Bruins head to China for exhibitions

BOSTON — Half the Bruins are heading to China to start camp, half are staying home. That’s not ideal in the NHL, where a bad start could ruin the season.

Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said he hopes his team can make the most of the trip on and off the ice.

The Bruins left Tuesday for China, where they’ll play exhibition games against the Calgary Flames on Sept. 15 in Shenzhen and Sept. 19 in Beijing. This is the second year the NHL has played exhibition games in China. The Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks made the trip last season.

Beyond hockey, the trip includes some free time and organized activities.

“Once we get on the ice I’m hoping that it’s all business,” Cassidy said. “We have our allotted amount of time, we have to make sure we take advantage of that, get the proper teaching in and the proper work. And then the evaluation comes for the players.”

A total of 22 players will make the trip with Cassidy, a few assistant coaches and some front-office personnel. Assistant coach Joe Sacco and another coach will stay in North America to work with a second group of 35 players, along with general manager Don Sweeney.

Boston is trying to progress from a season in which it made the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2014, finishing in second place in the East with 112 points.

The trip to China adds a challenge in preparing for a season that starts when Boston opens Oct. 3 at the Washington Capitals.

Forward Brad Marchand is choosing to look at the benefits of a long trip.

“It throws it off a little bit, but at times it’s going to be fun. It’s going to give us the time to get away,” said Marchand, who led the Bruins with 85 points last season. “We’re going to have a lot more time to bond than we normally do, especially early on when you have some new guys … you can’t duplicate that at home.”

The players not going to China will face the Capitals in preseason games on Sept. 16 and 18 and the Red Wings on Sept. 22.

In both hemispheres, several Bruins will be competing for jobs. Rookies Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Trent Frederic and Jack Studnicka are battling for the third-line center job while in China.

“They have to understand that the focus has to be a little more on hockey than on visiting a foreign country,” Cassidy said.

Cuts will come quickly after the two groups reunite after the trip, Sweeney said.

Charles Krupa / Associated Press The Bruins’ Brad Marchand, center, feels there are benefits to traveling to China for two exhibition games against the Flames.