Mark Brender's story from Vol. 49, Issue 2 of The Hockey News on Sept. 22, 1995, previewing the 1995-96 Bruins and their hopes of breaking a 23-year Cup drought. Boston ended up going 40-31-11 before falling in five games to the Florida Panthers in the First Round.
The Boston Bruins’ summer make over brought them a new coach, a new second line and a brand spanking new 17,500-seat arena.
The make over stopped at Harry Sinden’s new office door.
If you picture Sinden leaning back in his reclining chair, talking on the speaker phone in a plush, modem office in the spirit of “you play how you decorate.” think again.
“We don’t stand on that crap around here,” said Sinden, Bruins’ GM for the past 23 years. “Players win games, offices don’t. Cliff Fletcher has a nice office. I was in it once when Cliff was in Calgary. Artwork and oil paintings all over the place.”
Same old Harry. But with all the rest of the moves this summer, including the one out of cozy Boston Garden into the $160-million FleetCenter, the question is whether these are the same old Bruins.
The additions of all-star left winger Kevin Stevens, a Massachusetts boy from nearby Brockton, and 38-year-old free-agent right winger Joe Mullen suggest something peculiar is going on.
Stevens, 30, arrived from the Pittsburgh Penguins along with 26-year-old center-left winger Shawn McEachern in a trade for Bruin forwards Bryan Smolinski and Glen Murray.
Boston gave up a large chunk of its future and an equally large chunk of change in the trade. Smolinski, 23, is highly regarded, Murray is 22 and the deal will cost the Bruins a net payroll increase of $2.6 million this season alone.
The move even took some Bruin players by surprise.
“You wait all summer and hope a deal of some kind is made, but with the reputation our management had, you were kind of skeptical it would,” said sophomore goalie Blaine Lacher. “I haven’t been here that long and even I was skeptical.”
Sinden has a well-earned reputation for assembling good teams, not great ones—the implication being he hasn’t been prepared to gamble owner Jeremy Jacobs’ money on a high-risk run for the Stanley Cup in today’s hyper-competitive NHL.
And now this.
But Sinden insists the limited shelf life of aging stars Ray Bourque (34), Cam Neely (30) and Adam Oates (33) wasn’t a factor in acquiring Stevens or Mullen. Nor is it evidence, he says, the Bruins are loading up for this season.
The facts suggest otherwise. Not even free-spending teams were willing to bet on Mullen, a proven goal-scorer. Sinden signed him to a one-year deal, betting Mullen’s legs have one more season left in them.
“Obviously, one year (he) won’t be able to do it anymore,” Sinden said. “We’re counting on this not being the one.”
The Bruins have played plus-.500 hockey and made the playoffs 27 straight seasons, but it has been 23 seasons since they’ve sipped Cup champagne—and almost as long since it has looked like they wanted to do it again.
“Cam has talked about it in the press, about wanting to win the Cup here, and it looks like they’re trying,” Oates said. “Since I’ve been in Boston, this is the most excited I’ve been.”
Sinden does have more money to spend. The Boston Garden had about 3,000 fewer seats than the FleetCenter and nothing to compare with revenue generated from 104 luxury boxes.
But he stressed neither the Stevens’ trade nor re-signing Neely to a three-year, $7.5-million contract signals a new managerial philosophy.
“We make changes to stay competitive and we’re always competitive,” Sinden said. “It’s not every day you get a chance to acquire a top-level player. There’s not many around and clubs are reluctant to give them up.”
Stevens will earn $2.5 million per year for five years because that’s all Sinden would pay; his salary is closer to $3.1 million this season. To get Smolinski and unload the majority of Stevens’ contract, the Penguins were forced to pick up the difference. Stevens should have a huge impact.
At 6-foot-3 and 217 pounds, he is the biggest Bruin and its most bullish offensively. He twice scored more than 100 points playing with Mario Lemieux. What Stevens gives most is a huge boost to the depth chart.
The Bruins finished with the sixth-best overall record in 1994-95. but were sixth-worst in scoring. They had the league’s top penalty-killing unit and fourth-best power play, but didn’t have the horses for playoff success.
The script played true to form in a five-game, opening-round loss to the New Jersey Devils. The Bruins were shut out three times in the series, including a back-breaking 1-0 overtime loss in Game 4.
“It was extremely frustrating,” said Oates, who led the Bruins with 53 points in 48 games. “We weren’t a high-scoring team to begin with and we played a team that just shut us down.”
More specifically, Oates and Neely were shut down. The passing center and gunning right winger combined for three goals in the series; the rest of the team had two. Which is exactly why a potential super line of Oates, Neely and Stevens isn’t likely to materialize.
“The Bruins have been criticized over the years for being a one-line team,” said rookie head coach Steve Kasper. “I’m not saying there’s not a time and place for that, but you don’t want to make a big trade and still be a one-line team.”
Oates agrees.
“I can’t see us all being together,” he said. “We need to create depth, need to put more than all our eggs in one basket.”
A more likely line combination is McEachern playing at left wing on the top line while Stevens joins a unit centered by either Jozef Stumpel or free-agent signee Todd Elik with Mullen or Mariusz Czerkawski at right wing.
“I would like to see us being creative,” Kasper said. “I’m a firm believer you take care of your own end first, but I also believe once the puck comes over the blueline our top players should be able to excel.”
At least in the regulation-size FleetCenter they might be able to get up to full speed, which, with the addition of McEachern and return of defenseman Al Iafrate (from knee injuries), will be one of the Bruins’ strengths.
“We’re absolutely a solid contender if (Iafrate) can play,” Sinden said. The GM doesn’t know if Iafrate will be in top shape—although the defenseman says he is ready—because Sinden had limited communications with him all summer. “Just by mail,” Sinden said. “He sent me his contract.”
No one is complaining about the FleetCenter’s standard 200-by-85 feet compared to the Garden’s 191-by-83.
Boston defensemen—Iafrate, Bourque, Don Sweeney and John Gruden, in particular—are fast and will take advantage of the larger ice surface. The defense is also the source of greatest concern. Behind Iafrate, Sweeney and Bourque, the talent is young and unproven or old and fading.
The jury remains out on Lacher, despite a 2.41 goals-against average in 35 games last year, but the Bruins appear willing to stick with him.
He’ll likely be in goal Sept. 26 for the exhibition game against the Montreal Canadiens, the Bruins’ first Boston Garden opponent Nov. 20, 1928, and on that night, their last.
After the game, 30 Bruin alumni—from Milt Schmidt and Woody Dumart to Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito—will be honored. Some will join current oldtimers Bourque, Neely and Oates in the final laps ever skated at the Garden.
Bruin fans will be hoping it’s practice for a springtime ritual that hasn’t happened in Boston since 1972. That’s the goal—two final laps in two buildings in one season. ■
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