After Quite A Lengthy Wait, The B's Finally Signed Forward Jake DeBrusk To A Two-Year Contract

 

    NHL free agency officially opened a month and a half ago so you are not alone if you basically forgot that winger Jake DeBrusk (a restricted free agent) was still sitting around waiting for the Bruins to hit him up with a contract offer. Naturally, on a sleepy Monday night a few days before Thanksgiving, B's GM Don Sweeney & Co. got it done as they signed DeBrusk to a two-year deal worth $7.35 million. It has to be a relief for Jake after he saw literally hundreds of players from around the league get paid recently while he and his agent patiently bided their time waiting for Boston to make a decision. 

    In many ways, this was an easy move for the Bruins since DeBrusk represents one of their few young forwards who has really shown anything positive lately at the NHL level. He was the middle pick of Boston's infamous three first round selections in the 2015 Draft. Sandwiched around DeBrusk at No. 14 were defenseman Jakub Zboril at No. 13 and right wing Zach Senyshyn. Haha who? Only hardcore Bruins or hockey fans know who those other two guys are since neither has made any kind of impact yet for the B's and they've mostly been stuck wasting away in Providence. 

    Jake just wrapped up his third full season with the Bruins and he's been consistently productive from his rookie year until now. He's scored at least 16 goals and had at least 16 assists in all three seasons. He's also been relatively durable-and almost always worthy of a lineup spot-since he played 70 games in 2017-18, 68 games the following season and 65 in this past Covid-19 shortened schedule. After recording 27 assists in his rookie campaign and 27 goals in his second season, I think that many were understandably a bit disappointed that his game didn't take any noticeable leap in 2019-20 but rather it felt stuck in neutral. 

    His plus/minus has also plummeted from plus-13 in his first year, to plus-two then minus-one. For most of his brief Bruins career, David Krejci has centered DeBrusk on the second line with a revolving door of nobodies at right wing. That's not an excuse for the dip in his numbers but a statement of fact. When you watch Jake over a full season including the playoffs, you see more than a few glimpses of some outstanding tools: game-breaking pace, great hands to get around defensemen and goaltenders in small areas not to mention the clutch plays that he often makes. He's been on the Bruins' second power play unit for much of the last two seasons and he has potted eight goals and seven goals there respectively. He also put up 14 game-winning goals (in the regular season) between his first three years which is nothing to sneeze at.

    The bubble playoffs were not his friend though as he was mostly shut down to the tune of only four points (all goals) in 13 games. That paled in comparison to his rookie season when Boston where he notched six goals and two assists in only 12 games or the next season where they went to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals and he had four goals and seven assists. He's definitely an X-factor kind of guy and like most teams, the Bruins are always in need of some secondary scoring from DeBrusk as well as many others besides the top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak.

    If you've ever watched Behind The B (NESN's underrated behind the scenes show about the Bruins) or you've caught some of his hilarious post-game interviews, you know that Jake is a character to say the least. Having grown up around the NHL (his dad Louie was a long-time enforcer), he has a great sense of humor-witness the mullet that he has sported for long stretches-and being Canadian the typical down-to-Earth, relatable nature. Playing here generally doesn't bring the same insane pressure as a Toronto or Montreal but for an American market, it's still pretty tough. I wouldn't worry too much though about that being a factor for DeBrusk since he seems well equipped to handling the ups and downs of a professional sports career. With the right attention to details-like getting stronger for puck battles in the corners and better touch around the net-he has the ability to be a 30-goal scorer in the near future. It took way too long to get this done but I think we can all agree that this was a good day for the Bruins.

Bruins Sign Defenseman Kevan Miller Through 2015-16

Coming off what I thought was his best game as a Bruin (career-high 19:05, game-high 5 hits and 1 blocked shot) yesterday vs. Los Angeles, Boston rewarded rookie defenseman Kevan Miller with a two-year, one-way contract through the 2015-16 season. Miller went to the University of Vermont and played there from 2007-10 before being signed as a free agent by the Bruins in October 2011.

His initial success is a good reflection of two things: the Providence Bruins churning out quality pros and Boston making the most out of free agency (with some exceptions, obviously). I see Miller as a sort of poor man's Johnny Boychuk, he's relatively big and tough with a hard right-handed shot. In 16 games this season with Boston, he has one goal, one assist and seven penalty minutes (one fighting major).

At some point, Zdeno Chara will slow down and eventually retire. With young defensemen like Torey Krug, Matt Bartkowski, Dougie Hamilton, Miller plus Zach Trotman and David Warsofsky in Providence, the Bruins have plenty of talent in the pipeline to ensure that they won't fall off the map completely when Big Z is gone.

UPDATE 1/23: Trotman was recalled on an emergency basis from Providence.

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Chris Bourque Is The First Casualty From Boston's Underachieving Third Line

Even when they were playing great, winning six in a row and being talked about as the top team in the Eastern Conference last week, Bruins fans weren't satisfied with left wing Chris Bourque. To get him going, the team made him a healthy scratch a few times but nothing seemed to wake him up. Today, they were forced to waive him since somebody had to pay for the third line's season-long struggles.

Teams around the NHL will have until 12 p.m. tomorrow afternoon to make a claim on Bourque, if he clears then he'll go to the Providence Bruins. That's where he played during the lockout and truth be told, where his limited skills make him best suited for. In 18 games, Bourque had one goal, three assists, six penalty minutes and 24 shots on goal.

For whatever reason, Bruins head coach Claude Julien thought that Bourque deserved more than his share of ice time on Boston's awful power play. How'd that work out? The real numbers that show the third line's struggles are their plus/minuses: Bourque (-6), Kelly (-7) and Peverley (-8) have the three worst marks on the team. Obviously, Kelly and Peverley have more value so the B's are more reluctant to give up on them yet.

Still, the NHL Trade Deadline is less than a month away (April 3) so stay tuned. Boston is almost guaranteed to add another defenseman or Top-9 winger by then. Boston hosts Toronto tonight, Jay Pandolfo will be on the fourth line with Daniel Paille bumped up to the third line (where he's been taking regular shifts latey).

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Patrice Bergeron & Zdeno Chara Are The Latest Bruins to Head Overseas

Because there is literally no NHL news to report right now, no practices, no positional battles and no talk of puck moving defensemen, it would be a dereliction of duty to not document the only Bruins related topic of note.

Of course, I'm talking about more Bruins headed overseas thanks to the inexplicable and increasingly frustrating NHL lockout. Bruins captain and defenseman Zdeno Chara along with reigning Selke Award winner, assistant captain and center Patrice Bergeron will take their talents to the Czech Republic and Switzerland respectively.

Chara will join HC Lev Praha, a Prague-based team in the KHL. He grew up not far from his new team's home (in Slovakia) and is expected to play games this weekend, according to his agent.

Bergeron reportedly turned down an offer from a Finnish team in order to skate with HC Lugano in Switzerland, joining linemate Tyler Seguin in the land of expensive watches and army knifes.

Both players can rejoin the Bruins if and when the NHL owners decide to stop being total douches.

Go Providence Bruins! Their home opener is a week from Friday, against the Manchester Monarchs (7 p.m. at the Dunkin' Donuts Center).

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Bruins Assign Many Of Their Top Young Players To Providence In Wake Of The NHL Lockout

Last night, while most of America was out getting hammered, Gary Bettman and the NHL owners officially locked the players out, who were probably out getting hammered themselves since their summer vacation has been unexpectedly (well kind of) extended.

Before the official announcement, many teams including the Bruins assigned some of their best young talent to their AHL affiliates, assuring that those prospects wont take a step back in development no matter how long the NHL is shut down.

Headed down Route 95 to Providence will be Matt Bartkowski, Carter Camper, Jordan Caron, Ryan Button, Colby Cohen, Tommy Cross, Craig Cunningham, Justin Florek, Michael Hutchinson, Jared Knight, Torey Krug, Kevan Miller, Adam Morrison (not the basketball player), Tyler Randell, Max Sauve, Ryan Spooner, Niklas Svedberg, Zach Trotman and David Warovsky.

Although there were rumors of Tyler Seguin making the trip down to Providence, the recently extended winger will most likely find something else to occupy his time.  It would have been a blast to see him absolutely tear it up in the AHL, a step that he completely skipped in his brief professional career.

Bruins fans looking to see the defenseman of the future Dougie Hamilton will have to either wait until the lockout is over or travel and watch him play for the Niagara Ice Dogs.  Malcolm Subban will also remain in the OHL, playing for the Belleville Bulls, although it was unlikely he would have made the big club anyway.

So this is what we have to deal with for the time being.  Luckily, we happen to live in New England where there are no shortage of hockey alternatives.  I for one plan on spending a lot of time at the Dunkin Donuts Center (yes the name is corny/awful/borderline offensive) watching the P Bruins as well as at Schnieder Arena checking out my Providence College Friars.

Providence Bruins games are always a good time, and if you have never been, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.  the Dunk is newly renovated and very accommodating for fans.  ticket prices are relatively low as well, which is always a good thing.

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Malcolm Subban Signs A 3-Year Deal With B's, Please Don't Let There Be Another Lockout

I have avoided talking about another possible (impending?) NHL Lockout because really, what else is there to say? For a sport that has finally returned from the abyss, it would be a fatal mistake. It's one thing for the NFL to have one last summer that ended before the regular season started or the NBA to miss some meaningless regular season games but this is the last thing hockey needs.

I bring this up because today the Bruins agreed to a three-year entry-level deal with goaltender Malcolm Subban, their first-round pick (24th overall) in June's NHL Draft. Terms of the contract weren't released and it officially kicks in once he plays 10 or more games at the NHL level.

Subban is only 18-years-old so he is still a ways off from the Bruins. He's expected to play for the Bellville Bulls this season, a junior team in the OHL (Ontario Hockey League). The younger brother of Montreal defenseman P.K. was 25-14-0 with a 2.50 GAA and .923 save percentage playing for Bellville last season.

Whenever the Bruins get back on the ice, their goaltending situation will look much different with Tim Thomas gone. Tuukka Rask is the starter with Anton Khudobin backing him up. Keeping track of Subban's progression in the minor leagues will be interesting, ditto for guys with the Providence Bruins. Let's just hope that the NHL can reach an agreement with its players so they don't miss any time. Otherwise, you could see many big names down in Providence as they attempt to stay in game shape.

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Look Out Adam McQuaid: Bruins Add Another Fringe Defenseman To The Mix For 2012-13

Another day and another nameless guy brought in by the Bruins to a two-way contract.

This afternoon, they announced the signing of defenseman Aaron Johnson to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2012-13 season. It's worth $650,000 at the NHL level and $105,000 at the AHL level with the Providence Bruins.

Believe it or not, Johnson actually played in 56 games for the worst team in the NHL-the Columbus Blue Jackets-last season. He had three goals, a career-high 13 assists and 16 points. Johnson was -12 with 26 penalty minutes. Don't feel bad if you're never heard of him, I hadn't either. I think Rick Nash is the only Blue Jacket that's known by the outside world. Name me a more obscure pro sports team in the the big four sports in America?

A third-round pick by Columbus in 2001 (85th overall), Johnson is 29, 6-foot-2 and 211 pounds. The left-handed shot already played for five NHL teams (Blue Jackets, Islanders, Blackhawks, Oilers, Flames) before coming to Boston which is always a bad sign.

For his NHL career (281 games), he has 17 goals and 45 assists for 62 points. He's +1 with 217 penalty minutes and 225 shots on goal.

In 2010-11, Johnson had 35 points in 72 games with the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) after signing as an unrestricted free agent with the Nashville Predators two summers ago.

Let's be honest, the best Johnson can hope for is he'll grab the last spot on the third defenseman line. More likely, he'll find himself in the TD Garden press box often as a healthy scratch or competing in Providence.

He will soon learn it's a big step up from the Blue Jackets to the Bruins but regardless, we wish him luck.

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This Could Be A Big Year In Matt Bartkowski's Professional Hockey Career, No Really

If you truly remember anything about Matt Bartkowski's completely anonymous Bruins career (9 total games), you are a hopeless loser just like me.

He has to be the most forgettable player that has appeared in more than one game for the B's the past two seasons. Today, the defenseman signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Black and Gold.

He will make $660,000 in the NHL and $62,500 in Providence (AHL) where he has spent a majority of his time in 2010-11 and 2011-12. Bartkowski played in six games with the Bruins in 2010-11 but had a line of 0 goals, 0 assists, -1 and four penalty minutes.

He actually broke camp with the B's last fall but only appeared in three games (0 goals, 0 assists, -2) before being sent down to Providence for good. The stay-at-home defenseman had three goals, 19 assists and 38 penalty minutes in 50 games with the baby B's.

It goes without saying that it should be a big year in terms of development for Bartkowski. He's 24 and a former seventh-round pick of the Panthers in 2008. This will be his fifth season as a pro so that's generally when a prospect starts to pan out or he tops out in the AHL and ends up playing for most of his career there.

Boston's defensive corps is already pretty stacked but as we all know, those guys tend to go down with injuries the most since they block so many shots and are put in harm's way more than anybody else. Let's hope that Bartkowski (a Pittsburgh native) is able to take that next step and prove that he belongs in the NHL. Otherwise, he might not last in the organization much longer.

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The Bruins' Summer Of Inactivity Continues: 2 More Scrubs Added To Providence

Those of us hoping the Boston Bruins would make any kind of notable moves this summer have been pretty disappointed in the first few weeks since all they've done is basically sign depth guys for the Providence Bruins (AHL).

Today, the B's inked defenseman Garnet Exelby and forward Lane MacDermid to one-year, two-way contracts. Exelby will make $600,000 in the NHL and $130,000 in the AHL; MacDermid will earn $600,000 with the big club and $70,000 in the minor leagues.

At this point, these two players are at different parts of their respective careers. Exelby is 30 (he'll be 31 next month) and he's played 408 games in the NHL (Atlanta, Toronto) over seven seasons. In that time, he scored seven goals, had 43 assists, amassed 584 penalty minutes and his plus/minus was -28 mostly because of a brutal 2007-08 with the Thrashers (-21).

His most recent taste of the good life was 2009-10 with the Maple Leafs. He played for the Grand Rapids Griffins, the Red Wings' AHL team, last season and piled up seven goals, 14 assists and 177 penalty minutes in 75 games. I can't ever remember seeing him but looking at his stats, he has to be a goon. That is clearly his role, a defensive enforcer.

Here's a fight of his from last season, January 17 vs. Justin Soryal of the Charlotte Checkers.


MacDermid is only 22 (he turns 23 in August) and the Hartford, CT native actually played five games for Boston last season when they were dealing with a bunch of injuries to their bottom six forwards. The former fourth-round pick in 2009 (112th overall by the Bruins) and son of an NHL player (Paul MacDermid) who played 13 years in the league, Lane didn't register any points and was -2 but you will remember him for his first NHL shift: on March 4 he fought Rangers tough guy Mike Rupp in a memorable bout at Madison Square Garden.



More so than Exelby, MacDermid has a much better chance of finding himself back with Boston at some point next season depending on who's hurt and/or playing poorly. He seems to be a guy that knows his role and would be able to play on the fourth line pretty soon. In 69 games for Providence last season, he had four goals and 12 assists along with 121 penalty minutes.

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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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Boston College's Tommy Cross Goes From One Champion To Another

I will go on the record as saying I hate everything about Boston College with one major exception: I've come to really appreciate their men's hockey team which just picked up its third national title in the last five seasons on Saturday (4-1 vs. Ferris State).

In the Northeast, you won't find a college hockey program that's more consistent and also produces as many quality pro players as the Eagles. That's why it's exciting that the Boston Bruins got in on the action by signing BC senior defenseman Tommy Cross to an entry-level contract.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound senior captain is from Simsbury, CT originally and he was a second round pick by the B's (35th overall) in 2007. He's already played at some of their training camps and on Friday, he'll report to Providence for his pro debut with the Providence Bruins.

“It’s special,” Cross said at the Eagles' on-campus celebration of their national championship. “It’s a great organization. It’s an honor to sign [with them]. I think right now it hasn’t really settled in -- my mind is still here at BC. I’ve had four unbelievable years here. It’s sad to see it come to an end, but when one door closes another one opens.”

From all reports, Cross was a great leader and he was the second best defenseman on a team that was loaded with talent. If he can bide his time in the minors, there's no doubt that he'll make an impact either with the Bruins or with another NHL team in the near future. Andrew Ference of the B's also went to Boston College and look how he's turned out the last few seasons.

While helping his team close out their season with 19 straight wins and capturing their fifth title in BC's history, Cross set career-highs in games played (44), assists (19), points (24) and penalty minutes (66) during the regular season. He ended his college career with his second championship and now he gets to play in the organization of the defending Stanley Cup champs, who are expected to make another serious run this spring. Not a bad life indeed.

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Carter Camper Gets His First Call-Up To The NHL, With The Boston Bruins

After losing two straight and four out of their last six (two shootout wins) while getting blanked in four of their last nine contests, the Boston Bruins are in desperate need of somebody that can put the puck in the net.

With the trade deadline now only a week away, they are still trying to find answers from within the organization as today they called up Carter Camper, a center from the Providence Bruins.

The first-year pro and former four-year star and Hobey Baker finalist at Miami University (Ohio) is expected to join his new teammates tomorrow in St. Louis as they prepare for Wednesday night's game with the Blues.

This season, Camper led the Providence Bruins with 14 goals and 24 assists. He played center on their top forward line. Boston signed him as a rookie free agent on April 7, 2011.

So far in two games, Josh Hennessy has failed to make any sort of impact but maybe the diminutive (5-foot-9) Camper will show more of a scoring touch. Also of note, Camper is on Twitter (@c_camps11) which is exciting for Black and Gold fans because only Tyler Seguin and Steven Kampfer are currently active on the great social media tool.

If Camper doesn't play on Wednesday, he has two other chances (Friday in Buffalo and Saturday in Ottawa) to impress the Bruins' front office and head coach Claude Julien on their six-game road trip.

Who knows, maybe they're trying to showcase him for other teams with the trade deadline in mind? Hopefully he has a little more Nathan Horton and Rich Peverley (both currently out with injuries) in his game than Josh Hennessy.

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Zach Hamill Put On Waivers By The Bruins

Today the Bruins placed forward Zach Hamill on waivers. If he clears them, he will be sent back down to the Providence Bruins.

This move was totally expected if you pay attention to the B's on a daily basis. Hamill played a season-low 8:19 in Saturday's 2-1 loss to Pittsburgh and then he was a healthy scratch yesterday in Washington, D.C. Jordan Caron had been recalled from Providence and he had basically taken Hamill's place, at least until Nathan Horton returns from his latest concussion.

I'd like to say that Hamill is close to making a real impact in the NHL but I just don't see it, so far. In 16 games with Boston this season, he has 0 goals, 2 assists and he's +3 with 13 shots on goal. It's pretty tough to play that many games with this team and have offensive numbers that are so low.

He's still only 23 but the clock is ticking on Boston's first-round pick from 2007 (8th overall). Hamill is small (5-11, 173 pounds) so he isn't particularly strong on the puck and he doesn't seem to fit the Bruins mold of a physical, tough player. Sure he has skills but he'll never see the ice under Claude Julien if he can't be more responsible in his own end, not to mention have the ability to play on the penalty kill and power play.

All we can do is hope that with more playing time in Providence, against competition that's more on his level, he can excel and therefore build his confidence back up. I'm guessing it's not too high at the moment. It's not time to give up on Zach Hamill but right now, Boston just doesn't have any use for him.

It wouldn't shock me at all if he gets dealt at the trade deadline (February 27). Perhaps a change of scenery would do him some good; he would be better suited for an uptempo offensive style that's less reliant on throwing checks. Plus, he wouldn't feel the pressure that he no doubt is under with the team that drafted him. Something to keep in mind as the trade deadline approaches, maybe Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli can flip Hamill for somebody Boston needs more.

UPDATE 2/7: Hamill cleared waivers (nobody in the NHL claimed him) so he'll go to Providence.

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Kampfer & Caron Go To Providence, Meaning Big Z Returns on Saturday?

You have to feel bad for Steven Kampfer and Jordan Caron.

They are both NHL-caliber players that would play for many teams around the league but since they are on the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins, it's a constant battle for them just to find ice time on a stacked roster.

The Providence Bruins have games on Saturday and Sunday so Boston sent Kampfer and Caron down to their AHL affiliate with the thought that they'll play big minutes in both contests.

In 13 games with Boston so far this season, Caron has a goal and two assists. In seven games with Boston, Kampfer has one assist. These guys are almost always the healthy scratches so anytime they get a chance to have a starring role it is a good thing. They're very young and if Boston sticks with them, I think they can both be solid contributors in a year or two.

The trickle down effect of this likely means that Boston Bruins superstar defenseman Zdeno Chara should play on Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia against the Flyers after missing the last two games. Earlier today, Chara practiced for the first time since injuring his knee against Columbus last Saturday. He will be a game-time decision for tomorrow's monster showdown between the top two clubs in the Eastern Conference.

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The Boston Bruins Make Roster Cuts, Start Preparing for 2010-11 Regular Season

The Boston Bruins announced seven roster cuts yesterday, trimming their deep roster from 34 players to 27, with four or five more cuts to come before they open up their 2011-12 season next Thursday at TD Garden against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Bruins entered training camp this year with essentially the same roster as last year's team, save the retirement of Mark Recchi and the loss of both Michael Ryder and Tomas Kaberle. The B's prospects knew that there would be a lot of competition for a limited amount of roster spots. After a handful of preseason games, the Bruins had to make some moves.

On defense, they cut David Warsofsky, Colby Cohen and Zach McKelvie. The Bruins will most likely skate seven defensemen on opening night. Steve Kampfer and Matt Bartkowski are currently battling for that last spot. Bartowski actually made the team last season and was present for their trip to Prague. Kampfer stepped up last year and played in 46 games, showing great poise with the puck before missing the playoffs with an injury (apropos of nothing, he's the only real active Tweeter on the Bruins). Either Kampfer or Bartkowski will join Zdeno Chara, Johnny Boychuk, Andrew Ference, Adam MacQuaid and Dennis Seidenberg on the blue line.

The Bruins also cut a trio of forwards yesterday, including former first-round draft pick Zach Hamill, Trent Whitfield and Jamie Arniel. All three will be sent down to Providence. Max Suave and Lane MacDermid remain on the roster for now while Benoit Pouliot, Jordan Caron and veteran Chris Clark (a former captain of the Washington Capitals) will battle for a roster spot.

The Bruins will have a good chance to take a look at the remaining players in the next few days, as the B's will take on the Ottawa Senators tomorrow night (the only preseason game on NESN) and the Islanders on Saturday night in the preseason finale.

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Providence Bruins Sign Former Friar Captain Kyle MacKinnon

The Providence Bruins have signed former Friars captain Kyle MacKinnon to a one-year contract according to the Providence Journal.

The 23-year-old player from Walnut, California finished his senior year on a high note, scoring 14 goals and 9 assists in 34 games. He was invited to skate with the Providence Bruins last year after the Friars' season had ended, scoring a goal and assisting on three others in five games with the baby B's.

MacKinnon is a center who is listed at 5'11" and 185 pounds and he has a left handed shot. The former captain will step in to the Bruins' system with a chance to immediately contribute.

With the Boston Bruins winning the Cup, there will undoubtedly be a trickle down effect that will increase attendance in Providence this season at the Dunkin' Donuts Center and it will be great to see if a fellow Friar can take advantage of this opportunity.

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