Projo Bruins Blog

By MARK DIVVER
Assistant Sports Editor

PROVIDENCE -- Craig Weller wasn't caught completely by surprise when he got the call two Sundays ago that he'd been dealt to Boston in the Chuck Kobasew trade.

"The management in Minnesota told me when they put me on waivers (late in training camp) that they might try to move me, give me an opportunity somewhere else. It just happened a little quicker than I thought it would,'' said Weller.

For a player who is looking for another chance in the NHL, the Boston organization might turn out to be a good fit.

The Bruins haven't hesitated over the last few seasons to find a place for veteran role players such as Shawn Thornton and Jeremy Reich.

"That's encouraging to see. I'm just going to have to work hard and prove myself. I'm definitely going to try to make it back to the NHL,'' said Weller, a right wing who has 4-10-14 career numbers with 127 penalty minutes in 95 NHL games with Phoenix and Minnesota.

Weller spent four seasons with Hartford before moving up to the NHL. At the time of the trade, he was with Minnesota's AHL affiliate in Houston.

The 28-year-old brings size -- he's 6'4'', 220 pounds -- and physical presence. He knows what is expected of him.

"My role is to be a veteran guy playing with poise every night, somebody the coach can rely on in a bunch of different situations. To show leadership through hard work,'' he said.

Providence coach Rob Murray is glad to have him.

Last weekend, Murray put Weller on a crash line with Drew Larman and Lane MacDermid, and the trio was Providence's best line last Saturday in a 2-0 loss at Manchester.

"I know what to expect from him. He's an intelligent guy, he understands. He asks the right questions. That's probably one of the reasons he was captain in Hartford for a few years. His skating has improved from what I remember. He gets around better. And when he hits, he really catches guys,'' said Murray.

Fighting is also part of Weller's game. He had seven fighting majors in the NHL last season, and 13 fights in both 2004-05 and 2005-06 while with Hartford.

According to Murray, Weller knows "when to try and change the momentum of a game. He'll go out purposely and try to do that by getting in a fight. That speaks to his hockey IQ, because some guys don't pick up on that, when the right time is to do that kind of thing.''


*****


Over a long season, there are losses and then there are losses.

For the P-Bruins, Friday night's 2-1 defeat in Manchester on a penalty shot by Oscar Moller with 1:51 to go in regulation definitely left a mark.

Murray said that the call by referee Chris Cozzan -- Adam McQuaid tripped Moller, who had a breakaway -- probably was legitimate. But that didn't make it any easier to swallow.

Penalty shots have become "the flavor of the month for referees'' over the past couple of seasons, Murray said.

"Our argument was that one camera showed Adam got a stick on the puck before he trips him,'' said Murray.

Murray conceded, though, that "if the situation is flip-flopped, we'd be expecting a penalty shot.''

 Tags  Boston Bruins Providence Bruins

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