Projo Bruins Blog

August 9, 2009 - August 15, 2009 Archives

By MARK DIVVER
Assistant Sports Editor


Free-agent left wing Brett Clouthier, who racked up over 70 fighting majors in five AHL seasons with Albany and Binghamton from 2001 to 2006, will attend training camp with the Providence Bruins in September.

The 28-year-old Clouthier is returning to North America after spending the last three seasons with the Sheffield Steelers and Manchester Phoenix of the British Elite Ice Hockey League. The 6'5'' 227-pound winger had about 30 fights during his time in England.

"He's a tough customer, and he can get around. He can play,'' said Providence Bruins coach Rob Murray.

While Clouthier fared well with his fists in his first stint in the AHL, he never developed into the kind of player the New Jersey Devils hoped they were getting when they made him their second-round pick, 50th overall, in the 1999 draft, from Kingston of the OHL.

Clouthier's best year offensively in the AHL was 2002-03 in Albany, when he scored 6 goals and 7 assists for 13 points in 74 games with a career-high 220 penalty minutes. In 2005-06, his last season in the AHL, Clouthier had 2-4-6 totals with 202 PIMs in 79 games with Binghamton.

Youtube has plenty of Clouthier fights, including bouts with ex-P-Bruins Doug Doull, Dennis Bonvie and Trevor Gillies.

Last season, Clouthier had 12 goals, 22 assists, and 34 points, with 175 penalty minutes in 69 games with Manchester. He was awarded the Hard as Ice award as the league's top tough guy for the second straight season.

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For Murray, his assistant Bruce Cassidy and a collection of young Bruins prospects, the season begins on Saturday, Sept. 5, when they climb on a bus for the 485-mile trip to Kitchener, Ont., and a tournament against Toronto, Ottawa and Pittsburgh rookies.

While the Bruins' roster for the tournament has not yet been released, expect former Boston University winger Jason Lawrence to be in Kitchener.

Lawrence, 22, practiced with Providence late in last spring's playoffs. He was impressive in Boston's rookie development camp in July.

The 5'10, 185-pound right winger led BU's national champions with 25 goals last season.

Scott Fletcher, 21, who was in P-Bruins training camp last fall, also will be invited.

Fletcher split last season between Niagara and Plymouth of the OHL. The 6'4, 223-pound defender scored a goal and seven assists with 116 PIMs in 55 games.

The players will have medical exams in Wilmington in the morning on Sept. 5, before leaving for Canada after lunch, said Murray.

The team will practice in Kitchener on Sept. 6.

Here's the game schedule:

Monday, Sept. 7, vs. Toronto, 2 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 9, vs. Ottawa, 2 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 10, vs. Pittsburgh, 2 p.m.

The games will be played at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.

Only players on entry-level contracts and who have played fewer than five NHL games are eligible, Murray said.

The Providence Bruins open their 2009-10 season with a home game Sunday, Oct. 4, against Springfield. Click here to see the full schedule.

Jordan Caron, the Boston Bruins first-round pick in June's NHL Draft, suffered a fractured collarbone when took a monster, open-ice check from Colton Teubert at Canada's world junior training camp Sunday in Saskatoon, Sask.

Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli says that Caron is ''doubtful'' for Boston's rookie camp in Kitchener, Ont., in early September.

Caron, a 6'2'', 205-pound left wing who was impressive at Boston's development camp in July, is expected to return to Rimouski of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this season.

It was incorrectly reported on the Bruins Blog on July 22 that the Providence Bruins had fired trainer Thomas Bourdon and equipment manager J.W. Aiken.

While Bourdon and Aiken are no longer working for the Bruins, they were not fired. Bourdon said that he was offered a contract by the team, but that he turned it down.