P-Bruins journal: Rookie tournament opens Monday
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September 4
By MARK DIVVER Might as well get one of the longest bus rides of the season out of the way right off the bat. Providence Bruins coaches Rob Murray and Bruce Cassidy and about a dozen Bruins minor-leaguers, draft picks and free agents will make a 10-hour, 570-mile journey Saturday from Wilmington, Mass., to Kitchener, Ont., for a rookie tournament against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins. The rest of the 24-man roster will travel to Kitchener on their own. The games start on Monday. The tournament offers a terrific opportunity for players already under contract and those looking to earn contracts to show what they can do, said Murray. "It's a chance to get a jump on everything, to get in some game situations,'' before Boston's training camp opens on Sept. 12, Murray said. In turn, Boston's front office will have a chance to assess the players. "It's a chance for management to get a better read on some players,'' Murray said. The team will practice on Sunday before facing Toronto at 2 p.m. on Monday. Murray said he and Cassidy will have only enough time to touch on the basics of special teams and defensive-zone coverage. "We'll try to put in some structure. You've got to play with some structure. You can't be running all over the place,'' he said. Murray said that each of the three goalies -- Matt Dalton, Adam Courchaine and Mike Hutchinson -- probably will play one full game. In addition to Monday's game vs. the Leafs, Boston will face Ottawa at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, and Pittsburgh at 2 p.m. on Thursday. All games are at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. The first exhibition game is Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m. against Springfield at the New England Sports Center in Marlboro, Mass., followed by a game on Thursday, Sept. 24, at 7 p.m. versus Lowell at the Iorio Arena in Walpole, Mass. The final preseason game will be Saturday, Sept. 26, against Springfield at the MassMutual Center in Springfield at 7 p.m. ***** Former Boston University winger Jason Lawrence, ECHL defenseman Nick Tuzzolino, enforcer Brett Clouthier, who has played in England for the past three years, and former Colgate defenseman Jared Ross will be in Providence's training camp, according to Murray. The camp roster has not been finalized. "There's no shortage of guys looking for tryouts out there,'' Murray said. "This is great. I'm really excited'' about coming back to Rhode Island, said Henderson, who was with the AHL's Norfolk Admirals the past two seasons. The P-Bruins new trainer is Mark Grotzinger, who was with the Johnstown Chiefs of the ECHL last season. Former Toll Gate star John Hynes, who was hired as an assistant with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this summer, will be on Pittsburgh's bench. 
BOSTON (AP) -- Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien, who led the team to the highest point total in the Eastern Conference last season, agreed to a multiyear contract extension. The team made the announcement Friday. Julien led the Bruins to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons in Boston. Last season, he led the Bruins to a conference-best 116 points. But Boston fell to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games in the second round of the playoffs. In his first season, the Bruins lost to Montreal in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. "It's important to feel the confidence of the people behind me -- Mr. (Jeremy) Jacobs and the upper management," Julien said. "It means a lot to me." Details of the contract extension were not disclosed. "Claude has shown a tremendous propensity to get the maximum results out of our team," said Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli. "To me, he's a guy who can connect, a roll up your sleeves type of guy who connects with his players. I think he commands the respect that a coach needs to get to be successful." Julien, a native of Blind River, Ont., won the NHL's Jack Adams Award as the league's top coach after the last season. In two seasons in Boston, Julien has a 94-48-22 record, a .640 winning percentage. Julien coached the Montreal Canadiens for one full season and parts of two others from 2003-2006 and also led the New Jersey Devils to the top seed in the Eastern Conference in the 2006-07 season before being replaced late in the season. Julien said he expects the Bruins' loss in the playoffs will make the team more determined this season, with training camp set to open next week. "With the way the season ended last year, we're still very hungry and want to accomplish even more," he said. Chiarelli said in making the decision to extend Julien, it was his feeling that Julien's work ethic and attention to detail have made him a success. "We're very happy he's in the mix for years to come, and I look forward to working with him," Chiarelli said.
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