Bruins could make a deal for Jurcina today or tomorrow.