Colborne

No. 10: As a first-round draft pick of the Boston Bruins, Joe Colborne might have wanted to avoid comparisons to another “Jumbo Joe” on draft night last June.

But the 6-foot-6, 196-pound native of Calgary didn’t shy away from the comparisons to Joe Thornton or the nickname after the Bruins selected him 16th overall in Ottawa.

“A few guys on my team would call me that too. But I definitely look up to him as a role model, as an idol,” Colborne said of the since-jettisoned captain of the Bruins. “So if I could have anything near the career that he’s had, I would be more than happy.”

Even a peek at Colborne’s pro career might be two or three years away, but the Bruins’ decision to use their first-round draft pick on the current University of Denver forward was big enough to be the No. 10 Bruins story of 2008. (more…)

Sobotka

If you want to take a break from texting in your votes for Marc Savard, Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron (not to mention your write-in votes for Tim Thomas) to represent the Boston Bruins at the 2009 NHL All-Star Game in Montreal, you can log on and show some love for the Providence Bruins who are candidates for the 2009 AHL All-Star Game in Worcester.

Center Vladimir Sobotka, currently with the parent club, is a forward candidate for PlanetUSA. Sobotka has put up 10-11-21 totals in 17 AHL games this season.

Winger Martins Karsums, who earlier this month skated in one NHL game for Boston, and Mikko Lehtonen are also a candidates at forward for PlanetUSA . In 31 games with the P-Bruins, Karsums is the team’s second-leading scorer with 12-18-30 totals. Lehtonen has put up 7-7-14 totals. (more…)

Arniel

Boston Bruins fourth-round pick (97th overall, 2008) Jamie Arniel was among 16 players released from Canada’s National Junior Team selection camp today.

The remaining players will compete with Team Canada at the 2009 IIHF World Juniors Championship in Ottawa, Dec. 29, 2008-Jan. 5, 2009.

Arniel, a 19-year-old forward with Sarnia of the OHL, skated for Team Red, which won two of three games against Team White during the camp. Arniel notched one assist in Team Red’s lone loss — on a goal by projected top-two ’09 draft pick John Tavares in the camp’s opening game.

Arniel will now rejoin the Sting, for whom he’s posted 16-14-30 totals in 29 games played. The Sting are back in action Thursday against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.