South Carolina New Bruins ECHL Affiliate

Stingrays Are New ECHL Affiliate For the Bruins
July 25, 2012

Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today, July 25, that the club has entered into an affiliation relationship with the South Carolina Stingrays of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). Under the affiliation arrangements, the Bruins will be able to designate players within their development system for assignment to the Stingrays during the 2012-13 season.

Rich Peverley started his pro career with South Carolina

The Stingrays have played in North Charleston, South Carolina since 1993 and are the first professional ice hockey team established in the state of South Carolina. They were most recently the ECHL affiliate for the NHL’s Washington Capitals from 2004 to 2012.

Bruins forward Rich Peverley played his first professional season with South Carolina in 2004-05, registering 30-28=58 totals and 72 penalty minutes in 69 games. For more information on the Stingrays, visit www.stingrayshockey.com.

The Reading Royals previously served as Boston’s ECHL affiliate for three seasons, from 2009-10 through the 2011-12 season.


*Information gathered from http://bruins.nhl.com

Providence to Phase in New Logos This Season

This Season's New Logos
July 25, 2012

The Providence Bruins have announced the introduction of their new primary and secondary logo, to be phased in throughout the 2012-13 regular season.

The re-introduced primary logo is a cleaner, bolder edition of the original spoked “P” logo that has been featured on the P-Bruins’ home jerseys since 1995. The logo itself is derived from the Boston Bruins’ primary logo from the late 1950’s to the mid-1960’s, and represents the relationship between the P-Bruins and their parent club in mimicking that original logos color scheme and simplicity.

This new logo also represents a fundamental shift in focus for the Providence Bruins brand towards a more traditional, “old-time hockey” look and feel. This move coincides with the 2013 Dunkin’ Donuts AHL All-Star Classic, hosted by the Providence Bruins the weekend of January 25-28, which also reflects the new direction of the team’s visual identity.

In addition, the secondary logo is now officially the “bear” logo, which has been featured most recently as a crest on the P-Bruins black alternate home jerseys. This logo also reflects the same ideals that the new primary aims to accomplish.

The Providence Bruins, established in 1992, are the top affiliate of the 2011 Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins. Celebrating their 20th anniversary season in 2011-12, the Providence Bruins have enjoyed much success over their history. The team won the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup championship in 1999 and boasts 10 former players on the 2011 Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins. In addition to accomplishments on the ice, the Providence Bruins were fourth-best in attendance in the AHL in 2010-11 and are the best-attended minor-league hockey team in New England.


*Information gathered from http://theahl.com/

Bruins Sign Defenseman Aaron Johnson

Defenseman Signs One Year, Two-Way Contract
Wednesday July 18, 2012


Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today, July 18, that the club has signed defenseman Aaron Johnson to a one-year, two-way contract through the 2012-13 season. Johnson’s contract is worth $650,000 at the NHL level and $105,000 at the AHL level.

Johnson

Johnson, a 6’1”, 204-pound defenseman, skated in 56 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2011-12, registering three goals and setting NHL career highs with 13 assists and 16 points, while collecting 16 penalty minutes.

In 2010-11, the 29-year-old played in 72 games with the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals after signing as an unrestricted free agent with the Nashville Predators. He recorded AHL career highs in goals with nine, assists with 26 and points with 35, while recording a plus-10 rating and adding 70 penalty minutes. The 2009-10 season saw Johnson split time between the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers, where he recorded a combined four goals, six assists and 35 penalty minutes in 41 games.

For his career, Johnson has played in 281 NHL games with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks and New York Islanders, tallying 17 goals and 45 assists for 62 total points, with 217 penalty minutes.

The Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia native was selected by Columbus in the third round (85th overall) of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. In two separate stints with the Blue Jackets from 2003-07 and 2011-12, he skated in a combined 172 NHL games for Columbus, recording 10 goals and 32 assists for 42 points, along with 119 penalty minutes.

In the AHL, the defenseman has registered 26-83=109 totals and 419 penalty minutes in 251 career games with the Milwaukee Admirals, Rockford IceHogs, Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Syracuse Crunch.


*Information gathered from www.bruins.nhl.com

Boston Signs Bartkowski to New Deal

Providence Defenseman Back in the Fold
July 12, 2012

Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today, July 12, that the club has signed defenseman Matt Bartkowski to a one-year, two-way contract through the 2012-13 season. Bartkowski’s deal is worth $660,000 at the NHL level and $62,500 at the AHL level.

Prospect Report: Matt Bartkowski Bartkowski's First NHL Game vs PIT

Bartkowski began the 2011-12 season in Boston, skating in three NHL games before being assigned to the American Hockey League’s Providence Bruins on October 20, 2011. The defenseman then appeared in 50 games for Providence, where he tallied three goals to go along with 19 assists and 38 penalty minutes.

In 2010-11, the 6’1”, 203-pound native of Pittsburgh, PA recorded 5-18=23 totals with 42 penalty minutes in 69 games with Providence. Bartkowski led all club defensemen with 23 points and was also named the Best Defenseman in voting by his teammates at the conclusion of the season.

In addition to his time spent in Providence, Bartkowski appeared in six NHL games with Boston, where he registered four penalty minutes. His first three NHL games, played over three separate recalls from Providence, all came against his hometown Pittsburgh Penguins. For his career, Bartkowski has played in nine NHL games, all with the Bruins, recording four penalty minutes.

Bartkowski was drafted by the Florida Panthers in the seventh round (190th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. On March 3, 2010, the 24-year-old was traded along with Dennis Seidenberg to Boston in exchange for Byron Bitz, Craig Weller and Tampa Bay’s 2010 second-round draft pick (Alexander Petrovic).

Prior to joining Providence, Bartkowski played collegiate hockey for Ohio State University from 2008-10, where he finished with 11-27=38 totals and 145 penalty minutes in 80 games. In 2008-09, he became the first Buckeyes defenseman in 10 years to be named to the CCHA All-Rookie Team, in addition to earning team Most Valuable Freshman and Best Defensive Player honors.


*Information gathered from www.bruins.nhl.com

Bruins Sign Exelby and MacDermid

Both Players Sign One Year 2-Way Deals
July 11, 2012


Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today, July 11, that the club has signed defenseman Garnet Exelby and forward Lane MacDermid to one-year, two-way contracts through the 2012-13 season. Exelby’s contract is worth $600,000 at the NHL level and $130,000 at the AHL level over the course of the deal. MacDermid’s contract is worth $600,000 at the NHL level and $70,000 at the AHL level.

Exelby and MacDermid are both signed through 2012-13

Exelby, a 6’1”, 215-pound defenseman, spent the 2011-12 season with the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins, after signing with the Detroit Red Wings as an unrestricted free agent on July 5, 2011. In 75 games, he recorded AHL career highs with seven goals, 14 assists and 21 points, and collected 177 penalty minutes with a plus-eight rating.

The 30-year-old is a veteran of 408 career NHL games with the Atlanta Thrashers and Toronto Maple Leafs, tallying seven goals and 43 assists for 50 points, along with 584 penalty minutes. For his AHL career, the defenseman has played in 280 games with Chicago, Rockford and Grand Rapids, tallying 16 goals and 34 assists for 50 points, along with 702 penalty minutes and a plus-18 rating.

Exelby spent the 2010-11 season with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs and signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Chicago Blackhawks on November 26, 2010. He served as team captain and skated in 77 games, scoring three goals and adding 10 assists for 13 points, and collecting 128 penalty minutes. In 2009-10, he played in 51 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, after being traded by Atlanta with Colin Stuart in exchange for Pavel Kubina and Tim Stapleton on July 1, 2009. As a Maple Leaf, he recorded 1-3=4 totals and 73 penalty minutes.

From 2001-2009, Exelby skated for the Atlanta Thrashers’ organization, spending parts of two seasons from 2001-03 with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, before playing his first full NHL season in 2003-04. In 357 career games with Atlanta, the defenseman recorded six goals and 40 assists for 46 points, and 511 penalty minutes, becoming the longest-tenured defenseman with the club.

He recorded four assists and 49 penalty minutes in 25 playoff games with the Wolves in 2001-02, as they captured the first Calder Cup in team history by defeating the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The Craik, Saskatchewan native was drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers in the eighth round (217th overall) of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.

MacDermid appeared in five games with Boston during the 2011-12 season, making his NHL debut on March 4 at the New York Rangers, where he earned his first NHL fighting major. The 22-year-old spent the majority of the season in Providence, recording four goals, 12 assists and 121 penalty minutes in 69 AHL games.

In 2010-11, the 6’3”, 205-pound forward registered 7-12=19 totals with 158 penalty minutes in a team-high 78 games with Providence. The 158 penalty minutes ranked third on the team. In his first professional season in 2009-10, MacDermid skated in 65 games for Providence, tallying two goals and three assists. He led the team with 155 penalty minutes, including 21 fighting majors, which ranked second among all AHL rookies.

MacDermid was selected by Boston in the fourth round (112th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Prior to being drafted, the Sauble Beach, Ontario native spent three seasons of junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League with Owen Sound and Windsor, accumulating 52 fighting majors and capturing a Memorial Cup in 2009 as a member of the Spitfires. His father, Paul MacDermid, is a veteran of 690 NHL games with the Hartford Whalers, Winnipeg Jets, Washington Capitals and Quebec Nordiques.


*Information gathered from www.bruins.nhl.com

Bruins Sign A Hanson

Boston Bruins Add Christian Hanson to Mix
July 9, 2012


Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today, July 9, that the club has signed center Christian Hanson to a one-year, two-way contract through the 2012-13 season. Hanson’s contract will be worth $600,000 at the NHL level and $105,000 at the AHL level.

Hanson

Hanson, a 6’4”, 228-pound center, spent the 2011-12 season with the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears, after signing as a restricted free agent with the Washington Capitals on July 11, 2011. He tallied 10 goals, 11 assists and 42 penalty minutes in 52 games, with a plus-five rating.

In 2010-11, the 26-year-old skated in 58 games with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, where he recorded career highs offensively with 13 goals and 21 assists for 34 points and added 51 penalty minutes. He finished tied for fifth on the team in points and seventh in goals. Hanson was recalled for six games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and collected four penalty minutes.

The 2009-10 season saw Hanson play a career-high 31 NHL games with the Maple Leafs, notching two goals and five assists for seven points, with 16 penalty minutes. In 38 games with the Marlies, he scored 12 goals and added 19 assists for 31 points, along with 35 penalty minutes, and was selected to the 2010 AHL All-Star Game.

For his career, Hanson has played in 148 career AHL games with Toronto and Hershey, tallying 35 goals - including eight on the power play - and 51 assists for 86 points, and recording 128 penalty minutes. In 42 NHL games, the center has collected three goals, six assists and 22 penalty minutes.

Prior to the professional ranks, the Venetia, PA native played four seasons of collegiate hockey from 2005-09 at the University of Notre Dame in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. In 140 games with the Irish, he recorded 36-28=64 totals, serving as an alternate captain his senior year. He helped Notre Dame capture two CCHA championships in 2007 and 2009, played in three NCAA tournaments and was named an NCAA Second-Team All-Star in 2009.

Internationally, Hanson was a member of Team USA at the 2010 IIHF World Championship, where he tallied one assist in six games. He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 31, 2009.


*Information gathered from www.bruins.nhl.com