Matt Hunwick Traded To Colorado

BRUINS SEND COLBY COHEN TO PROVIDENCE
Defenseman Acquired from Colorado for Matt Hunwick

The Providence Bruins, in their 19th season in the American Hockey League, today announced that the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins have acquired defenseman Colby Cohen from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Matt Hunwick. Cohen will report to Providence.

Cohen, 21, is in his first full professional season, which he has split between Colorado and the AHL's Lake Erie Monsters. As a member of the Monsters, Cohen has appeared in 14 games this season, scoring one goal while totaling 12 penalty minutes. The goal, also the first of this pro career, came on Oct. 17 in San Antonio. In addition, the rookie has suited up for three NHL contests with the Avalanche, going scoreless. He made his NHL debut against Dallas on Nov. 6.

The blue-liner turned pro late in the 2009-10 campaign following his junior season at Boston University and made his pro debut for Lake Erie on Apr. 7 against the Abbotsford Heat. The former Hockey East First Team All-Star later tallied his first professional point with an assist against the Heat on Apr. 10. Cohen was an NCAA National Champion with the Terriers in 2009 after netting the game-winning overtime goal in the title game against Miami (Ohio). In three years at BU, Cohen scored 25 goals and added 53 assists for 78 points, along with 181 PIM, in 118 contests.

Cohen, a native of Villanova, Pennsylvania, was selected by Colorado 45th overall in round two of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

Hunwick, 25, has appeared in 178 career NHL games as a member of the Bruins between the regular season and playoffs, registering 13 goals, 38 assists and 51 points. This season, the fourth-year pro skated in 22 games with one goal and two helpers. A native of Warren, Michigan, and University of Michigan grad, Hunwick played parts of two seasons with the P-Bruins from 2007-09, notching two goals and 24 assists for 26 points in 58 regular season games. He also tallied five assists in 10 postseason outings.

*Information gathered from www.providencebruins.com

Jamie Arniel Has One Night Stand For Boston

ARNIEL RETURNS FROM BOSTON
November 29, 2010

The Providence Bruins, in their 19th season in the American Hockey League, today announced that the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins have assigned forward Jamie Arniel to Providence.

Arniel was recalled by Boston on an emergency basis on Nov. 27 and made his NHL debut the following night in the Bruins' 4-1 loss at Atlanta. The second-year pro went scoreless in 12:26 of ice-time.

The recall was the second of the season for Arniel, who was previously called up on Nov. 9 and served as a healthy scratch in Boston's game against Pittsburgh on Nov. 10.

The 21-year-old has appeared in 19 games for Providence this season and currently leads the P-Bruins in scoring with nine goals and 16 points. Arniel returns to Rhode Island riding a six-game AHL point-streak dating back to Nov. 13, during which time he has scored three goals and added four assists.

The Kingston, Ontario, native completed a very successful rookie season for Providence in 2009-10, winning the team's Rookie of the Year award after leading all first-year P-Bruins with 28 points and 16 assists. Arniel's 67 games were highlighted by a six-game goal-scoring streak in November, tying a franchise record, seven multi-point games and the AHL's Rookie of the Month and Providence's Player of the Month awards for November.

Arniel was selected by Boston 97th overall in the fourth round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

*Information gathered from www.providencebruins.com

David Ling Back in US

LING BRINGS VETERAN PRESENCE TO REBOUNDING P-BRUINS
By Alex Kronberger

Coming off of his first weekend with the Providence Bruins, David Ling has wasted no time in building a place for himself among the P-Bruins' veteran corps. After a frustrating wait to clear waivers that was extended until last Friday morning by the Veterans' Day holiday, the 16-year pro was thrilled to be back in North America for the first time since the 2007-08 AHL season. Ling's debut in Providence was a classic trial by fire during which he played in three games in three days.

"The transition was fast, but I know a couple of players here and that's made it a lot easier," said Ling.

Despite the fact that he still had yet to practice with his new team, there was no question that Ling had found chemistry with his new linemates by the third game of the weekend against Abbotsford on Sunday afternoon. Late in the third period, Ling tallied two assists when Jeremy Reich scored twice in just under two and a half minutes, an effort that propelled the P-Bruins to their second home win of the season. The second of the two goals not only marked Reich's 100th professional goal, but also Ling's 300th American Hockey League assist.

"I went into the three in three without any practices, but it was good," said Ling who spent his last two seasons with the Khabarovsk Amur in the KHL. "The team's starting to win some games and starting to score some goals."

While playing in Europe for four of the last five seasons, the native of Halifax, Nova Scotia welcomed the challenges of skating in the Russian, Swiss and Finish professional leagues, where he played in 213 games, totaling 46 goals, 90 assists and 136 points.

"I was in Europe for four years and it's a tough place to play. It's not ideal hockey for a North American, but it's also a learning experience. [KHL hockey] is a fast game with really skilled players, but it's not very physical."

With his experience in both the European and North American leagues, the veteran right-winger, who played his 1000th professional game last year, feels right at home in a Providence locker room that includes players from both continents.

Ling has also welcomed the opportunity to join a Providence Bruins squad that is rebounding from a disappointing month of October during which they went winless on home ice with an overall record of 2-5-1-1. Since, the club has won five of six to begin November.

"There are lots of good young players here, and it's a team that's moving up. Good things are starting to come."

With his 300th AHL assist and his first points as a P-Bruin under his belt, Ling looks to continue to settle into coach Rob Murray's locker room as the height of the 2010-11 hockey season approaches.

"I'm just trying to come in and play the system. I'm an offensive player that can bring energy and hopefully I can bring leadership to a younger team."


*Information gathered from www.providencebruins.com

Yannick Riendeau Sent Down To Reading

Riendeau Struggling With Providence
November 16, 2010

The Providence Bruins, in their 19th season in the American Hockey League, today announced that the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins have reassigned forward Yannick Riendeau to the Reading Royals of the ECHL.

Riendeau, 22, has gone scoreless in five games for Providence this season. The second-year pro joins Reading, where he appeared in six contests as a rookie in 2009-10, while scoring three goals and two assists. Riendeau added another three goals and two helpers in five postseason outings for the Royals. The right wing also scored five points in 22 games for the P-Bruins last season, including one goal and four assists.

The Royals have won four straight games and currently rank second in the ECHL's Atlantic Division at 7-5-0-0 with 14 points. In Reading, Riendeau joins former P-Bruins Matt Dalton, Ben Gordon, Alain Goulet, Rob Kwiet, Olivier Labelle, Jared Ross and Devin Timberlake.

Prior to turning pro, Riendeau enjoyed a standout junior season in 2008-09 with the Drummondville Voltigeurs, where he led the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in scoring during both the regular season and the playoffs. In 64 regular season games, the native of Boucherville, Quebec scored 58 goals and tallied 68 assists for 126 points before adding 52 points, including 29 goals, in just 19 postseason contests. Riendeau's playoff totals set Voltigeurs franchise records, while his 16 postseason power play goals set a QMJHL record. His postseason performance earned him the league's Guy Lafleur Trophy as the Playoff Most Valuable Player. Riendeau was signed to an entry-level contract by Boston on April 2, 2009.

*Information gathered from www.providencebruins.com

Has Providence Turned The Corner?

Providence Turnaround
by Thomas Chace Jr.
November 8, 2010

Before the Providence Bruins stepped on home ice Friday night to play the Bridgeport Sound Tigers they were the owners of some very telling statistics. The Bruins were last in the league in goals scored with just 18 in 9 games. They also had given up 34goals which placed them 28th in the league. Their power play was dismal at 28th and their penalty killing was also at the bottom of the AHL. Their penalty minutes were 26th in the league leading one to believe that they lacked a presence on the ice, especially at home. Suffice to say, the coaching staff was glad to see October end.

Head Coach Rob Murray explained the October skid and the team’s poor start and the new approach the team is undertaking, “We’ve had our chances to score and we didn’t, and whether it was a soft goal, a power play goal against, or an ill advised penalty, we found ourselves down 1-0 and wondering how this was happening game after game.” After a long run of playoff appearances the team really scuffled last season. It was imperative that Providence get off to a positive start, and optimism was all around. Murray stated that poor decision making has been part of the young team’s early problem, “Mistakes on our part and our decision making with the puck has been horrid.” Asked what he can do about the poor decision making, Murray said, “It’s up to the guys in the room; I can’t make decisions out on the ice for them. We’ve got to find a way.”

The coaching staff approached the problems with a renewed emphasis heading into the Bridgeport game. Murray says, “We’ve accepted the fact that we are not necessarily an overly dynamic skilled offensive team but we can skate, so we can hopefully win the battles to the puck, gain possession of the puck and can grind it out in the offensive zone.” Physical play is also on the agenda Murray says, “We can be a harder team to play against, especially at home.”

Providence’s response on Friday began in the second period after hitting two posts in the first period. After scoring two goals in twenty seconds in the second period, it seemed to inspire the whole team. They were able to begin their weekend with their first home win of the year, a resounding 6-1 victory over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. They scored, they skated, and they fought, playing their best game of the year at The Dunkin Donuts Center.

The Bruins then headed north for a Saturday meeting with league leading rival, the Portland Pirates. Jamie Arniel’s second overtime game winning goal of the season gave Providence another emotional 5-4 victory. A long bus trip to Albany followed and Providence won again 6-4 behind a hat trick by Jordan Knackstedt on Sunday. The anemic power play even scored five goals over the weekend. Three victories and six points will heal all wounds inflicted in October.

The October statistics that were so poor heading into November were nearly wiped out in one weekend. Providence jumped two spots in the Atlantic Division standings leapfrogging Hartford and Bridgeport, and the team is feeling a lot better about themselves now. The young Providence team may have turned the corner and by making better decisions with the puck are being rewarded with victories.

McGrattan Back To Boston

Veteran Scoreless Without Infraction in Three AHL Games
November 1, 2010

The Providence Bruins, now in their 19th season in the American Hockey League, today announced that the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins have recalled forward Brian McGrattan from Providence, ending his AHL conditioning stint.

McGrattan, 29, suited up for three P-Bruins games last weekend, going scoreless with zero penalty minutes, a minus-four rating and four shots. He made his Providence debut on October 29 against the Albany Devils before then taking on the Worcester Sharks in a home-and-home series.

*Info gathered from www.providencebruins.com