The Providence Bruins, the minor league affiliate of the Boston Bruins, will begin their 26-game American Hockey League season on Friday against Bridgeport Sound Tigers at 1 p.m. in the first of 12 regular season matchups at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Massachusetts.
On Sunday, the P-Bruins had their only tuneup before the opening game when they traveled to Hartford, Connecticut to face the Wolf Pack at the XL Center and came away with a 3-1 victory.
One of the big reasons why Providence opted into the AHL season is because their young goaltenders see some action. Jeremy Swayman got the first crack in the preseason Sunday and the former University of Maine star had a good first impression with 29 saves against Hartford. He was backed up recent free-agent signing Callum Booth.
Providence got goals from Cooper Zech, former St. Cloud State defensemen Jack Achan, and former University of Minnesota-Duluth standout Nick Wolff in the win.
The two teams were scheduled to play a second preseason game Monday at the New England Sports Center, but because of the impending snowstorm that is due to hit the Northeast the next two days, the game was canceled.
Carey named P-Bruins captain.
For the second year in a row, veteran Paul Carey was named captain for Providence this season. In 60 games last season, the 32-year-old Carey scored 22 goals and had 17 assists with a plus-9 in Providence. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound center was a fifth-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in the 2007 Entry Draft.
Carey played in two games for Boston during the 2018-19 season and one last season. In 100 career NHL games between the Bruins, Avalanche, Ottawa Senators, Washington Capitals, and New York Rangers, he has eight career goals and eight career assists. He was traded to Boston for his second stint with the Bruins in 2019 from the Ottawa Senators for Cody Goloubef.