"The one practice we had - and this is still my favorite story - when guys didn't go hard enough, he grabbed our tough guy and he had a fight in practice because he was not going hard enough," said Sturm, declining to name the tough guy. "He got him out and all of a sudden, the Bruins' culture and practice changed from that day. That was just amazing. We worked hard, we had fun, but it was all business when we practiced."
"The first year under one-and-done coach Dave Lewis did not go well, but the next season under Claude Julien, the B's would start a run of seven straight playoff seasons that would include the club's first Stanley Cup in 39 seasons in 2011. But from the beginning, the arrival of Chara - arguable the best free agent signing in NHL history - was what turned the franchise around."
Zdeno Chara signed with the Boston Bruins before the 2006-07 season and was immediately named captain, wearing the 'C' for 14 years. An early practice fight occurred when players were not skating hard, and that single incident changed Bruins' practice intensity and team culture. The first season under coach Dave Lewis went poorly, but the following season under Claude Julien began a run of seven consecutive playoff appearances. That run included the franchise's first Stanley Cup in 39 seasons in 2011. Chara's size, demanding approach, and leadership are credited with turning the franchise around and raising performance standards.
Read at Boston Herald
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]