Boston Bruins: Chris Kelly Fighting For His Job
Chris Kelly is now part of the Boston Bruins informal practices. The Bruins alternate captain came into town hoping to improve the B’s fortunes in the 2015-16 season. Kelly feels responsible for part of the Bruins failures last year. Not just for himself, but how the B’s performance cost former general manager Peter Chiarelli his job.
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(Let’s take a moment to ignore that and remember the real reasons why the former Bruins general manager is now working in Edmonton.)
“It’s always difficult when you don’t do your job on the ice, and it affects other people losing their job,” said Kelly about Chiarelli’s firing. “Obviously I had Peter in Ottawa, and he brought me here to a great team, and I was able to win a Stanley Cup and have success here. I wasn’t surprised that he was quickly able to find a job somewhere else.”
While the veteran forward is unhappy with Chairelli’s departure, he’s happy to see the Bruins promoted from within the family. Chris Kelly has his own knowledge on how new general manager Don Sweeney acts. Kelly is also pleased with what Sweeney has done so far.
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“With [Sweeney] he knows us, and I think that’s the great thing about him coming in. He’s not a person that nobody knows, and he doesn’t know anybody. He knows all the players, he knows what he has and he knows what it takes within this group to build a winner. I think he’s done a good job.”
Kelly knows he’s fighting for a job this season. With so much young talent capable of playing on the fourth line, Kelly knows his employment is not a sure thing, especially with his multi-million dollar contract. Alexander Khokhlachev could still his job at center, and if Kelly is moved to the wing, his potential competitors will increase by an order of magnitude.
He knows this team is more fluid than it has ever been while he’s been here, and he’ll have to adapt quickly. Still, Kelly has done that before and looks ready to do it again.
“It’s rare in hockey to not have changes. It’s such a business that there’s turnover, and changes everywhere: management, coaches, staff…everyone,” said Kelly. “It’s one of those things where [it’s] ‘How do you react to those changes?’ It could be a good thing, or a bad thing.”
Hopefully, all the offseason changes will be a good thing for both the Bruins and Chris Kelly.