Zdeno Chara has gained a Stanley Cup, a Norris Trophy and can saunter into the Hockey Hall of Fame when he’s eligible.
But the just lately retired Chara seemed like a bit of child when he walked into the Bruins’ alumni locker room at Warrior Ice Arena on Saturday afternoon and he noticed one other former Bruin captain, Ray Bourque.
Chara, making his alumni recreation debut in opposition to a gaggle of Navy Seals who traveled from Virginia, was paired with the man Bruin nice and he couldn’t have been happier.
“It’s an absolute honor,” mentioned a beaming Chara earlier than the sport. “I’m looking forward to it. He such a legend of the sport, for the city, for the organization. Even if it’s just a charity game and a game for a good cause, it’s still a privilege and an honor to be on the same team with so many guys who’ve played for a long time and did so many great things. I’m very humble about it.”
It was fairly a set of former Bruins who acquired collectively on Saturday, one which included Bourque and Chara, and different latest retirees in Adam McQuaid and Kevan Miller, who was in from his house in Utah and making his alumni debut.
The trigger actually helped unite the previous Bruins. The group of Seals they confronted have been taking part in beneath the Warrior For Life All-Stars and the sport was in honor of the Nate Hardy, a Durham, N.H.., native and member of Seal Team 6 who was killed in motion in 2008 in Iraq.
The proceeds for the occasion went to the Fisher House of Boston, the place navy households can keep when their family members are receiving medical therapy; Operation Hat Trick, which generates consciousness and help for restoration of wounded service members; and the Warrior for Life, which supplies help and infrastructure for Seals via the sport of hockey.
Warriors for Life and the B’s alumni related about 5 years in the past. Ryan Croley, who runs the charity and cultivated the connection with former Bruin Frank Simonetti, introduced up about 15 energetic obligation Seals and a few veterans to play the B’s. Last 12 months, as Bruins Foundation president Bob Sweeney identified, the Seals got here out on high.
“This year we’ve got some young blood to help out,” mentioned Sweeney with a smile.
“I think everybody knows the passion of a guy like Kevan Miller has for the military over the years. Great to see Kevin. He has done so much over the years playing for the Bruins for all military causes. And if you look around the locker room, we probably could have filled two teams today because a lot of the guys here have been to Virginia Beach (to play the Seals in the past),” he mentioned.
Miller was compelled to retire due to a debilitating knee damage, however was feeling fairly good. Military causes have been at all times near his coronary heart.
“You have a relationship with each (charity) individually and to have them here together, pulling in one direction, is awesome,” mentioned Miller. “They all do unbelievable work for veteran and Gold Star families and active duty guys. To have them all working in conjunction is huge and I’m just happy to be a part of it.”
The B’s alumni have been in a position to flip the tables, pulling off a 6-4 win over the Seals.
First price third line
If a staff has designs on a Stanley Cup, it higher have a robust third line that may be a reputable menace to attain. And the Bruins seem to have that with Taylor Hall taking part in with Charlie Coyle and Trent Frederic.
The Hall-Coyle is a mix that didn’t work so nicely final 12 months when it was first tried final season as a second line grouping. Why is it working now?
“I don’t know, to be honest. Maybe, it’s getting to know him a little more. Who knows?” mentioned Coyle. “It’s been a small sample size here the last few games. I don’t know. We’re just trying to find it more and more, whoever you’re playing with and that’s what it’s looking like right now. I think it’s just getting to know him and his tendencies and how he is. My game’s not going to change too much and Freddy’s isn’t either. But I like his speed, I like the way he skates. I like playing with guys like that. He can push the D back or if he gets that puck, he can buzz right around them. He’s such a threat with that and his speed. So it’s just getting to know him more and getting to play more games with him. We’ve been getting the opportunities. Yeah, we’ve finished a couple of them, but I think the opportunities were there from the start and we didn’t necessarily cash in right away but we knew it was coming. We felt are going was going pretty good. Us three just have to keep talking and we could be a really god line of we keep this thing going.”
High reward
Jim Montgomery had some excessive reward for Colorado Avalanche and former UMass star Cale Makar. Asked if it was an exaggeration to match then younger defenseman to Bobby Orr, Montgomery mentioned “No, it’s not.”
Then, maybe realizing the Bruins’ gear that he was sporting, Montgomery certified that.
“Bobby Orr is in a stratosphere by himself, but if there’s anyone who comes into that stratosphere, it’s going to be him, from what I see,” mentioned Montgomery.
Source: www.bostonherald.com