Kristy Gleason [kristy@...] has sent you a story from projo.com.
(Page at:
http://www.projo.com/pbruins/content/projo_20040917_17pbruins.13757a.html)

Glad to see Jay Henderson back in the fold, and Im hopeful that Andy Hilbert and
Patrice Bergeron will suit up for the P-Bruins this season!
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AHL will reap benefits from NHL lockout

The Boston Bruins have already assigned six players to the P-Bruins roster, and
more may be on the way.

01:00 AM EDT on Friday, September 17, 2004

BY JOE McDONALDJournal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- The puck will drop for the 2004-05 season.

Despite the NHL lockout, there will be hockey this winter, thanks to the
American Hockey League.

The lockout probably will be in effect for some time. At least that was the
feeling at the FleetCenter yesterday as Boston Bruins team president Harry
Sinden and general manager Mike O'Connell conducted a news conference on the
league's situation less than 24 hours after commissioner Gary Bettman closed up
shop for the foreseeable future.

For the first time in 10 years the NHL will be in the dark, and the AHL will
reap the benefits, including the Providence Bruins.

"In the short term, we will benefit," said P-Bruins owner Frank DuRoss. "The
Providence Bruins will have a very competitive team, and I think we will have a
little more regional exposure than we normally do. There will be professional
hockey played and we're excited about that, and we're going to have a good group
of players."

While most high-caliber NHLers will be headed overseas, there will be quality
players participating in the AHL.

All week, parent clubs have been assigning players to the top minor-league
affiliates, and yesterday O'Connell announced six Bruins players under NHL
two-way contracts will play in Providence.

Goaltender Hannu Toivonen, defensemen Kevin Dallman and Milan Jurcina, and
forwards Martin Samuelsson, Colton Orr and Brad Boyes will be playing for the
P-Bruins when camp opens on Sept. 29 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.

Other players could be in Providence for the upcoming season as well.

"Mike O'Connell had conversations with [other] guys and asked if they would be
interested," said Bruins assistant GM Jeff Gorton. "At this time, there are a
few players on our NHL roster that were not interested. There are a couple of
guys we are currently talking to about going to (Providence) on an American
League contract."

Gorton wouldn't comment on which players the organization was trying to woo, but
speculation leads to a couple of names. Certainly, goaltender Andrew Raycroft
was one and, in fact, O'Connell admitted yesterday that the Calder Trophy winner
was the last player he spoke with. But, don't expect Razor to man the pipes in
Providence any time soon because he's heading home to play in a 4-on-4 league.

Patrice Bergeron could be sporting the spoked 'P' this season, along with Andy
Hilbert. Also, a former fan favorite will be back in a black and gold sweater
this season, as Jay Henderson will return to the organization.

Basically, if there's any positive aspect to pull from the NHL's decision to
lock out its players, it is the fact the AHL will be a better developmental
league with the talent pool growing.

"That's one consideration that the league might be better," said Gorton. "There
will be some players down there who normally wouldn't be. It can't hurt to have
better competition at that level. The other thing is that if the (lockout) goes
a long time, these guys should stand to be ahead of a lot of other guys who they
would be fighting for jobs."

In the next couple of weeks, the P-Bruins will continue to fill out their
training camp roster and one player who may not be around is Jonathan Girard,
who missed all of last season due to injuries suffered in a near-fatal car
accident. Currently, he's locked out but could sign with Providence.

"What can happen," said Gorton, "these guys can go anywhere right now. They can
go to an American League team and sign. Technically, there's nothing restricting
them. But, the guys who have been assigned (by Boston) either had to clear
waivers in the last few weeks, or didn't need waivers."

Despite the NHL lockout, it's sure to be an exciting time for the AHL. With the
talent level higher and the new rules in place, the league should show some
promise.

The AHL has implemented the delayed offsides ruling -- or tagging-up rule --
along with automatic icing. Also, the goal lines have been moved from 13 feet to
11 feet from the ends boards, and the width of the blue lines and red line have
been increased from 12 to 24 inches.

For the first seven weeks of the season, a test restricting the areas where
goaltenders can play the puck will be enforced.

"The American League is a great partner of the NHL," said Gorton. "So, it's a
difficult position for it to be in. I'm sure in a perfect world it wants the
league to be going, too. They have a league to conduct and we have players to
develop. The show must go on for those people."