Hopeful Hoggan sticks to it

WILMINGTON -- Jeff Hoggan is from Hope, British Columbia, via Omaha (his college) and St. Louis (his last NHL club) as he made his eastward migration.

But even before his arrival with the Bruins, Hoggan had ties to Boston.

For two seasons at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Hoggan played for assistant coach David Quinn, now the top assistant at Boston University. Last year, his alma mater faced off against the Terriers in the NCAA Tournament, and a friend text-messaged Hoggan updates throughout the game.

Nebraska-Omaha scored first. BU tied it in the first period. But then the Terriers exploded for a second-period six-spot, an outburst Hoggan, looking at his phone, refused to believe.

``I thought they were yanking my chain," said the 28-year-old Hoggan.

Hoggan, who played 52 games for the Blues last season (2-6--8), got bad news that day last March. But Hoggan, whose former Nebraska assistant set him up with Boston-based agent Peter Fish, has gotten only good news since the start of camp.

Hoggan survived the first round of cuts. Then he made it through Monday's 12-player trim. Count coach Dave Lewis, who scouted Hoggan last year when he played for St. Louis, as an admirer.

``Every game I saw, the one thing I walked away with was how hard he tries," Lewis said. ``He plays at a high energy level. It's nice to have guys like that who come to the rink every night with energy."

Hoggan is hoping to plant stronger Boston roots by sticking until the regular-season opener. Lewis said several final cuts will take place next week.

``I came in here with the attitude that the job's for a guy who plays with energy, is physical, is solid defensively, and is consistent," Hoggan said. ``I came to camp to prove that I'm the guy to fill that role."

Hoggan earned some attention when he scored in Boston's 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens last Wednesday. Then the winger opened eyes last Friday against the New York Islanders. After Trent Hunter labeled Yan Stastny, Hoggan confronted the Islander.

Hunter didn't drop the gloves, and Hoggan was called for roughing, but he returned to the ice and pasted Masi Marjamaki on a later shift. Hoggan hasn't been a tough guy (34 penalty minutes last season), but he showed no hesitation about the rough stuff.

``You see something like that," Hoggan said of the Hunter hit, ``and it's ingrained in you that you stand up for a teammate. You show up and you protect your teammates. That's something I pride myself on. I'll be there for anybody."

Yesterday, Hoggan skated with Mark Mowers and Wade Brookbank. This morning, Lewis planned to decide which of the trios -- Hoggan's line or the threesome of Stastny, Petr Tenkrat, and Petr Kalus -- would play tonight against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

Make no mistake: Hoggan, after sitting out the last game, wants in tonight.

``There are no guarantees in this game," Hoggan said. ``I can't take a day off. I've got to keep proving that there's a spot for me, not just today but the day after today and the next day after that. I can't afford to take any time off."

Bobby Allen, Brian Finley, and Jay Leach, who were assigned to Providence Monday, cleared waivers yesterday. Any NHL club could have plucked one of the players before noon . . . General manager Peter Chiarelli expects an NHL ruling this week on the status of Kalus. There is ``gray area," according to Chiarelli, on whether the 19-year-old Kalus must return to his Regina (WHL) junior team or be assigned to Providence if he doesn't make the parent club. All that is moot, of course, if the Czech winger breaks camp with the big boys . . . It didn't take long for former Bruin Tom Fitzgerald to find work after announcing his retirement from the NHL. Fitzgerald has hooked on as an assistant coach with UMass-Lowell. Head coach Blaise MacDonald, a fellow Billerica native, said he thought Fitzgerald could help his program. ``We have 15 freshmen," said MacDonald. ``We think his experience will be valuable."

Nancy Marrapese-Burrell of the Globe staff contributed to this report. FROZEN TREATS For the latest Bruins news from training camp, go to boston.com/sports/bruins_blog