He fits the role to the letter

Of the many lessons learned in the wake of the Joe Thornton era, slipping that captain's C on someone prematurely might not be the most significant, but it's high on the list. Jumbo Joe was handed the C here far too soon in his career, long before he was ready for it, and long before there was enough surrounding talent and leadership on the roster to aid him in the mission.

The right choice for captain at the time would have been Don Sweeney, but the veteran defenseman was too far along in age, his game diminished, the end of his career too close. With Thornton now gone, Sweeney is among the top decision-makers in the Bruins front office, providing another ironic twist to what some viewers (at least one) believed was the obvious way back when.

In a matter of days, new Bruins coach Dave Lewis will begin to shape and mold the 2006-07 roster, and ultimately a new captain will be named. No ballots necessary. It's not an elective process. Lewis, who had Steve Yzerman sporting the C in his days as Detroit's bench boss, will make the call, albeit with ample input from new general manager Peter Chiarelli.

The hope here is that Lewis goes directly to one of three places: the end of the alphabet, the top of the height chart, or the No. 1 position on the payroll. A quick Google here and, let's see what we find . . . ah-huh, 6-foot-7-inch Zdeno Chara, good for $7.5 million each of the next five seasons. Yes, we have a winner.

This is a debatable issue? Not really.

The only other bona fide candidate is Patrice Bergeron, who last week came to terms with his own fortune, a five-year pact worth just shy of $24 million. That's a ton of money for a kid with only two NHL seasons under his belt, but the 21-year-old Bergeron stepped up impressively, and productively, in the months after Thornton was dealt to the Sharks.

If not for the Thornton swap, Bergeron likely is looking at a new deal more in the range of what Brad Boyes inked earlier this summer (two years/$3 million total). When Nov. 30 rolls around this season, one year to the day that Thornton was jettisoned, Bergeron might think to face due west and snap off a sharp salute San Jose's way. Everyone thinks Jonathan Cheechoo (56 goals) was the main beneficiary of Thornton's arrival with the Sharks. But the biggest winner, by far, was Bergeron, who will earn nearly $9 million more than Cheechoo over these next five seasons -- proof that filling Thornton's shoes is worth a whole lot more than converting his passes.

Bergeron is a savvy, well-equipped athlete, but he is a kid. Nothing wrong wth being a kid, but the job is not spelled ``kaptain." Chara, at age 29, has logged six more NHL seasons than Bergeron, and most nights he will log at least 8-10 more minutes of ice time. He has been through bad times with the Islanders, good with the Senators, and now he ranks among the top 10 paid players in the game.

Perhaps best of all, he'd welcome the C with open hands and the broadest of shoulders.

``It would be a big honor," Chara said. ``I would be proud to be the captain, especially in an organization like [the Bruins], an Original Six franchise. I am not afraid to lead, and there are many ways to do that -- with work ethic, dedication, and drive. I would try to be the very best captain."

Without hearing the sincerity in Chara's voice, that might read like something right out of the Athlete's Corny Cliché Handbook. But Chara is nothing if not earnest. He is maniacal about his workouts, to the point, Chiarelli confided last week, that there were times when members of the Ottawa front office felt he might be overtraining, not allowing his body sufficient time to recover.

Following home games on Causeway Street, Chara will routinely head to the workout room for at least an hour, sometimes two, before going home. Such dedication is bound to lift the accountability factor in the dressing room. If a teammate needs a more direct approach, such as the captain getting right in his face, Chara would not be the type to avoid confrontation. Eight years older than Bergeron, he also would have the gravitas of age on his side.

``When you are the captain, it doesn't mean you have to speak all the time," said Chara, who captained his junior team in Trencin, Slovakia, a couple of years before he was drafted. ``It's important, though, that it makes sense when you do speak. And everyone has to listen -- everyone has to respect and follow you. When you lead, you want guys to follow."

That's the kind of direction the locker room has needed since March 6, 2000, the day captain Ray Bourque was dealt to Colorado. After that, both Jason Allison and Thornton failed to deliver the goods. Seems about time to get this one right.

McEachern is gone fishin'

Former Bruin Shawn McEachern was about 20 miles off Cape Ann Friday afternoon, slicing his boat through the Atlantic, treating friends from Ottawa to a day of tuna fishing.

``Nothing yet," said the 37-year-old McEachern, reached via cellphone as he angled toward Stellwagen Bank. ``Just a bunch of bluefish so far."

Most Fridays so late in August, McEachern would be a landlubber at Boston University, his old stomping grounds, prepping his legs for another NHL season. But the former US Olympian decided it was time to retire.

``I had some opportunities, but to tell you the truth, it came down to the fact that I didn't want to move my family again -- and I also didn't want to leave them and go play somewhere for a year," said McEachern, who in late June received a buyout from the Bruins, a payout worth $700,000 over two years. ``It was time. Enough."

What's next for the former Matignon star? Ideally, more hockey.

``I'd like to get into coaching," he said. ``What level, I'm not sure, but right now I'm thinking something at the high school or college level."

McEachern finished with 579 points in 911 NHL games, and played in 97 playoff games, including 19 in the spring of 1992 when he helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup.

``Right now, I'm not feeling it yet, because it's summer and I'm out here fishing," said McEachern. ``But you know, when you say you aren't going to play anymore, when it's somethng you've done your whole life . . . well, it's definitely a little strange."

Commodities could prove valuable

The thought of the Bruins without a contract holdout as September rolls around is downright, well, unsettling. The brotherhood of beat writers was considering hiring an attorney -- Alan Eagleson still available? -- to sue for possible abandonment.

Meanwhile, a few higher-end Group 2 free agents (Patrice Bergeron's former classification), remain without deals, with training camps about to open in a little less than two weeks.

Some of the more prominent names:

Anaheim: Ilja Bryzgalov (G).

Atlanta: Kari Lehtonen (G).

Buffalo: Dmitri Kalinin (D), Ryan Miller (G).

Chicago: Tuomo Ruutu (F).

Colorado: Marek Svatos (F).

Columbus: Nikolai Zherdev (F).

Edmonton: Joffrey Lupul (F).

Nashville: Dan Hamhuis (D).

New Jersey: Brian Gionta (F), David Hale (D), Paul Martin (D).

Philadelphia: Simon Gagne (F).

Toronto: Matt Stajan (F).

Etc.

According to Bruins executive vice president Charlie Jacobs, the club's season ticket-holders should have their bills in hand no later than the middle of this week. As reported here last Sunday, most of the house went up $2-$5, but the front-row loge seats that rim the glass are in for a major boost over last year's price of $90 ($99 at the box office). Jacobs would not divulge the price of the front-row seats, noting that he preferred longtime ticket-holders to receive that news directly from the club. Invoices were due out by the close of business Friday. According to Jacobs, the club has been considering ways to ease the price shock for the front-row patrons, some of whom have held the tickets in their family for 40 years or more. One possible concession: Allow them to select a number of games to purchase for the upcoming season (read: first dibs), then sell the other games through the box office. Jacobs also said that front-row season ticket-holders will have access to an amenity package, the terms of which they also will learn when they receive their invoices.

The Red Wings and Penguins are on target to open training camp without captains. However, speculation in the Detroit Free Press last week had Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom taking the C left behind by Steve Yzerman. Lidstrom this summer signed a two-year pact that will pay him $7.6 million a year. The Penguins don't have a veteran with anywhere near Zdeno Chara's profile, which could mean the job goes to sophomore star Sidney Crosby, who popped up at a youth camp unexpectedly last week and said, if asked, he would accept the job. ``It's something you have to earn," noted Sid the Kid. ``It's not something you take lightly."

Unless a deal comes together this weekend, it looks as if Nikolai Zherdev will spend the season in Russia rather than Columbus. Blue Jackets GM Doug MacLean has offered a two-year deal worth $1.8 million a year, but Zherdev is believed to want around $1.5 million on a one-year deal, or a megadeal going out three years or more. If not, he'll go with Khimik. ``I guess I am a little taken aback," said MacLean, ``that it cost us in excess of $600,000 to get him out of Russia. Now he's saying he wants to go back? That catches me a little off guard. Good grief. It's unbelievable."

Patrice Bergeron's deal averages $4.75 million per year, bringing the Bruins within some $500,000 of the $44 million cap. However, GM Peter Chiarelli reiterated last week that Alexei Zhamnov's $4.1 million will be deleted as soon as he is formally discharged via long-term injury exception. The Bruins right now have seven players -- Bergeron, Chara, Marc Savard, P.J. Axelsson, Glen Murray, Phil Kessel, Tim Thomas -- under contract beyond the 2007-08 season. Total value for their collective 12 seasons: $56.2 million. Meanwhile, remember those spend-like-mad Rangers? The Blueshirts have only Matt Cullen under contract beyond 2007-08. Cullen's new deal averages $2.875 million a year over the next four seasons.

Ex-Bruins netminder Andrew Raycroft has been spending recent days at the Future Pro Goalie School in rural Ontario, tuning up for the season with fellow Maple Leaf Justin Pogge . Raycroft's deal with the Leafs will pay him $6 million over the next three years, and he told the Toronto Star that he'd like the deal to turn into what his new club would deem a true bargain. ``I hope after this year, come next August," he said, ``that I'm upset that I signed this three-year deal. I want to prove everyone [in Maple Leafs management] right."

Keith Primeau, brother of Bruins forward Wayne Primeau, continues to work out diligently in New Jersey, in hopes of playing again for the Flyers. He pulled out of the Broad Street Bullies lineup last October, suffering from postconcussion syndrome. ``He looks like a man ready to play," Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock told the Philadelphia Inquirer. Meanwhile, the frustrated Primeau is offering little in terms of projecting his return.

Ex-Northeastern standout Jay Heinbuck hooked on last week as Pittsburgh's director of amateur scouting. A member of the Islanders scouting staff the last four seasons, Heinbuck is pals with new Penguins GM Ray Shero. When Heinbuck graduated from NU in 1986, following a 70-point season, then-agent Shero was his rep.

Work has begun in the North Station lobby, widening the platform leading to MBTA commuter trains to create a bona fide gathering place for fans waiting to enter the Garden. The cost could approach $10 million, said Jacobs. Inside the building, the Bruins owners are spending another $10 million or more giving the Vault a facelift . . . Bruins rookie training camp, which will include 28 newbies, will open in Wilmington Sept. 9, five days ahead of veterans reporting.

For the Bruins, the 2006-07 season will mimic old-time hockey in one significant way: They won't venture any farther west than St. Louis. Maybe they'll go full retro and make all their trips via train. It wouldn't be as much fun as the old days, not with Chara insisting on green tea in the bar car.

Material from personal interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report.