B's Training Camp 9/26/02

[the mugs]

Impress coach? Czech

Humel catches eye of Ftorek at camp

WILMINGTON - Two weeks from today, a new NHL season about to begin, the Bruins will board their charter flight to Minnesota for their Oct. 11 opener with the Wild.

If Ivan Huml is aboard, there could an unexpected stopover in Michigan for a, shall we say, family gathering.

''He's got that bit of wolverine in him,'' coach Robbie Ftorek said yesterday, noting Huml's carnivorous attitude on the ice. ''If you hit him, he'll hunt you down. He has that burr to his game, and you know, I think that's a good quality.''

Be it in Michigan, home state of the wolverine, Massachusetts, or Minnesota, there is room in every NHL lineup for someone who hunts the puck. In his two years with the AHL Providence Bruins, the 21-year-old Huml has shown an emerging scoring touch, and his 47 points last season included 28 goals - tops on the Baby Bruins. Tonight, when the Bruins face the Canadiens in an exhibition game in Halifax, Nova Scotia, he'll be skating left wing on the club's No. 1 line with Joe Thornton and Glen Murray.

''I don't play perfect European hockey,'' offered Huml, at first not fully grasping the compliment Ftorek intended with his ''wolverine'' remark. ''I left home four years ago, and I'd say my style has changed. I've adjusted a little bit to North American hockey.''

If he were walking along Commonwealth Avenue on a sunny autumn afternoon, the blue-eyed, baby-faced Huml easily would pass as a Boston College or Boston University freshman. The truth is, the well-spoken Czech forward left high school nearly two years early to come to Canada in the fall of 1998 for a chance to turn hockey into a career. He hadn't been drafted. He didn't have the promise of being, say, a top-10 pick in the June 2000 draft. All he had when he packed his bags in Kladno - home of NHL superstar Jaromir Jagr - was the hope that a couple of years of lower-level (Tier 2) Canadian junior hockey could turn into a chance at making the big time.

''Now this is my third training camp with Boston,'' said Huml, selected by the Bruins as the 59th pick in the 2000 draft. ''Three years ago, I was around 180 pounds ... and every year is different for me. I'm around 200 pounds now, a little stronger, and the two years of AHL experience have helped me. I feel a little more prepared.''

First line is not a realistic dream for Huml, at least not as long as Sergei Samsonov still wears the spoked-B. But there are openings on the wing in Boston, and the versatile Huml can play on either side. Yesterday's practice session had him riding with Michal Grosek and Jozef Stumpel, the makings of an all-European trio that could provide Ftorek with a fairly skilled and creative No. 2 line come opening night.

''Everyone who is still here remains in the mix,'' said Ftorek, for the moment unwilling to rate any of his rookies' chances of making a home in the Hub of Hockey this season. ''If you are still here, we have every intention of giving you the opportunity to make the team - or take yourself off the team.''

Candidates with sharp teeth and cunning sense around the net don't get special consideration, but they certainly draw attention. Now about halfway through training camp, the Bruins wouldn't have Huml working on such a skilled line if they didn't feel he had at least a chance of coming out of September as one of their top eight wingers. He's hardly a finished product, but he is enough of a work in progress to merit a little more work and a longer look.

Huml spends part of his summers playing on Team Jagr, a touring squad based in Kladno that faces a lot of elite Czech squads in charity games around the Czech Republic. Some of his teammates include Roman Hamrlik, Martin Rucinsky, Petr Nedved, and Martin Havlat, as well as Jagr, the Capitals' high-scoring winger.

''It's about 90 percent of the Czech national team,'' said Huml. ''It's a great team to practice with, a bunch of hard-working guys. And growing up in Kladno, I watched Jagr for years - he's 10 years older than me - and I'm always trying to copy his style. He's so good, his strength and his shooting and his passing. I try to copy a little bit of everything he does.''

There isn't much of the wolverine in Jagr of course, but not every predator is found at the same link in the food chain. Even if he has only a tiny bit of Jagr in him, the new kid from Kladno could be quite a catch for Causeway.

 

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B's "D"

B's "D"

Playing a transition game

Brown's adjusting to Bruins' system

MONTREAL - The Bruins don't have Kyle McLaren, who has demanded a trade, so for now at least, they have a hole to plug in terms of a physical defenseman.

That hole is likely going to be filled by 6-foot-3-inch, 205-pound Sean Brown. While Bryan Berard was brought on board to help generate offense from the blue line, the bruising Brown prides himself on being a heavy hitter. He struggled a bit last season after he was dealt to the Bruins from Edmonton March 19. With the Bruins gearing up for the postseason, there wasn't enough time for Brown to get comfortable with his new team, despite a crash course from the coaches. Having a full camp has made all the difference.

''I'm learning what they want,'' said Brown, who turns 26 in November. ''There were times last year where I'm sure they thought, `What is he doing?'''

Brown established a career high in goals last season with six, all with the Oilers, but scoring isn't the focal point of his game. Hitting and agitating (a team-high 174 penalty minutes) are. With McLaren out of the picture, Brown stands to be the biggest beneficiary.

''It's an opportunity for [others] to come in and pick it up,'' said Brown, who was not in the lineup when the Bruins took on the Canadiens last night. ''Obviously, Kyle was a big part of this team and no one is trying to replace him, but it's an opportunity for other guys to get a chance to play. He is a physical player and that's the way I try to play, so maybe I can hopefully pick up some of that slack.''

Brown acknowledged there was some confusion on his part when he arrived in Boston. The Oilers played a far different system, but Brown worked closely with the Boston coaching staff - especially assistant coach Jim Hughes - to grasp the system.

''Everyone plays a different system, so it takes a while to get used to it, but the defense here, they were all helpful in giving me pointers,'' said Brown. ''Any time someone comes over and it's a different system, it's an adjustment. It was a lot [of learning] in a short period of time but everyone did a good job of making me aware of what was going on.''

The key difference, Brown said, was learning to play more under control and not venturing too far out of position. The Bruins also stress that the defensemen are true partners and each is responsible for backing the other up. In Edmonton, Brown said he roamed more.

''Body position is very important here and getting the pucks,'' he said. ''We have such skilled forwards here that as defensemen, we want to get the puck and move it right away. Learning that was probably the biggest thing.''

When a player is told he is being demoted to the minors, the reaction is usually disappointment and frustration. In many cases, the player feels he deserves to stay in the NHL. It's unusual when a player actually wants to be sent down. Last fall, defenseman Jonathan Girard made it clear that he wanted to play in Providence because he didn't feel he was ready for the major leagues. However, Bruins coach Robbie Ftorek sees a very different person this year. ''I think he's done leaps and bounds over last year,'' said Ftorek. ''I think he felt he needed another year in Providence to get to where he wanted to be.'' Girard, who is just 22, came up for a playoff game against Montreal last spring and Ftorek said it was clear the player had been right in his assessment of his career path. ''We believe in him and we know he can play,'' said Ftorek. ''I think, at the end of the season last year, he felt he had learned enough in the minors that he belonged in the NHL. He went out in that game and had a totally different confidence level.''

 

[the mugs]

Bruins' defense in a rush

Berard showing the way

Three down, six to go.

The Bruins have played one-third of their exhibition schedule, and the front office and coaching staff continue to evaluate the roster.

After losing to the Canadiens, 5-4, Monday night in Montreal, coach Robbie Ftorek said each of the three contests to this point was just a piece to a puzzle that would eventually lead to a clearer picture of what the Bruins are going to look like on opening night.

Ftorek and his staff have been mixing and matching lines and defense pairings, auditioning goalies and young prospects, and trying some established players in new roles, such as Sergei Samsonov on the penalty kill.

''We put guys in positions we'd never put them in like faceoffs in the defensive zone or out on power plays,'' said Ftorek, who gave everyone the day off yesterday. ''It lets everybody show us what they can do in different situations. In training camp, that's what the first few games are about. Then, the last few games are about getting things a little bit fine-tuned.''

Not surprisingly, the play has been erratic.

''There were some good things, some bad things,'' said Ftorek, referring specifically to the outing in Montreal. ''Probably more good things than bad things, just more information.''

One area that has the potential to be greatly improved is the amount of offense generated by the defense. In newcomer Bryan Berard, the Bruins have their first true puck-rushing defenseman since Ray Bourque.

''I think that will be great,'' said center Brian Rolston. ''That's a guy that we need. It gets tiring going back for the puck and Bryan is a guy who can bring it up the ice, which is great.''

Berard's contribution is likely to help out Rolston the most, especially on the power play, where Rolston spent a lot of time chasing the puck. With relief there, Rolston is likely to have more gas in the tank come the third period.

''Going back for the puck starts getting exhausting,'' said Rolston. ''I think it will definitely help. It seems harder and harder to score on the power play. That's something this year we're going to have to be a lot sharper on, and I think we will be.

''I'm sure Bryan is going to do a great job for us. I'm excited to have him here, and I think everyone is.''

Much also is expected from defenseman Nick Boynton, who is coming off a terrific rookie season, and Jonathan Girard, who is playing with far more self-assurance than ever before.

''Nick's playing with a tremendous amount of confidence out there,'' said Rolston. ''He's joining the play and making things happen offensively, so I think that's big for us. [With Girard], he does everything so well. He's very talented and he's been here and played games here and there's no reason for him not to be confident. He's another guy who can be good back there.''

One of the club's top prospects, 19-year-old defenseman Milan Jurcina, played his first pro game Monday and earned a pair of assists. Although he's not ready for the NHL, he has shown great promise.

''He did fine,'' said Ftorek. ''He's got to learn the game a little bit more. He did a real nice job for his first game in the NHL. He's very similar to where [Shaone Morrisonn] was last year. He's a big kid with a lot of skills. He's going to learn and he wants to learn.''

Jurcina, who will play junior hockey in Halifax, Nova Scotia, again this season - and might be left behind tomorrow night when the Bruins play the Canadiens in an exhibition game there - said it was an overwhelming experience.

''I was very confused the first time on the ice,'' he said with a smile. ''It's very different hockey. It's more speedy and more physical. I am listening to what guys say during the intermission and in the dressing room. It's a big help for me for next year. It's a huge experience for me to play with these guys.''

 

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Starting Goalie???

Starting Goalie???

Bruins yet to make big net gains

The Bruins' goaltending situation has been widely described as a three-man race between John Grahame, Steve Shields and youngster Andrew Raycroft. Halfway through training camp, none of the three has stood out, in a good or not so good way.

``We've got a few more games to go, so the decisions still have got to be made,'' general manager Mike O'Connell said yesterday.

It remains an open question whether the B's have an adequate replacement for unsigned free agent Byron Dafoe. And while management remains confident the team is all set in net, O'Connell reiterated that if there are problems between the pipes once the regular season begins, it's possible the club might turn to an available free agent. That presumably would mean someone such as Tom Barrasso or, yes, even Dafoe.

Such contemplations can wait until October or November. The team still believes there is a No. 1 goalie among the three main guys in camp.

Had fate been a bit kinder to Tim Thomas, he might have turned it into a four-man competition. But about a month ago, the 28-year-old Thomas underwent surgery to repair an abdominal hernia and only in the past week or so was he able to practice in full gear.

``I've still got to take it a little easy,'' Thomas said. ``This is kind of uncharted territory. They really don't know how quickly a goaltender can recover from a hernia.''

O'Connell said his staff still sees Thomas as a guy who might be able to help, not just in Providence (AHL), but at the big-league level.

``Absolutely,'' O'Connell said. ``That's why we signed him. I'm looking forward to watching him play. I hope he can get in some (exhibition) games. He's played at a very high level the last few years and done very well.''

Thomas, who compiled an 81-43-15 record as a four-year starter at the University of Vermont, played well in B's camp a year ago, then was loaned to the Finnish League. He played for Karpat, in the tiny town of Oulu, 10 minutes from the Arctic Circle. It was the third European team on his resume, which also includes stops in Birmingham (ECHL), Houston (IHL), Hamilton (AHL) and Detroit (IHL).

``I had played before in Helsinki and Stockholm, big cities. This was a little different,'' Thomas said with a laugh. ``There were herds of reindeer around and we had one stretch when it was minus-30 for a month.''

Thomas, in contrast to many athletes who could not cope well with such culture shock, embraced the different way of life he encountered in Europe.

``Not that I don't get along well with Americans and Canadians, too, but I've just always gotten along well with foreigners,'' he said. ``And when I'm in these countries, in Germany, or Russia or the Scandinavian countries, with the look that I have, people think I'm a native. I can fit in well in most countries. I always thought I would make a pretty good spy.''

He's not quite ready for an espionage career yet. First he'd like to prove he can fit in as an NHL goalie.

Bruins notes

The B's will reach the midway point of their preseason schedule tonight night, when they face the Montreal Canadiens in Halifax, Nova Scotia. . . . Next up: The New York Islanders at the FleetCenter on Saturday afternoon (1:05), followed by a look at the much-improved Rangers on Sunday night in Manhattan. . . .

O'Connell said he continues to get ``realistic'' trade proposals for no-show free agent defenseman Kyle McLaren, but does not expect a deal to happen any time soon.

 

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Shields has left team - family matters

Shields has left team - family matters

Myrhes not down on farm

WILMINGTON - Rugged winger Brantt Myrhes was out of hockey last season, as he took part in the NHL substance abuse program. When the Bruins assigned him to Providence of the AHL yesterday, along with forwards Andy Hilbert and Colton Orr, Myrhes took the setback comfortably in stride.

``So, on the road to Providence,'' said Myrhes. ``It's better than sitting at home. I'll just go down and work hard and see what happens.''

The 28-year-old enforcer was told there's a good chance a return to the parent club could come fairly quickly. It seems logical the 6-foot-4, 200-pounder will return for the start of the season.

When the Bruins face the Montreal Canadiens tonight in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the lineup will include forwards Mike Gellard and Darren Van Oene, prospects who were sent down last week but now get another opportunity to impress.

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Crowded crease

Andrew Raycroft and Tim Thomas will be the B's goaltenders tonight. Netminder John Grahame, who missed time with a lower back ailment, is OK to play again.

Steve Shields has not been with the team for a couple of days and may be away for a while longer as he is home in Ontario dealing with a family matter.

``I told him to come back when things are squared away back home,'' said coach Robbie Ftorek. ``I'm not exactly sure when that will be. When it's time, when he's comfortable with things back home, he'll come back.''

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Contractual obligations

Bruins GM Mike O'Connell has been in contact with the agent for center Joe Thornton about extending his contract through next season. O'Connell said he'd like to do the same for Sergei Samsonov, who, like Thornton, becomes an arbitration-eligible Group 2 free agent next summer, and perhaps for Brian Rolston as well.

``It'll probably just be, `This is what we're thinking,' and they can either say yes or no,'' the GM said.

O'Connell also said he would like to speak directly to holdout defenseman Kyle McLaren, but has been unable to make contact.