Category — stephane yelle

Yelle

First they signed former Boston Bruins defenseman Andrew Alberts. And then they added to their back line by trading with the Bruins to bring back Aaron Ward.

Today the Carolina Hurricanes, who defeated Boston in last spring’s Eastern Conference semifinal series between the clubs, continued to add to their ex-Bruins mix with the signing of center Stephane Yelle.

According to TSN.ca, Yelle agreed to terms on a one-year, $550,000 deal with the Hurricanes. In his lone season with Boston, Yelle skated in 77 regular season games and posted 7-11-18 totals. He provides the ‘Canes with depth down the middle and a huge boost to their penalty kill.

Yelle

The Boston Bruins easily could’ve entered this season without Stephane Yelle and instead filled his lineup spot with a rookie or a borderline veteran NHLer, but boy would they have missed the two-time Stanley Cup-winning center.

Boston needed Yelle in all three zones, they needed him at the faceoff dots and, oh yeah, they really got the most benefit from his presence on the penalty kill. The Bruins’ penalty kill was one of the worst in the league without Yelle in 2007-08, but moved to 12th this season. While that can’t all be credited to one guy, it was obvious to all observers that his savvy and positioning instantly made the Bruins’ penalty kill miles better. [Read more →]

Yelle

BOSTON — Boston Bruins center Stephane Yelle needs his team to win tonight’s Game 7 of its Eastern Conference semifinal series at TD Banknorth Garden not just so the Bruins can advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time 1992.

A win by the Black and Gold would improve Yelle’s career record in Game 7 situations to .500 level, as  he currently stands at 5-6. Once he skates in his 12th career  Game 7 tonight, Yelle — already the active leader in Game 7 appearances — will tie Glenn Anderson and Ken Daneyko for the most all-time. But that doesn’t mean his stomach doesn’t still feel the magnitude of the situation.

“Of course, you’re nervous,” said Yelle after the Bruins’ morning skate in preparation for Game 7. “I think if you’re not then I think you should be, a little bit. Then again everyone gets ready for this game differently. Some guys are more nervous than others and that’s just the way it is.” [Read more →]

Yelle and Thornton are the Hawk and Animal of the Bruins.

Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien laid down the gauntlet after his team’s meeting Monday, the morning after its lackluster effort in its Game 2 loss to Carolina.

“I think our fourth line, it was all about work ethic (Sunday) night. And they worked hard. They forechecked, they finished their checks, they created some opportunities. And had we had the rest of the guys with that same sort of focus, we would’ve had, probably, better results.”

When asked about Shawn Thornton and Stephane Yelle, the two mainstays of the fourth line, in particular, Julien continued:

“You switch a guy here or there, and overall, that’s their role, they know that. You hope that your other lines can inspire themselves by them when they’re out there coming back after a good shift, you’d like to have a follow-up.” [Read more →]

Yelle

Entering this season, center Stephane Yelle had played 12 NHL seasons and missed the postseason just once.

So when he signed with the Boston Bruins as an unrestricted free agent just before the opening of training camp, he was taking a real chance that his record of success would take a hit. After all, the Bruins had barely qualified for the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs and then were bounced in the first round. With the club returning mostly the same exact personnel for 2008-09, there was no telling how this season would go.

As it turned out, Yelle made the right choice.

“It makes it fun. I’ve been lucky, I’ve been part of really good teams. This year compares to some of the best years I’ve had, as far as the team’s concerned,” said Yelle Saturday in the aftermath of the Bruins clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference with a 1-0 win over the New York Rangers. “It was a fresh start for me, coming on a young team, a different city, a good city. It’s been great for the fans and to see the excitement in the city, it’s great.”

In addition to all those postseason qualifiers, Yelle has been part of two Stanley Cup-winning clubs. Yelle found out upon his arrival in the Hub how much potential there was for him to make another run for the most coveted trophy in hockey while wearing black and gold.

“It started early. Even in training camp I could feel the excitement. I think it continued from last year’s playoff run and then we got hot, so …” said Yelle, who has contributed seven goals, 11 assists and an unquantifiable presence on the penalty kill for Boston in 72 games this season.

Now Yelle will be a key cog on a playoff team for a 12th time and he’ll more of a chance to justify his decision to be a Bruin.

Yelle

BOSTON — After missing five games with an upper-body injury suffered as a result of an awkward fall against Chicago March 7, Boston Bruins center Stephane Yelle is expected to be back in the lineup tonight at TD Banknorth Garden against the Los  Angeles Kings.

Yelle was one of nine players to take part in an optional  morning skate at the Garden.

“It’s never easy (being out),” said Yelle, “but at the same time it gives you a chance to look from a different perspective. But I’m ready, so …” [Read more →]

Yelle

BOSTON — Boston Bruins center Stephane Yelle took a fall late in the second period today and skated to the bench like he’d been shaken up. He did not play in the third period.

Bruins head coach Claude Julien said that Yelle, who including today’s 5-3 win over Chicago at TD Banknorth Garden has skated in all 66 games this season, will not play against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden Sunday. He was not scheduled to travel with the team after today’s game, but he could rejoin the club as soon as tomorrow.

Yelle

If you think Boston Bruins center Stephane Yelle is smart on the ice, you should see and hear how wise he is when insults and innuendos start flying across the Bruins’ dressing room.

The 34-year-old Yelle knows just how to toss in a phrase or two and then get out of the conversation unscathed.

“He’s dry. He’s really dry. He’s always throwing his little bombs from the corner,” Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference explained to TheBruinsBlog.net about his longtime teammate this week. “We call him a giant, wooden spoon. He just likes to stir the pot and then kind of get out of there once the water’s moving around.”

That’s a perfect example of how different Yelle is during a game and when he’s not in the midst of battle. For 60 minutes or more between the first puck drop and the final horn, he never backs down from confrontation. He makes sure to bark suggestions to his linemates – these days rookie Byron Bitz and fellow veteran Shawn Thornton – and alert defensemen when he’s available for a pass. But take him off the ice, and he clams up around the media – going about his business with stoicism and confidence and a focus that makes him nearly impossible to distract.

Behind closed doors, he’ll come to life with a joke or two, and always makes himself available to younger teammates looking for guidance. [Read more →]

Ward

Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien today confirmed that defenseman Aaron Ward, winger Marco Sturm and center Stephane Yelle will all make the road trip to Washington and Atlanta with the club despite their assorted injuries.

Ward and Sturm both skated during practice today at Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington. Yelle did not practice, but Julien said that an X-ray revealed nothing serious. Yelle left Monday night’s game after a collision with linesman Mark Shewchyk and suffered some muscle spasms.

All three players are considered day-to-day, although Ward might be a little farther off than his teammates, as he has yet to do any contact drills.

“It’s ahead of schedule, it’s progressing and we’re kind of waiting for things to get to the point where I can get myself into full action,” said Ward, who’s going on the trip so he can ramp up the intensity of his workouts and avoid the rust that sometimes settles in when he sits out too long. “Obviously, it’s real limited, it’s no-contact.”

Yelle

The Boston Bruins’ 5-3 win over Tampa Bay tonight at the TD Banknorth Garden came at a price, as fourth-line center Stephane Yelle had to leave the game in the second period after a collision with linesman Mark Shewchyk. Yelle was trying to break across the Tampa Bay blue line and he fell awkwardly after running into Shewchyk.

Head coach Claude Julien said Yelle is day-to-day and that he suffered some muscle spasms and a contusion.

As a precautionary measure, the Bruins called up Vladimir Sobotka from Providence (AHL) after the game.