Boston Bruins: 2015 Rookie Camp Underway
There is a lot of potential on the ice at the First Niagra Center. The Boston Bruins have started up their 2015 rookie camp, and a lot of these players are trying to earn themselves a spot in either Boston or Providence. Providence Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy is getting the twenty-four rookies a little taste of what the NHL can be like.
More from Bruins News
- Bruins release Prospects Challenge roster, schedule Tuesday
- Bruins bringing back familiar forward on tryout contract
- The Bruins should take a look at these four free agents
- NHL Network lists Ullmark as sixth-best goalie in the league
- The Lasting Legacy of David Krejci
“We’re still here to teach, obviously, and get them acclimated with how Claude likes the players to play in Boston, and similarly in Providence,” said Cassidy of his newest batch of young players. “But for them, they’ve got to understand that now, it’s not about feeling your way around. As a young guy, you tend to have to kick the door down if you want to make a solid first impression, and hopefully, there’s a fair amount of guys that do that.”
The rookies got into the swing of things as practice went on. The kids know they’re going to have stand out to be noticed. Claude Julien and a lot of the front office were in attendance today, and every aced skill test, every solid play, and every smart call on the ice only increases their chance of getting a job somewhere next month.
“I thought it was good at the start and at the end; in the middle, it got a little sluggish,” Cassidy said. “But a lot of these guys haven’t seen the drills, and I don’t like to go to the board a lot. We explain it, try to explain it, will go to the board, but we want to keep up the pace and get them to think, pay attention — so if they’re not sure in a drill, then watch, because that’s how you learn.
“I don’t try to judge it too much the first day in that regard, and I’m glad — nothing bad happened and no injuries, no one ran into each other, I haven’t heard about any groins or sore backs — so you want them to be ready to go Sunday and Monday when they’re playing and be at their best so they can, like I said, make a good impression in the games, and hopefully, it translates into the main camp.”
Live Feed
Puck Prose
While there are many questions on how the Bruins will assemble their final roster, the biggest one involves the crease. There are now four people trying out for the number two position in Boston. The Bruins are going to need to find the best possible person to back up Tuukka Rask, and that selection process will start the rookie round-robin tournament.
The Bruins brought three goaltenders to the rookie tournament. The B’s brought this year’s third-round draft pick Dan Vladar, Holy Cross grad Matt Ginn, and Zane McIntyre. Cassidy confirmed that McIntyre would be the first of the goaltenders to be tested at the tournament.
“Zane will get the first crack [in net], and then we’ll go from there,” said Cassidy on who would be going first. “I’ll talk to [Goaltending Coach Bob Essensa], and see about the other two guys.”
This is the first big step for McIntryre to prove he’s ready for an AHL or NHL job. He understands what is expected of him and what he needs to do. He’s just looking forward to the challenge.
“You understand the beast you’re going to deal with signing a pro contract and going from there,” said McIntyre after yesterday’s practices. “You understand that there’s competition on a daily basis, and I think that’s where a lot of people will really shine. If you get pushed, you get pushed to the next level, and you can show your true colors and everything. “I think this will be a good test for everyone here. You look at any position, goaltending, the defensive corps here, forwards, we got a bunch of guys pushing for spots and competing for spots, which will be pretty special.”
“Right now, just trying to control what I can control, and go out there and have a good time and really just play hockey,” McIntyre said. “That’s the best part about it. That’s the beauty of the sport and everything. You get to compete with a lot of friends you know and also a lot of guys you will be playing against. So, it will be pretty tough as well.”