Well friends the day has come. Today is the day that goaltender Tim Thomas is officially no longer a part of the Bruins organization. It was just announced/ my twitter is currently blowing up with the news.
As of now, Thomas is now a member of the New York Islanders. In exchange for Thomas, the Bruins will get a conditional 2nd round draft pick in either the 2014 or 2015 draft. He will, however, not be playing for the Isles this season as he is on leave. He did say he wanted to play next season so potentially the Isles could have a good goalie for next year.
Thomas was in the final year of his contract and since he wasn’t playing at the moment, he was basically taking away the B’s chance to sign someone new. Well now that he’s gone, the B’s have $5 million in cap space to play around with as the trade deadline approaches.
On the other hand, the Isles picked up Timmy to make sure they were over the cap floor.
So I guess it’s a win, win for everyone? Well us mostly.
In the end thanks for everything Tim Thomas, good luck whenever hockey and or your three f’s take you!
With any luck this will be the last time we have to write about Tim Thomas on A Cup A Bruin, unless it is to discuss his trade to another team because we’re ready for it to be Tuukka Time in Boston. However, it’s still news and we promised to keep you updated. Today the Boston Bruins organization announced that they have suspended goaltender Tim Thomas for the 2013 season. Thomas made it clear at the end of the 2o11-2012 season that he did not want to be back in Boston, officially breaking the news on his Facebook page stating:
From the earliest age I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a hockey player. I’ve been blessed in my life to not only be able to live that dream, but to achieve more than I ever thought possible.
The singleminded focus that is necessary to accomplish a dream of this magnitude entails (by necessity) sacrifice in other areas and relationships in life.
At the age of 38, I believe it is time to put my time and energies into those areas and relationships that I have neglected. That is why at this time I feel the most important thing I can do in my life is to reconnect with the three F’s.
Friends, Family, and Faith.
This is what I plan on doing over the course of the next year.
Despite his teammates trying to reach out to him over the past couple of weeks, he has remained true to his word that he will not pull the spoked-B jersey over his head. Although Thomas has mentioned he is interested in playing next season and it is possible that he could suit up in Boston, the chances are slim. So, for the 2013 season Thomas’ $5million salary will go against the Bruins salary cap and sit until the end of the season or the Bruins trade him, an act that most likely wouldn’t take place until trade deadlines in April.
In the meantime, it’s time to put all of our faith in 25 year-old net minder Tuukka Rask who’s more than ready to step into the spotlight and show what he’s really made of. It’s Tuukka Time, are you ready?
Today a third member of the Boston Bruins has signed with the Czech Republic. Bruins top goaltender Tuukka Rask signed with the Czech Extra League team NC Plzen. Rask stated earlier this summer that, although he had played for the Finnish League up through 2007 and would be playing with his brother Joonas. He stated he would not play for them should there be a lockout. Instead he chose to return to the Czech Republic where the Bruins played pre-season games in 2010, the year of their Cup run.
For Rask, the extra play should do him good and help build his confidence. Being out of play since March he can use the extra game time to get him ready for the top spot. While his athleticism and elite-ness are not in question, playing against some of the best players in the world can’t exactly hurt the budding star. Last season he was 11-8-3 with a 2.04 GAA and a .929 save percentage for the B’s while splitting time with Tim Thomas. Like all of the other players heading overseas Rask has an “out” clause for when the lockout ends. Looks like the new wardrobe of jerseys just got a little bit longer.
Boston Bruins 24/7, sounds like a dream doesn’t it? It’s every fan’s dream to see their team featured in a documentary leading up to the Winter Classic in January. However, for Bruins fans, this hasn’t happened. While the Penguins/Capitals and Flyers/Rangers were equally entertaining to watch, the Boston Bruins could provide some quality television.
Seriously, think about it. What other team around the NHL has greater rivals than the Bruins? The only measurable one I can think of is the in-state Pittsburgh-Philadelphia rivalry. Aside from that, Boston and Montreal hold the biggest original six rivalry to date. While the year of goaltender fighting may have been the greatest year to watch the rivalry play out, there is never a dull moment when the two play each other.
With Tim Thomas’s recent Facebook post regarding his stance against same-sex marriage, there has been a whole new load of disapproval and disappointment. The main argument still being the majority of fans blinded by the Black and Gold goggles and believing that Tim Thomas can do no wrong. In the last post regarding Thomas’s point of view we made it sound like we were condemning him fo rhis opinion. Let us assure you that we agree, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. That is what living in the United States and having your own rights signifies. Whether we agree with him or not is irrelevant and we apologize if we may have made it sound that way. However, the fact of the matter is this; Tim Thomas is known for stating his opinion and then cowering. He doesn’t like to be critiqued or criticized for his beliefs which is well and good, you’re entitled. However, if you don’t like the backlash, why do you keep putting yourself there? Learn your lesson from it and leave it alone. It’s really as simple as that.
As if we here at A Cup A Bruin aren’t irritated enough that we have to keep writing these posts regarding the goaltender, despite the fact that he is sitting out for the season and it’s Tuukka Time, there are a few other fans that are equally disappointed. For instance, remember the credit card commercial Thomas was in with the crazy cab driver?
Boston comedian Alici Love, the cab driver, tweeted about her feelings regarding Thomas in which she said:
Pretty sure it is safe to say that Love’s opinion of Thomas is a wee bit different than that of the obsessed fan she plays in the commercial. Being born and raised in Boston she declared herself a Bruins fan and told Yahoo! Sports that she was ‘beyond excited.’ However, her feelings have changed since spending the day with a sweet and charming Thomas.
“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. In a sports-driven city like Boston we want our athletes to focus on the game, not politics. Whether Tim likes it or not, he’s part of an organization and he is representing the Boston Bruins. He should use caution when discussing his stance on anything that could potentially alienate a group of people. I will say I miss the superhero that stood between the pipes and brought us home a Stanley Cup.”(via Yahoo!Sports)
Well said Love, we couldn’t have said it any better. Trust us, we miss that superhero too. Hopefully this will be the last time you find us writing about Tim and his politics, though we sincerely doubt it. With any luck, the next time we report about him it will be regarding his trade. Unfortunately, with his recent comments being so close to the fine line of a judgmental ass and discriminatory jerk off, the chances of teams wanting a guy like that are slim, regardless of how well he can play between the pipes.
As much as I would like to tell you that Thomas is speaking out about how he has made a mistake in taking the year off and apologizes to the Bruins Organization and fans alike, sadly, that is not the case. Thursday afternoon Tim Thomas posted, once again, on Facebook stating, “I stand with Chick-Fil-A.” As we all know, Thomas is no stranger to controversy, and he made it well-known once again with his statement regarding he shares the same views as Chick-Fil-A President Dan Cathy regarding the opposition of same-sex marriage.
Free agency has been underway for six days now, including today and the Bruins are sticking with their original game plan. GM Peter Chiarelli stated on numerous occasions throughout the season and post-season that he had a good team and would not be splitting them up. He wanted to keep the core of the team together and that is exactly what he is doing. With the signings of Chris Kelly, Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell and Shawn Thornton, the fourth line will remain the same and one of the ‘best’ in the League.
The only players that are not returning to the Bruins roster, for sure are; Benoit Pouliot (signed a one-year contract with Tampa Bay Lightning), Joe Corvo(signed a two-year contract with Carolina Hurricanes) and Brian Rolston. There is still the possibility that Mike Mottau, the Massachusetts native will fill the seventh defenseman spot, but with Dougie Hamilton coming off of a breakout season in the OHL, there is room for competition.
For the upcoming season we also have to take a look at who is going to fill the third line slot alongside Chris Kelly. With guys like Jordan Caron, Ryan Spooner and Jared Knight, the possibilities are endless. Each and every one of them have a fighting chance at earning a spot in Boston, we will just have to wait for pre-season to find out.
The only question mark remaining is the whereabouts of Tim Thomas. Will he stay in Boston and sit for the season or get traded elsewhere? Unfortunately, no one has those answers as of yet and it remains at a 60/40 chance of dismissal. (One can only hope) Regardless, Tuukka Rask is more than ready to step up and be the number one net minder once again.
Anton Khudobin is ready to be Tuukka's backup! (Credit: Flickr/ cerebusfangirl)
With Tim Thomas gone, and Tuukka Rask in negotiations to take over as Bruins starter, there is a back up goalie spot ready to be filled by Providence Bruins goalie Anton Khudobin. To some this guy may be a mystery, but he is no stranger to the Bruins.
April 5th of this past season, Khudobin got his first start for the black and gold against the Ottawa Senators. This game wasn’t a must win because the B’s had already clinched the #2 seed but Khudobin played like it was a playoff game stopping 44 of the 45 shots faced.
Khudobin is no stranger to the NHL either previously playing briefly for the Minnesota Wild. There, he played in 6 games over 2 seasons going 4-1-0 with a 1.40 GAA and .955 save percentage in six games.
If the Bruins had gone further in the playoffs this year, Khubdobin would have been Thomas’ back up as Rask was still recovering from his injury. But unfortunately that never happened.
Fortunately, it looks as though Khudobin will be stepping in as numero dos goalie for the B’s this season behind Rask and it looks like we’ll have a good pairing between the two.
As the first of July nears us, the rumor mill has been in full swing, especially in Boston. This morning ESPN-Boston and NESN each reported that the Boston Bruins are in fact interested in potentially signing Rick Nash.
For the inquiring minds that want to know, in order to get Rick Nash at the price Columbus is asking for him, the Bruins would have to trade a player like Milan Lucic or Tyler Seguin along with a draft pick to seal the deal.
For right now, word on the street is that the Bruins are just making some inquiries. There is nothing set in stone. Most likely, the chances are slim that the Bruins are going to be making any big waves in the trade market.
It was also reported today that Peter Chiarelli has sent qualifying offers to RFA’s Tuukka Rask, Matt Bartkowski and Lane MacDermid. They have until Monday on Benoit Pouliot.
In other news, CSNNE reporter Joe Haggerty reported that Tim Thomas has decided to waive his no-trade clause that would be up on July 1. This means that if the Bruins want to, they are able to trade the goaltender wherever, whenever. This could give the Bruins the chance to dump the goalie’s contract and be free of the $5million salary. For once it appears that Thomas may be considering the team instead of himself by waiving this clause. Thomas has made it quite apparent that he no longer wants to be a part of the Bruins Club.
Peter Chiarelli stated that other teams have inquired about the goaltender, but other than that, nothing has changed.
Well Bruins fans, it looks like it is time to face the music and accept the fact that we will not see #30 wearing the Black and Gold any longer. The up-side, the Bruins will be able to afford a top-nine forward and improve their power play with the right player. (hopefully)
As I was sitting around here thinking to myself while listening to music, I couldn’t help but to think of a few of the Bruins when I heard certain songs. Coincidentally I came up with this great idea to write an article based on songs. Granted this is a similar type article to that of “The Pulse” Tune In Tuesdays, however, I am doing a theme song for each current member of the Bruins team. The first song and/or player that comes to my mind is:
Shirt off by Blank featuring Young Ivy
Hmm, lets see, who does this make you think of? Perhaps a twenty-five year old Brad Marchand and twenty year-old Tyler Seguin, celebrating the Stanley Cup win in 2011?
Next would have to be a song that makes me think of Joe Corvo. A song that is played generally when a team gets knocked out of the playoffs or loses, much like Joe Corvo is leaving Boston. It’s fitting.
…Or this is equally fitting for Joe Corvo:
And what would this playlist be without the song that reminds us of Tim Thomas, our vacation seeker who likes to complicate things:
This next one would be for our not-so-slick on skates, clumsy Adam McQuaid:
Well, going a little bit further down the roster, I can’t help but think of our key enforcer Shawn Thornton every time I hear this song. Why, well, think about it.
And what would an enforcer be without one of his key instigators? You guys can’t tell me you don’t think of Milan Lucic when you hear this song:
As for Big Z, well, what better song would fit him than “Move” by Thousad Foot Krutch.Every time I hear this song I picture a highlight reel of Zdeno Chara’s biggest hits.
As for Nathan Horton, well I consider him to be the most inspirational person on the team what with his efforts in Game 7 with the water bottle and his constant efforts to get back on the ice. This is what makes me think of him:
Then we have our lovely goaltender Tuukka Rask, generally I have to give him a traditional song the ever so glorious Pat Benatar hit:
For Dougie Hamilton who is making his way up in the system I have to go with the CLASSIC:
Oh Benny Pouliot, ever since Ariana and I were discussing the possibility of you being traded this song has forever made me think of you. (For the record, I sincerely hope you do NOT get traded and if you do I hope it isn’t to the Jets)
As for alternate Captain Chris Kelly, I have to go with this one based on the enormous and infamous ‘Chain’.
For those of you that didn’t see the chain:
Chris Kelly sports the new piece of jewelry in the B's locker room (Credit: twitter.com/NaokoFunayama)
Well, this one speaks for itself:
Based on this hit that Paille got served with:
I have to say that this makes me think of him:
What better song to make you think of our environmentalist Andrew Ference than a Michael Jackson piece:
For some odd reason when I hear this song, I can’t help but think of David Krejci’s struggle this season. Now granted this might be a little awkward, but still listen to the songs and try to put it into his perspective if you will:
What better song for Patrice Bergeron than “I Am Perfection”:
While this may not contain every player on the team, I think I have put you through enough crazy madness for one article. Stay tuned to see what we come up with next!
As I was sitting around here thinking to myself while listening to music, I couldn’t help but to think of a few of the Bruins when I heard certain songs. Coincidentally I came up with this great idea to write an article based on songs. Granted this is a similar type article to that of “
A Cup A Bruin 