On The Eve of Their First Game In Months, the Bruins Ink Anders Bjork to a Three-Year Extension

Can you feel it in the air folks? Hockey is back! Sure, it's tough to get too geeked up about exhibition games in late July but let's remember that the last hockey games before this took place in mid-March. The Bruins play the Blue Jackets tomorrow night (7, NESN) in their lone exhibition game before their three seeding games begin this weekend as they play the Flyers on Sunday afternoon (3, NBC). With that in mind, Boston got some housekeeping done since in a normal year at this time, free agency in the NHL would basically be closed. B's GM Don Sweeney signed young forward Anders Bjork to a three-year (through the 2022-23 season) contract extension with an annual cap hit of $1.6 million.

Obviously, if you made a list of most important Bruins both in this (fingers crossed) restart and going forward, Bjork would be nowhere near the top of that group. However, wrapping up his third season in Boston and at the ripe old age of 23, you can begin to understand how valuable Bjork can be in the near future. Hampered by numerous injuries his first two years with the Bruins-where he played a combined 50 games-he finally was able to start to show his potential in 2019-20 by playing 58 games for the best team in the NHL.

He had nine goals (including one on the power play), 10 assists and he was plus-five. A lefty shot, he has played all over Boston's lineup and since this group reconvened a few weeks ago in Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton, he's been spotted all over the place from the first line (right wing when David Pastrnak was out) to the third line (he alternated at right wing with Karson Kuhlman) where he skated this afternoon at the team's practice in Toronto. With Ondrej Kase on the side of a milk carton and Nick Ritchie similarly nowhere to be seen lately, Bjork could have a bigger role than most outside the team expect in the NHL playoffs the next few months.

The pedigree has always been there for Bjork, a native of Wisconsin who was an alternate captain at Notre Dame where he had a decorated career. He also played for two years with the U.S. National development team (where many top American hockey players go; his B's teammate Matt Grzelcyk also spent time there) in 2012-14 before getting drafted in the fifth round (146th overall) by the Bruins in 2014. Anders agreed to an entry-level deal on May 30, 2017 and made the Bruins out of camp that following season, making his NHL debut on October 5 vs. Nashville.

No doubt these NHL playoffs will be different than any that have ever occurred before-in a bubble city with no crowds-but odds are that at least one of our favorite aspects of the best tournament in sports will hold true: there are always random guys for every team that step up in the biggest moments. I'm certainly not predicting any grandeur for Bjork but he fits the profile of someone who casual fans will be like "Who!?" when he scores an overtime goal in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Probably thanks to his time in Ann Arbor (with the U.S. team) and South Bend, he is mature beyond his years and has the defensive forward style game that the Black and Gold love so if he can stay healthy (the main variable for him), he could be an important piece for the Bruins in upcoming seasons with so many older forwards (like Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Krejci, etc.) eventually retiring.

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Providence Bruins Are Sure To Have A Killer "Slap Shot" Promotion Next Season

In a move that can only be described as Red Sox-like in its cheesiness, the Bruins signed free agent center Christian Hanson to a one-year, two-way contract.

It's worth $600,000 at the NHL level and $105,000 in the AHL for the former Notre Dame star who's best known as the son of actor and hockey player Dave Hanson (from the movie Slap Shot). He scored 16 goals and had 15 assists in 37 games for the Fighting Irish in 2008-09 when they reached the NCAA title game.

The 26-year-old has played in 42 NHL games (all with Toronto), most recently in 2010-11 when he appeared in six games. His career totals are three goals, six assists and a plus/minus of -3 with 22 penalty minutes.

His best season was 2009-10 with the Maple Leafs, when he played in 31 games, scored two goals, had five assists and 16 penalty minutes.

Hanson signed with the Capitals last summer around this time then spent the entire 2011-12 season with the Hershey Bears (their AHL club) where he had 10 goals and 11 assists in 52 games. So far Hanson and winger Chris Bourque (another Bear) have been the only signings that the Bruins have made since July 1. Sad but true.

If you ever hear of Hanson after this post, it will probably be for something like this. I found a video on hockeyfights.com (one of my favorite hockey related websites) featuring him whaling on Ottawa's Brian Lee on September 21, 2010. Haha not only was it a preseason game but there was 1:31 left in the game and the Leafs trailed 5-0 at the time. Can you say goon?



When the Providence Bruins give out "Slap Shot" bobbleheads or some other shameless crap like that next season, somebody be sure to let me know so I can get my hands one of those gems.

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For Boston

Boston College men's hockey finally got over the hump and won the national championship, beating Notre Dame 4-1 in Denver last night.

The Eagles (24-11-8) had lost in the last two finals. It's their first title since 2001 and third in program history.

Junior forward Nathan Gerbe made up for losing the Hobey Baker (what a joke) by scoring two goals and dishing out two assists. He had five goals and three assists in the two Frozen Four games.

Freshman goalie John Muse made 20 of 21 saves for the win.

After a scoreless first period, Boston College jumped on Notre Dame (27-16-4) in the second with three straight goals. Gerbe scored off a one-timer then three minutes later he scored a ridiculous diving goal after the puck ricocheted off the back boards. Joe Whitney made it 3-0 after his shot deflected off an Irish defender's skate.

Notre Dame's Kevin Deeth caught the Eagles on a line change and broke the shutout. In the third, a controversial call turned out to be the play of the game. Notre Dame scored when the puck went off Kyle Lawson's skate, right outside the crease. After a lengthy review, the goal was overturned as they ruled that Lawson had kicked it.

It was a bum call and it would have been interesting to see what would have happened if it was 3-2. Notre Dame later rang a shot off the crossbar. With that said, BC was the better team all night.

Even worse for the Irish, BC scored 35 seconds later as Gerbe hit Ben Smith with a no-look pass from behind the net and Smith 's shot took a crazy bounce off a defender and past the ND goalie.

Boston College had too much speed and Gerbe was clearly the best player on the ice and in the tournament. He was electric every time the puck was on his stick. It didn't help that Notre Dame was 0 for 8 on the power play with just five shots.

It was BC head coach Jerry York's second title at the Heights.