Alexandrov

WILMINGTON, Mass. — The cloud of mystery hiding Boston Bruins prospect Yuri Alexandrov from observers outside the organization has been lifted this week during the club’s Third Annual Development Camp at Ristuccia Arena.

And so far the defenseman who the Bruins selected 37th pick overall in 2006 has fit right in with his fellow rookies during both hockey and power skating drills. He’s shown decent strength and mobility for a 6-foot, 185-pound 21-year-old. Today, with the help of skating instructor Victor Teleguine’s translation, Alexandrov also revealed his high expectations for his future.

“He has the same stick, same curve like (Detroit star Nicklas) Lidstrom. So the player he’s most like is Lidstrom, his favorite player,” Teleguine explained about Alexandrov’s response to a question about who he compares to in the NHL. (more…)

Update: The second session is about to begin. Complete coverage of the day coming up.

11:24 p.m.: In between skating sessions, Boston College sophomore Tommy Cross is taking a light skate — just the second time he’s skated since his spring knee injury. Cross also skated yesterday between sessions (contrary to what I reported about Yannick Riendeau — the two players’ numbers were switched on the roster sheet).

9:46 a.m.: WILMINGTON, Mass. — The Boston Bruins prospects are on the ice for the second on-ice day of the club’s Third Annual Development Camp.

After warming up, the players are huddled along the boards watching Providence (AHL) head coach Rob Murray describe the next group of drills.

I’ll have complete coverage of today’s camp as the day proceeds.

Boston Bruins Director of Hockey Operations Don Sweeney remembers ’09 fourth-round draft pick Lane MacDermid’s dad Paul well from their head-to-head battles in the NHL.

After today’s first on-ice drills during the club’s Third Annual Development Camp at Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington, Mass., Sweeney told the assembled media that he’d already joked with the younger MacDermid about how his dad had picked on him tons. Sweeney noted he might get some revenge by working the son a little extra harder this week.

But one look at the Windsor Spitfires forward’s body of work tells you that it would take a lot more than extra battle drills or sprints to wear down the 6-foot-3, 205-pound teenager, who was drafted for his work ethic more than anything last month. (more…)

Bruins prospects want to power skate like Taz.

WILMINGTON, Mass. — The first on-ice session today during the Boston Bruins’ Third Annual Development Camp at Ristuccia Arena was innocent enough.

The players went through drills similar to the ones the NHL squad goes through most mornings — odd-man rushes, 1-on-1s, some battle drills. But after a brief break to clean the ice, the heat was turned up a notch. Bruins Director of Hockey Operations Don Sweeney and power skating expert John McLean put the troops through close to an hour of drills, which included such acts as skating on one leg and hopping on one leg. It was painful on the groins just to watch it, let alone do it.

“The power skating I haven’t done in a long time,” said Bruins ’09 fourth-round pick Lane MacDermid. “So it was pretty tough. You don’t really work on that stuff all the time. It was definitely good to get a feel for what they’re expecting with your skating.” (more…)

WILMINGTON, Mass. — The first on-ice session of the Boston Bruins’ Third Annual Development Camp has begun at Ristuccia Arena.

The players are going through some warm-up shooting drills in preparation for what’s scheduled to be about a two-hour on-ice workout.

I’ll have a complete Day Two wrap-up later on.

Caron

On the first day of the Boston Bruins’ Third Annual Development Camp today at The Edge Sports Center in Bedford, Mass., Jordan Caron saw plenty of familiar faces.

Although he was just drafted by the Bruins in last month’s first round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Caron knew a number of his fellow rookies from playing against them in the QMJHL. And in a rare coincidence, Bruins ’08 first-round pick Joe Colborne is a former teammate of Caron’s from couple of years ago with a Saskatchewan AAA team.

But that doesn’t mean everything was comfy for the Rimouski standout. After all, he only started working out again last week after a couple weeks off post-Memorial Cup. Then he wasn’t expecting the rigorous dry-land testing the rookies were put through today. (more…)

Colborne

BEDFORD, Mass. — Denver head coach George Gwozdecky might not like to hear it, but Boston Bruins prospect Joe Colborne isn’t shy about the fact that he doesn’t plan to play four years for the Pioneers.

Fresh off his freshman campaign, Colborne explained that today after the first day of the Bruins’ Third Annual Development Camp at The Edge Sports Center, where the attendees were put through some land testing and then team-bonding exercises.

“I’m ready to be a Bruin whenever I can be,” Colborne, the Bruins’ first-round pick (16th overall) in ’08, explained. “But again, I’m not going to kind of rush myself in so that I’m not ready. I have a great situation back at Denver, so whenever we sit with management we’ll figure that out.” (more…)

BEDFORD, Mass. — The rain caused a shift of venue for the attendees of the Boston Bruins’ Third Annual Development Camp, as the players are going through some land testing at The Edge Sports Center instead of Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington, Mass.

The players just went through their shuttle runs under the watchful eye of strength and conditioning coach John Whitesides, as well as almost all of the Bruins’ front-office personnel and coaching staff.

I’ll have complete coverage once the testing is through.

The Boston Bruins’ Third Annual Development Camp begins tomorrow with testing and continues through Saturday afternoon at Ristuccia Arena. TheBruinsBlog.net will be your home for complete coverage all the way through the conclusion of the camp.

To start you off, here’s a little poll:

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Caron

The Boston Bruins today announced the schedule and 25-man roster, including 2009 first-round pick Jordan Caron, for their Third Annual Development Camp.

The festivities will get underway with medical and physical testing for players on Tuesday, July 7. On July 8-11, the players will be put through a mix of on-ice and off-ice workouts. The week also includes a trip to Fenway Park for the Red Sox gams vs. Oakland Wednesday and also a clinic with youth players Friday at Cronin Skating Rink in Revere.

Here is a look at the 25-man roster for the camp:

Forwards (13): Jamie Arniel, Scott Campbell, Jordan Caron, Joe Colborne, Mark Goggin, Zach Hamill, Jason Lawrence, Jeff LoVecchio, Lane MacDermid, Tyler Randell, Yannick Riendeau*, Max Sauve, Ben Sexton.

Defensemen (9): Yuri Alexandrov, Ryan Button, Tommy Cross*, Alain Goulet, Mark Isherwood, Rob Kwiet, Brady Lamb, Zach McKelvie*, Tyler Ludwig.

Goaltenders (3): Adam Courchaine, Matt Dalton, Michael Hutchinson.

* — Currently injured; Will attend, but not participate in camp — Cross (knee), Riendeau (shoulder), McKelvie (shoulder)

Button

The Boston Bruins won’t know for a couple years if defenseman Ryan Button will make good on the promise that comes with being a third-round pick in the NHL draft.

But at least the club knows right now that it made the Button family’s year by picking the teenager in the third round Saturday. It seems that even though Button grew up in Edmonton and is a fan of the Oilers, his father is a huge Bruins backer.

As John MacNeil of the Prince Albert Daily Herald quoted the younger Button:

“Boston is my dad’s favorite team. He loves the Bruins. It’s been, like, my family team. All of my dad’s side loved the Bruins. As soon as they announced my name, everyone went nuts. My dad was jumping up and down. It was a pretty special moment.”

Arniel

In a perfect world, the Providence Bruins will have center Wacey Rabbit back in their lineup to play between Kirk MacDonald and Jeremy Reich during Sunday’s Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals with Hershey.

That trio is the P-Bruins’ best chance at slowing down the Bears’ super-productive top line with Alexandre Giroux and Graham Mink flanking center Keith Aucoin. But should Rabbit, who has been out since the second period of Game 1 of this series, not be able to go, the task of centering Providence’s checking line might again fall to rookie Jamie Arniel. (more…)

Riendeau

Boston Bruins prospect Yannick Riendeau scored a goal and added an assist, but he couldn’t stop Windsor from defeating his Drummondville team, 3-2, in overtime in a Memorial Cup semifinal game last night in Rimouski.

Adam Henrique scored the goal 4:31 in the extra session to eliminate the QMJHL champions from Cup contention. Riendeau had tied the score with a power-play goal at 15:10 of the second period.

Riendeau, who led the ‘Q’ in scoring during the regular season and signed with Boston as a free agent last month, finished with 2-6-8 totals in four Memorial Cup games. No doubt he’ll be part of Boston’s development camp and then training camp in the months ahead.

Riendeau

Even though the Boston Bruins are done and have their break-up day festivities scheduled for Monday (complete coverage to come at TheBruinsBlog.net), there are still a couple ways to glance ahead to the future of the franchise beyond just looking at depth charts and stats.

The Providence Bruins (AHL) begin their Eastern Conference finals series at Hershey tomorrow night. I’ll have more on that tomorrow.

Also, in the 2009 MasterCard Memorial Cup in Rimouski, prospect Yannick Riendeau will be skating for his Drummondville team, which won the QMJHL championship to earn its place at Canada’s biggest junior tournament. Riendeau led the way for Drummondville with 29-23-52 totals in 19 postseason games on his club’s way to the President’s’ Trophy. Drummondville starts plays tomorrow against Windsor of the OHL.

Riendeau signed with Boston last month after a 126-point regular season.

The Memorial Cup will broadcast in the U.S. on NHL Network, so you can  check out Riendeau for yourself.

Arniel

The Boston Bruins today announced the signing of 2008 fourth-round draft pick Jamie Arniel to an entry-level contract.

The 19-year-old Arniel, a forward, just completed a strong season with the Sarnia Sting of the  OHL, as he posted 32-36-68 totals. Arniel recently joined Providence (AHL) for its Calder Cup playoff run and has appeared in three games. In those contests, he has recorded one goal and posted a plus-1 rating. Providence is back in action tonight for Game 6 of its Atlantic Division finals series with Worcester.

He is the nephew of former NHLer Scott Arniel.