Ryan Spooner named to AHL All-Star Team

Dec 31, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins center Ryan Spooner (51) skates with the puck during the first period against the New York Islanders at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Bruins forward Ryan Spooner was named an AHL All-Star today. This is the Spooner’s first time being selected to the AHL All-Star team. He was a second-round pick of the Bruins in the 2010 draft. Spooner has been splitting his time between the AHL and the NHL Boston Bruins organization this year. In his AHL career this season, he has played twenty one games for Providence.  Spooner has put up twenty three points (five goals) for the Baby Bruins.

Spooner’s NHL career has been equally impressive.  He has nine points in the sixteen games for the Big Bruins this season.  He’s done so well, that a lot of the local media can now call the third line the Spooner line with ease. He has been centering the third line since Chris Kelly went down with a broken fibula on December 7th. (Another casualty of the Penguins-Bruins game that led to injuries, concussions, hospitalizations, and a massive fifteen game suspension for Shawn Thornton.)

Ryan Spooner will likely be demoted once Chris Kelly returns to the line up. That’s a bloody shame. If I had the power that Peter Chiarelli had, I would keep Spooner as my extra forward and dangle Jordan Caron as either trade bait, or waive him. The Caron experiment has been going on for too long now in Boston. Sure, Caron has heart, and he has a skill set (and in no way brought the baggage Tyler Seguin did), he’s just one of those players that if they’re going to have a NHL career, it likely won’t be on a team that is a perennial Stanley Cup contender.

Spooner will get to show off his NHL experience at the AHL All-Star game which will take place in the middle of the Olympic break on February 12th. Congratulations to one the Bruins who is making a difference. It doesn’t even matter which letter is on his sweater.