Seguin is selling tickets already.

Before Tyler Seguin has even played a single NHL game, pre-season or otherwise, the Boston fan base is already clamoring to see their potential superstar in action. Boston Bruins President Cam Neely announced that all season ticket packages have been sold out for the upcoming 2010-2011 season.

There is certainly no guarantee Seguin will make the Bruins opening day roster and Boston management has done their best to temper expectations regarding their hottest commodity in years. Bruins management keeps repeating the mantra that nothing is guaranteed for Seguin based on his draft position but based on ticket sales, are the Bruins under any pressure or obligation to keep Seguin around anyway?

Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli and the rest of Boston’s brass have made it known that there is certainly an opportunity for Seguin to stick with the big club and they have no intention of sending him back to the OHL for seasoning if they feel he is ready to go. While they do their best to tell Bruins fans there’s a chance he will not be around come September, the excitement over his arrival has perhaps led to management’s words falling on deaf ears.

Seguin-mania has quite clearly taken hold of Bruins fans, as indicated by Neely’s announcement. Seguin did his best at the Bruins prospect camp to give fans hope that he would be around come September, displaying great speed, instincts and a better than advertised shot. The young forward is certainly saying all the right things, but one has to assume he has no intention of going back to the OHL.

“My goal is to come into these camps, make an impression, work my hardest, earn a spot, and be an impact player my rookie year. Obviously, if that doesn’t work out, I’ll be disappointed. But it’s just adversity. I have to face it head-on and keep improving in the OHL.’’

There could be a chance that some are interested in seeing the big bodied Horton patrol the wing for Boston’s glut of centers. Perhaps some fans just want to see more of Boston’s other young talent such as Tuukka Rask, Milan Lucic or the recovering David Krejci.

But chances are hockey fans around Boston just want to watch Seguin’s first season, just in case he is as special this year

Seguin-mania is sweeping Boston.

as he is projected to one day be. It has been years since any Bruins prospect was hyped this much and the pressure is already on the youngster to perform as expectations seem to rise by the day.

After all, how else would a team in the midst of a massive Cup drought and coming off one of the worst collapses in sports history sell out all of their season ticket packages? Seguin is already becoming draw for the Bruins and jerseys with his name and number will almost certainly fly off the shelves, or hangers, at the Pro Shop. Fans of the black and gold are certainly putting the pressure on Bruins management to keep the kid around for more than a cup of coffee.

Bruins fans are in desperate need for something, anything to give them hope that a Stanley Cup will parade down the streets of Boston in the near future and it appears as though for many Tyler Seguin is already seen as that hope, expectations that come with being a top-2 pick. Hopefully the teenage dynamo is mentally ready to deal with these sky high expectations.

Gotta love beans and birthday cake!

Boston Sports Then And Now is celebrating it’s first anniversary/birthday this month. We want to thank you,the fans!

Without you, none of this could be possible!

I personally want to thank Dean Hybl for giving me this incredible opportunity to untap a passion and skill I never knew I had.

Being out of work for nine months was a great learning experience for me. Between job searches, I was fueled by my passion for writing and building BST&N into a website which delivered great content about today’s Boston sports scene but also remembering the region’s rich history.

Through this site, I have met incredibly passionate fans and sports bloggers like myself. By networking I was able to successfully execute Boston Sports Blogapalooza this past May. It was perfect venue for bloggers to finally meet and collaborate.

And Blogapalooza II is coming this November, so stay tuned!

To say this past year was a fantastic journey, wouldn’t do it justice. It was a life changing moment for me. Even though I was in a bad situation, I made the best of it and found something I truly love.

So thanks again!

To Dean Hybl.

To my BST&N staff.

And to my new friends and fans, it’s been a gift to have met you all!

Thornton is long gone, but Bruins fans still bitter.

Boston sports fans tend to have long memories, both a blessing and a curse to incoming and departing athletes. Boston fans also tend to hold a grudge, regardless of how long a player has been gone.

But it is time to let go Bruins fans; it is time to let go of the memory of Joe Thornton.

“Jumbo” Joe Thornton was drafted first overall by the Boston Bruins in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft and was perhaps the most hyped Bruins draft pick in history. Some members of the media called Thornton the “next Mario Lemieux” and launched a verbal campaign portraying Thornton as the savior of the Boston Bruins.

Expectations, and vicariously pressure, were exceptionally high for the young play maker and Thornton spent much of his rookie season with the Bruins as a healthy scratch. He scored just 7 points in 55 games that season and those that held him up as the next savior were quick to call him a bust.

Thornton improved the next season while netting 41 points in 81 regular season games, and adding 9 points through 11 playoff games. The weight of being a “savior” of Bruins hockey was perhaps still too much for the youngster but his career started on a steady upward climb.

Thornton became captain of the Bruins during the 2002-03 season, a role he perhaps was not ready for, or was never quite qualified for. Thornton is a dynamic player to be sure, but never quite seemed to be captain material. Nevertheless, he had already been dubbed the savior and the “C” was sewn onto his jersey.

Thornton never delivered on those Cup dreams that Boston fans and media built up in their heads, however. He was built up so high before he ever played a single NHL game and the expectations were too high. They expected one man to deliver them the Cup, expectations that very few NHL players in history have been able to fulfill.

Thornton still has not added a Cup to his hardware collection.

Thornton was shipped off to San Jose and has been ridiculed by Boston fans ever since. His lack luster performances in the playoffs were cheered by many fans. Thornton let them down, fans would say. But if you built up a player so high, and he failed to live up to the almost impossible expectations you set for him, can you really say he failed you?

Let’s be honest here… Cam Neely did not bring a Stanley Cup to the Bruins. Ray Bourque had to go to Colorado to get his Stanley Cup. Joe Thornton is certainly  not the player that either Neely or Bourque was, but he was never expected to be. Not everyone is going to have Neely’s hard nosed, drive the net style or Bourque’s vision. But all three players never hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup in a Bruins uniform.

When you are expecting a player to be the “next Mario Lemieux” you automatically make it impossible for that player to live up to those lofty standards.

Now, Bruins fans are doing the same exact thing to poor Tyler Seguin. Seguin was drafted 2^nd overall in this year’s draft behind the object of most Boston’s fans affection, Taylor Hall.

Bruins fans and media quickly went from saying Seguin was a consolation prize to anointing him the next savior of the Bruins. When Seguin decided he would wear the #19 on his sweater, the same number as Thornton, the comparisons immediately began.

Apparently now Seguin is supposed to do what Thornton could not; bring a Cup to Boston. Apparently the youngster is supposed to surpass Thornton in both skill and hardware. He is apparently expected to pick up Thornton’s fallen torch and run with it. All of these expectations before Seguin even has a chance to play one NHL game.

Bruins fans and media’s inability to let go of Joe Thornton could end up costing Seguin. Seguin may not be ready to make an immediate impact and may not even make the opening day roster. Chances are he’ll get a lot of third line minutes while he learns to ply his craft at the NHL level. His development may be slow, and it should be.

Seguin is the next big thing in Boston.

But Bruins fans likely will not allow that, especially if Hall starts out fast for the Oilers. No, Seguin needs to start beating out Thornton this very second according to most. If he falters this season, or worse is sent back to his junior team for more seasoning, the insane calls to local sports talk radio shows calling Seguin a bust will not be far behind.

Seguin is not Joe Thornton and he should not have to be. When his career is over, Seguin may very well have been better than Thornton. He may also fall far short of being as productive as Thornton. Bruins fans need to leave Thornton out of the discussion and let Seguin forge his own legacy.

Be careful of the expectations you thrust upon Boston’s most hyped draft pick since Thornton. Let him develop, let him struggle and let him learn from those struggles. The pressure of being drafted second overall to a Cup hungry town is bad enough without having to worry about making fans forget Joe Thornton’s Boston legacy.

It is time to let go Boston. Thornton is gone, Seguin is here and neither are tied together. Do not put Seguin’s expectations so high that no matter how good he is he cannot meet them. Let it go.

A view from outside the old Garden.

After reading a recent story by fellow Boston Sports Then and Now writer Carl Desberg discussing the history of Fenway’s Green Monster, I decided to reminisce a little about the old Boston Garden.

When TD Bank (then TD Banknorth) bought the naming rights in 2005 they dubbed the former Fleetcenter/Shawmut Center the TD Banknorth Garden in honor of the fallen Boston Garden.

Despite the homage, it never felt quite right to refer to TD Garden as “The Garden.” That name was reserved for the original Garden, one of the most unique arenas in sports.

The Boston Garden held so much history for hockey fans and Boston sports fans alike. The arena was completed in 1928 and was originally intended to be a Boston version of New York’s Madison Square Garden. In fact, the original name was “Boston Madison Square Garden” before being shortened to “Boston Garden.”

The Garden was originally built to host boxing matches but quickly evolved into an all encompassing sports arena, but the arena was not quite built to general NHL rink standards. Standard NHL rinks are 200 feet long by 85 feet wide but the rink at the Boston Garden was 191 feet long by 83 feet wide.

Playing in the slightly smaller rink gave the Bruins a distinct advantage over their opposition. “It was a tough building to play in,” Paul Ysebaert, former winger of the Detroit Red Wings, once said. “They had a small ice surface, and they got the right players to perform in that type of rink. Every game was tough, with lots of bumping and grinding. You had to change your game plan to mold into that kind of rink.”

The way the arena was structured, the upper balcony literally hung right over the ice, giving fans a unique experience and giving them the impression that they were literally part of the game.

Because of the close proximity of the fans to the playing surface, the building was literally deafening when the fans began cheering on their boys in black and gold.

“The building itself when coming in to play gave maybe a goal and a half, two goal advantage or lead right off the bat, which was nice. The fans were right on top of the players with the balconies. It was close and just a fun place to play.” ~ former Bruin Don Marcotte.

“It was fun because the fans were right above you in the overhang. You could hear the fans cheering for you or yelling at you one way or the other and they enjoyed it too because they could hear what we were saying on the ice. It was just so much fun because the building was a little bit smaller, so you really enjoyed it.” ~ Bruins Hall of Famer Johnny Bucyk.

The TD Garden certainly gave the Bruins and their fans a better built, more modern arena but much of the charm and aura of the original Garden was lost with its destruction. The rink now measures to NHL standards and the fans are a bit further away from the action. The atmosphere of the Boston Garden will perhaps never be replaced.

The Bruins last took the ice at the Boston Garden on September 28, 1995 in a pre-season game against their ultimate

Bruins banners flying high at the legendary arena.

rivals the Montreal Canadiens, a fitting end to the historic building.

The Boston Garden saw five Stanley Cup banners soar to the rafters, saw Bobby Orr take flight and saw Phil Esposito assault NHL record books. Other Bruins legends like Cheevers, Neely, O’Reilly, Bourque, Clapper and Shore skated on the fabled Garden ice. The Garden was where legends played.

The aura of the old Garden is physically gone, but will forever live on in spirit for those who played on it’s fabled ice and for those who watched the old school Bruins bruising battles. Sorry TD Garden, but there is only one place that will forever be known as “The Garden.”

On the shores of the Charles River, in Boston, there lies a similar icon. Its meaning only locally understood, its life much shorter, it still serves as a painful reminder of what happened when an army gave up and lost a battle it had no business losing.

Seguin and fellow linemate Andrew Fallstrom celebrate a goal during intrasquad scrimmaging at Bruins' development camp.

Since that glorious day when Mayor Menino waxed eloquent about Jason Varitek’s Super Bowl-winning field goal and so many bigwigs pulled a sheet from around the newly minted statue of Bobby Orr in front of the TD Garden, the Bruins have not won a hockey game.

But that, as we all well know, was then.

And this is now.

And now, for Bruins management and fans alike, is not just now, but is also the future.

It is a future that holds a swath of promise and – amidst financial uncertainties – hope for a franchise that has but whiffed the Conference Finals since 1991.

Nowhere was that promise more evident than this Saturday when over 1200 fans packed into Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington to watch the final day of Bruins development camp – for the record, that’s a violation of fire codes, but nobody seemed to notice, much less complain.

Many of them were there to see the savior, the Boston hockey Messiah, Tyler Seguin – likely only a few dozen of those in attendance knew how to accurately pronounce his last name. But they got much more than they came for.

Seguin dazzled, centering a line with Jordan Caron and Jared Knight. But it wasn’t just the Tyler Seguin show. For those of you unfamiliar with those names, think Danny Briere mixed with Dan Carcillo for Caron and think Zach Parise for Knight. Zdeno Chara’s lost twin brother, Joe Colborne, stood tall at 6-5 (without skates) and stood his ground as well, taking it to the newest members of the Bruins family. Seguin, Colborne and Caron all are expected to make a showing in September, and each could earn a spot on the opening-day roster, although either Colborne or Seguin will likely have to move to wing in order for both to make it.

The future is bright for other Bs prospects, too. David Warsofsky, acquired in the trade of Vladimir Sobotka to St. Louis, is still attending Boston University this year, which is a good thing. He still needs some polish and to put on some weight, but his two-way abilities have been highly lauded, and Bruins management hope that he’ll be a key piece on the blue-line in the near future. Ryan Spooner, who is likely to head straight to Providence, provides yet another option at center for the Bruins down the road.

Joe Colborne skates in on net during shooting drills.

It’s not just offense in the Bruins’ future, however – if it were, the Bs might be looking at coaching prospects as well, because scoring goals is not Claude Julien’s game. Three defensemen – Ryan Button (no relation to Benjamin) of the OHL, Tommy Cross of BC and Yuri Alexandrov of the KHL, are defense-first blue liners with offensive talent to boot. Cross and Alexandrov are stay-at-home defenders, but each needs to bulk up and adapt to the intricacies of the North American pro game before they’ll be expected to make big contributions for the black and gold. But they’re all capable of making those contributions.

For all the heat that Peter Chiarelli has taken over the past couple years (and, no doubt, he’s got more coming with the Bruins needing to sign Campbell, Wheeler AND Seguin and having just less than 2 million to do it), the Bruins are in a pretty good place right now. That’s not saying that another year like last year can be avoided – if injuries again plague the team, a lot of prospects are promising without polish – or that another end like last year won’t start an uprising, but there’s lots of reason for the team to be optimistic about both its near and current future.

What Chiarelli has done is unloaded those who he feels didn’t perform down the stretch in the Conference semifinals.

And in all but the case of Steve Begin, he’s gotten something back for them.

He and Cam Neely have jointly supported the coaching staff – a questionable call to many – and given them new, improved tools with which to work.

How the Savard and Thomas situations play themselves out may be the turning point of the summer, but right now Chiarelli has said that he is not dealing.

He knows that the returns on those large investments will not be nearly as high as he’d like them to be.

Assuming Chiarelli can find a way to sign everyone and get this team to Wilmington in September without dissent, he won’t need to do much to motivate them. That will come from within, from a combination of a core less despondent than bent on destruction and an injection of new blood that everyone can rally around. If he can’t, it will still be considered a successful offseason, but as we’ve seen, that guarantees nothing when the puck drops.

The first phase – the one that has so often proven troublesome for the front office – of the Bruins’ 2010-11 season has been a successful one. While there is still a lot to do, it’s a promising start for a team, once again, too full of promise to not succeed.

Right?

Marc Savard may not be a Bruin much longer.

The salary cap is both loved and loathed by fans at the same time. Fans love the cap because it prevents teams in markets with bigger, more dedicated populations from wildly spending on all the hottest free agents and basically buying a Stanley Cup.

Fans also hate the cap for a similar reason; they want their team to be available to sign all the hottest free agents so they can get a Cup, but sometimes the money just is not there. Because of the cap teams sometimes have to make hard decisions and send productive, fan favorite players packing.

With Savard rumors still swirling it appears the productive, cap friendly center may have a new address next year, but is the salary cap the real reason?

You can almost never believe what you hear in regards to hockey rumors, especially in the off-season. Trade rumors get tossed around like Mike Komisarek in a fight against Milan Lucic. The Savard story and reasons for his potential departure change almost daily.

Rumors started circulating that Savard was having family issues and asked to be traded to a Canadian team to be closer to his family. GM Peter Chiarelli down played these rumors, saying Savard never asked to be traded.

Some theorized that perhaps Boston wanted to ship Savard out due to the fallout of the Game 7 loss against the Flyers. Apparently Bruins brass, and some of the players, were less than impressed when Savard let Sobotka take the fall for the “Too Many Men on the Ice” call that led to Simon Gagne’s game winning goal.

Savard is also reportedly not well liked by Cam Neely, and Savard’s failure to demonstrate accountability was rumored to rub Neely the wrong way.

Rumors also surfaced that perhaps Savard was secretly angry at the players in his locker room for failing to punish Matt Cooke the night he took out Savard. Savard claimed in interviews he did not blame his teammates but rumors began to surface that there was lingering anger and resentment over the events of that night.

Some Bruins observers began to wonder if the Bruins were scared that Savard’s skills would diminish after his severe concussion. Fellow Bruins center Patrice Bergeron scored 70-plus points in consecutive seasons before sustaining his concussion and has not approached that level since.

Bergeron is certainly on an upswing but if the younger Bergeron was affected so badly, some argue, then the older Savard could be worse. Concussions certainly change players but they can return to their old form. Some point to Savard’s lack of production after Game 1 in the Flyers series, but Savard came back a bit too soon and has the summer to train.

However, Savard may not get the chance to prove he’s still the same player while wearing a Bruins sweater.

Another reason floating around was that the Bruins were too overloaded at the center position and moving Savard makes sense and would provide the biggest return. There is certainly an argument to be made on the type of return Savard would bring back but moving him makes absolutely no sense.

Savard has averaged over a point per game in his tenure with the Bruins and with the addition of Nathan Horton and a potentially better Milan Lucic on his wings next season Savard would be likely to keep up that pace. In just 41 games last season on the offensively impotent Bruins Savard still had 33 points, 17 of which cam eon the power play.

Tyler Seguin is heralded as a savior, but chances are he will not be fully developed for at least a year. Krejci and

Boston better hope Bergeron and Krejci are ready to fill the void if Savard leaves.

Bergeron continue to develop but at this point are not as offensively capable as Savard. Moving a player to the wing makes more sense than trading Savard.

The likely culprit for all the Savard chatter is that pesky salary cap. Savard is still a very productive player with an extremely cap friendly deal that is a steal for someone with Savard’s production.

But for the Bruins that $4 million hit against the salary cap is money they desperately need and Savard may become a casualty of past Bruins deals gone wrong.

Michael Ryder and his $4 million cap hit are virtually impossible to trade unless the Bruins took some salary back. Rumors regarding Tim Thomas’ departure are everywhere but a $5 million cap hit over the next three years for a 36 year old goalie coming off hip surgery would be hard for most teams to stomach.

So if the rumors are true that leaves Savard as the Bruins most attractive asset to other teams. His offense would be hard to replace despite the Bruins depth at center, a lesson they should have learned last season after the departure of Phil Kessel left a void on the wing.

Peter Chiarelli and the Bruins front office seem to be learning from their past mistakes and bad contracts, but it could be too late for Savard. Hopefully Savard and his offensive magic are still in Boston next season, but that salary cap is making that harder and harder.

Boston needs Mark Recchi

Beside Tyler Seguin, another impactful choice was made be the Bruins.

Bringing back the Recch-ing Ball.

Mark Recchi will be back with the Boston Bruins for another season, a deal Chiarelli confirmed while working the phones out in LA prior to the draft.

The 42 year old winger will be entering his 22^nd NHL season, but still plays harder than most players half his age. The days of Recchi scoring 60, 70, 80 points are likely gone but he brings something much more valuable to a young Bruins team.

“Rex was a terrific player for us,” said GM Peter Chiarelli. “He helped our group leadershipwise. He’s a Hall of Famer-to-be. We’re glad to have him back.”

… a statement that does not do nearly enough to justify Recchi’s value.

Recchi leads by example both on and off the ice. He never takes a shift off, never shies away from contact and never gives up. Off the ice he demands accountability and hard work from his team mates. He defines what a hockey player should be.

He is also the perfect mentor for young players looking to find their stride in the NHL or work on improving their skills, physically and mentally. Tampa Bay Lightning star Steven Stamkos credits Recchi for helping him succeed in the latter half of his rookie year and beyond. The lessons he learned from the veteran Recchi stuck with him and help him be successful.

Who better to teach a young player than a guy who has over 1000 NHL games under his belt?

With Tyler Seguin coming into the Bruins organization, Recchi figures to play a big part in acclimating him into the NHL and helping him develop his skills. This fact is certainly not lost on the Bruins, a likely reason they did not let Recchi reach free agency.

Recchi could also have a further impact on current Bruins players like Blake Wheeler and Milan Lucic. Both players are still learning how to use their size effectively and could certainly learn a lot from the much smaller Recchi in regards to getting to the front of the net and learning who to better tip in shots.

Mark Recchi is the perfect teacher; he has been in every situation, good and bad, and succeeded at all levels. He’s been on great teams, awful teams and everything in between but the one consistent theme is he’s always left his all on the ice. Like every player he’s had bad games, even bad stretches but his effort is never in question.

Welcome back Mark Recchi.

His drive, his determination are unmatched and instilling that in a rookie can be a huge boost both immediately and in the future.

Despite his age and a poor offensive supporting cast, the wily veteran still managed 18 goals and 43 points last year for Boston in the regular season, good for 4^th on the team, and led the Bruins with 6 goals in the playoffs.

He was a demon on the forecheck, stood up to Chris Pronger when the rest of his team would not and played with fire until the last buzzer of Game 7 against the Flyers.

He threw his aging body around with reckless abandon and kept going back for more. The Bruins could sign a better offensive force, but they certainly could not have signed a better player.

Recchi is the type of veteran that almost every Cup winner has on their roster. He is the calming force in the locker room when situations get ugly, that spark on the ice when the game needs a momentum shift, that voice on the bench when a player is not playing as hard as he could be.

Boston management and their players should feel lucky, and privileged, to have a player like Mark Recchi back on their team.

Welcome to Boston Tyler Seguin.

“And with the first pick in the 2010 NHL draft the Edmonton Oilers select… from the Windsor Spitfires…”

And before that sentence was even finished, the Tyler vs Taylor debate was over. Well, at least the debate of who would get drafted first.

Bruins fans became enamored with Hall prior to the draft and the months leading up to it, especially when all the highlights of his hard nosed play from the Memorial Cup were circulating.

Hall had the “Bruins attitude” that fans longed for, a fearless player who will go to the net regardless of who or what is in his way. There were obviously concerns about how his body would hold up trying to plow through NHL defenders, but scouts felt he could adjust his game.

Then Hall dropped Bobby Orr’s name, a sure fire way to win a Boston fan’s heart. Not only is Hall represented by Orr, but Hall wears #4 in honor of Orr. Bruins fans predictably attached themselves to the young scorer even more, seemingly making their decision on who they’d prefer to see in a Bruins jersey soley based on Hall’s idol.

Hall also has more experience than Seguin. He had been in the OHL a year longer, had won back to back Memorial Cup MVPs and seemed more NHL ready than Seguin.

Hall is also a converted winger of the goal scoring variety, a position the Bruins definitely need. Fans pointed to the log jam at center with Savard, Krejci and Bergeron down the middle. Another center, especially one with Seguin’s potential, would only complicate matters and perhaps force the Bruins to trade one of their centers away.

Many also speculated Seguin would need another year before making an impact and wondered if he would be willing to transfer to win. So far Boston’s newest acquisition is saying all the right things.

“Right now, my main focus is to have an incredible offseason,” Seguin said. “Put on some weight and do better in areas where I think I need to be better. I’m sure Boston’s going to tell me some stuff where I have to improve my game. Hopefully I’ll come in there next year and be an impact player, whether it’s playing center or wing.”

In later interviews, Boston GM Peter Chiarelli echoed the statement that nothing will be handed to the youngster despite his high draft position.

“One, he has to make the team. I expect that he will make the team, but you never know,” said Peter Chiarelli. “He has to make the team. That’ll be a decision in the fall. But if you remember some of the fellas in the past, his body type, a guy like [Tampa Bay's Steven] Stamkos, it took him a while to get used to it. It took him a while to get his confidence and his strength.”

Most scouts say there is little difference between the two prospects. Taylor may be the more dynamic scorer, a net crasher. But Seguin is said to have off

Bruins fans have a lot to be excited about in Seguin.

the charts hockey instincts and vision. He has that drive to be better.

Seguin is a young, raw talent. Those expecting him to be the savior of the Bruins, to give them a Cup, right out of the gate may be disappointed. Of course there is also the chance he could come out and score 30 goals and 80 points.  We won’t even begin to see Tyler Seguin’s story until the season starts and we see where he lands.

But Bruins fans should be excited. Boston has not had a prospect of Seguin’s pedigree in quite some time, perhaps since Joe Thornton came to town. Seguin’s presence will bring excitement to the team and fans will get to witness first hand the development of a potential NHL superstar.

Chris Edwards of NHL Central Scouting gave Seguin a glowing review:

“Tyler Seguin makes things happen every time he is on the ice and he makes his teammates better. He’s a skilled forward. He’s a guy that’s obviously a top-line forward with all kinds of puck skills and playmaking abilities. He’s an elusive guy in traffic, avoiding checks with the puck.’’

Seguin’s Plymouth Whaler’s were not quite as star studded as Taylor Hall’s Windsor Spitfires. One cannot take away any of Hall’s accomplishments, as he was still the best player on a very good team.

But Seguin seemed to do more with less and that is precisely the type of player the Bruins need. Seguin makes those around him better while still creating his own chances. Seguin may not wear #4 in honor of Orr, but the Bruins certainly did not leave the draft sulking because they got Seguin instead of Hall.

And neither should you Bruins fans. Give Seguin time… be patient with a young player who is most likely going to need time to develop and hit a few bumps in the road. For the first time in a long time, Boston is getting their superstar and we’ll get to watch that for at least 82 games a year.

The day was finally here for Bruins Fans!

Well the day was finally upon us, the future of the Boston Bruins hung  in the balance.

How could our beloved Bruins recover from the epic collapse against the Flyers?

Well have the #2 overall pick of course!!

Thanks to Brian Burke of Toronto Maple Leafs, the Bruins are one of the few teams in history(finally in a good way) to go two rounds in the playoffs then get a top two pick!

Mary Paoletti of CSNNE and Dan Sullivan from Boston Sports Then and Now joined me for this historic moment for the Black and Gold.

Would it be Taylor or Tyler?

Watch and find out!

Last image we saw of the Bruins this season.

After a heartbreaking, incredibly disappointing series collapse against the Flyers, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli immediately started talking about change. The signs of a locker room that had some passengers, as Mark Recchi put it, and was not 100% dedicated to winning could no longer be ignored.

After losing in Game 7 against Carolina in the 2008-09 playoffs, Mark Recchi spoke up and hinted that perhaps not everyone in the locker room was dedicated to winning. Fans and media alike assumed Recchi was referring to Phil Kessel and his infamous reputation as a player who did not always give his all.

When the same situation and comments repeated themselves after the Flyers series, Chiarelli could no longer ignore this lingering problem.

Change began last week, although perhaps not the kind Chiarelli was talking about, when Cam Neely was promoted to President of the Boston Bruins. Both Neely and Chiarelli spoke of how important dedication and accountability is to building a successful franchise, and how they were expecting more of that from their players going forward. They said they wanted to be a harder team to play against, a specialty of Neely in his playing days, and may have done just that.

Personnel changes then began yesterday when the Bruins sent Dennis Wideman, the 15^th overall pick and a 3^rd pick in the 2011 draft to the Florida Panthers for forwards Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell.

Wideman had an atrocious regular season for the Bruins this past year and was showered by boos from the TD Garden faithful, but was a point per game player in the playoffs. However, rumor has it that management soured on Wideman when he admitted he had trouble getting his intensity level up for regular season games. Not exactly the type of attitude the Bruins are looking for in their players these days.

In Horton the Bruins get a big bodied forward, a type of player Neely loves, who has scored at least 20 goals in five consecutive seasons for a less than good Florida Panthers team. Horton scored 57 points in just 65 games last season and would have been the Bruins leading scoring with those totals.

At first glance the move was a bit curious. The criticism on Horton is that he does not use his size effectively and that he has a less than stellar work ethic. If the Bruins were trying to change their culture why trade for a player who, supposedly, has some of the same problems they are trying to get rid of?

But when you look deeper you see a player that perhaps just hated the environment he was in. There have been

five different coaches in Horton’s six seasons in Florida and the Panthers haven’t sniffed the playoffs in nine years. Playing in that kind of environment certainly is not going to bring out the best in a player.

In his first conference call as a member of the Boston Bruins, Horton immediately expressed his excitement about coming to a hockey town that has such a rich history, will almost certainly be in the playoffs next year and wants to win.

“It’s tough when you’re a young kid, and you come in… I think definitely it was difficult. I’m just trying to move forward and look ahead. I’m just very excited to be a Boston Bruin.”

“I’m going to try my best and I’m very excited to wear the Bruins crest on my chest. I’m excited to be there and a new opportunity, a new home. I think me and my family are ecstatic right now.”

The rejuvenation of a new home and leaving behind a situation that was dragging him down could spark Horton to greater heights and he could very well be that scoring winger the Bruins missed out on at the trade deadline. Paired with a center like Marc Savard or David Krejci, Horton could very well score 30-35 goals next season assuming he is healthy.

For the Bruins it was a trade they had to make considering their current wing situation and the desire of

Horton has the tools to make a difference for the Bruins.

management, and new President Cam Neely, to get bigger bodies who are not afraid to go to the net. Add in the fact that Horton is still just 25 years old and is under contract for another three seasons and the Bruins are in good shape if Horton rounds into form.

Some fans were upset that Chiarelli included the 15^th pick in the upcoming draft, but grabbing Horton and giving up the pick shows that management may finally be trying to win now. Chances are a prospect picked up in that 15^th slot may not be NHL ready for a couple years but Horton is good now, and maybe be even better.

With the draft Friday and a tight cap, Chiarelli likely is not done. Rumors are floating around the Bruins constantly and Chiarelli appears to be on a mission. Horton is not the one player that is going to push the Bruins atop the list of Stanley Cup favorites, but could be the first in a line of many moves Chiarelli makes to get the Bruins closer.

The Bruins promised change this offseason, and they are making a good start in delivering on that promise.