Chara joins B’s alumni for good cause
Forms dream pairing with Bourque
Zdeno Chara has won a Stanley Cup, a Norris Trophy and will saunter into the Hockey Hall of Fame when he’s eligible.
But the recently retired Chara looked like a little kid when he walked into the Bruins’ alumni locker room at Warrior Ice Arena on Saturday afternoon and he spotted another former Bruin captain, Ray Bourque.
Chara, making his alumni game debut against a group of Navy Seals who traveled from Virginia, was paired with the fellow Bruin great and he could not have been happier.
“It’s an absolute honor,” said a beaming Chara before the game. “I’m looking forward to it. He such a legend of the sport, for the city, for the organization. Even if it’s just a charity game and a game for a good cause, it’s still a privilege and an honor to be on the same team with so many guys who’ve played for a long time and did so many great things. I’m very humble about it.”
It was quite a collection of former Bruins who got together on Saturday, one that included Bourque and Chara, and other recent retirees in Adam McQuaid and Kevan Miller, who was in from his home in Utah and making his alumni debut.
The cause certainly helped unite the former Bruins. The group of Seals they faced were playing under
the Warrior For Life AllStars and the game was in honor of the Nate Hardy, a Durham, N.H.., native and
member of Seal Team 6 who was killed in action in 2008 in Iraq.
The proceeds for the
event went to the Fisher House of Boston, where military families can stay when their loved ones are receiving medical treatment; Operation Hat Trick, which generates awareness and support for recovery of wounded service members; and the Warrior for Life, which provides support and infrastructure for Seals through the game of hockey.
Warriors for Life and the B’s alumni connected about five years ago. Ryan Croley, who runs the charity and cultivated the relationship with former Bruin Frank Simonetti, brought up about 15 active duty Seals and some veterans to play the B’s. Last year, as Bruins Foundation president Bob Sweeney pointed out, the Seals came out on top.
“This year we’ve got some young blood to help out,” said Sweeney with a grin.
“I think everybody knows the passion of a guy like Kevan Miller has for the military over the years. Great to see Kevin. He has done so much over the years playing for the Bruins for all military causes. And if you look around the locker room, we probably could have filled two teams today because a lot of the guys here have been to Virginia Beach (to play the Seals in the past),” he said.
Miller was forced to retire because of a debilitating knee injury, but was feeling pretty good. Military causes were always close to his heart.
“You have a relationship with each (charity) individually and to have them here together, pulling in one direction, is awesome,” said Miller. “They all do unbelievable work for veteran and Gold Star families and active duty guys. To have them all working in conjunction is huge and I’m just happy to be a part of it.”
The B’s alumni were able to turn the tables, pulling off a 6-4 win over the Seals.
First rate third line
If a team has designs on a Stanley Cup, it better have a strong third line that can be a legitimate threat to score. And the Bruins appear to have that with Taylor
Hall playing with Charlie Coyle and Trent Frederic.
The Hall-Coyle is a combination that did not work so well last year when it was first tried last season as a second line grouping. Why is it working now?
“I don’t know, to be honest. Maybe, it’s getting to know him a little more. Who knows?” said Coyle. “It’s been a small sample size here the last few games. I don’t know. We’re just trying to find it more and more, whoever you’re playing with and that’s what it’s looking like right now. I think it’s just getting to know him and his tendencies and how he is. My game’s not going to change too much and Freddy’s isn’t either. But I like his speed, I like the way he skates. I like playing with guys like that. He can push the D back or if he gets that puck, he can buzz right around them. He’s such a threat with that and his speed. So it’s just getting to know him more and getting to play more games with him. We’ve been getting the opportunities. Yeah, we’ve finished a couple of them, but I think the opportunities were there from the start and we didn’t necessarily cash in right away but we knew it was coming. We felt are going was going pretty good. Us three just have to keep talking and we could be a really god line of we keep this thing going.”
High praise
Jim Montgomery had some high praise for Colorado Avalanche and former UMass star Cale Makar. Asked if it was an exaggeration to compare then young defenseman to Bobby Orr, Montgomery said “No, it’s not.”
Then, perhaps realizing the Bruins’ gear that he was wearing, Montgomery qualified that.
“Bobby Orr is in a stratosphere by himself, but if there’s anyone who comes into that stratosphere, it’s going to be him, from what I see,” said Montgomery.