Patience pays off as Hoggan gets the call

BUFFALO - After 67 games in the AHL this season without a sniff of the bigs, Jeff Hoggan was starting to think a promotion might never come.

"It was definitely a mental test for me," said Hoggan. "You work hard, keep pushing, fight any negative thoughts, and just keep pushing for it."

Hoggan, who racked up 28 goals, 30 assists, and a league-best plus-37 rating while a top-six forward for coach Scott Gordon this season, finally got his shot last night after Jeremy Reich was ruled unavailable. Reich was leveled by Ottawa forward Chris Neil in the first period of Saturday's 4-0 victory. Coach Claude Julien said Reich did not suffer a concussion and should be ready for Wednesday's game against New Jersey.

"I don't have a concussion. My head feels fine," said Reich, who needed three or four stitches to close a cut on his right eyelid. "Just precautionary because of the back-to-back games."

On the play, Reich said he had dumped the puck into the Ottawa zone and never saw Neil deliver the blow.

"Those are the types of hits I think the league should try and stay away from," said Reich. "You don't see the guy coming. But it's not my call."

Last night, Hoggan made his 2007-08 NHL debut, skating in Reich's spot on the fourth line alongside Petteri Nokelainen and Shawn Thornton. Hoggan skated 11 shifts for 7:57 of ice time, including 1:12 on the penalty kill. Hoggan was credited with three hits and one giveaway.

"He's a guy who's got some experience," said Julien before the game. "He's been around the league. He's played in St. Louis. He played half a season here. I don't consider him a rookie based on the slot where I'm putting him.

"He's a good checker, also a good penalty killer. I like what I saw from him in training camp. He's got good energy. He's not afraid to get involved. He really battles hard. It's an opportunity for him to come in and play for us."

Hoggan will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. He's on a one-year, two-way deal worth $495,000.

"It means a lot," Hoggan said of the late-season promotion. "It's an exciting time to be part of the Bruins, getting into a playoff race. I'd like to find a way to be part of it. I'm going to give it all I've got. I'm pretty pumped about it."

Once Reich is cleared to play, Hoggan must return to Providence because he was brought up on emergency recall.

Courchaine on board

Goaltending prospect Adam Courchaine, signed to a three-year entry-level contract Sept. 30, joined Providence yesterday on an amateur tryout agreement. Courchaine, 19, completed his first season of junior hockey with the OHL's Ottawa 67s, posting a 17-25-4 record with a 3.24 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage. Ottawa was swept in the first round of the OHL playoffs by Oshawa, with Courchaine tagged with all four losses.

Courchaine becomes the third goalie for the AHL club behind Tuukka Rask and Jordan Sigalet, virtually ensuring that Kevin Regan will spend his senior spring at the University of New Hampshire instead of joining the P-Bruins.

Last night, Courchaine backed up Sigalet in Providence's 5-3 win over Worcester. Rask was not available because of an injury suffered in a 7-1 win over Portland Saturday.

Three-man skate

Patrice Bergeron, Andrew Alberts, and Manny Fernandez were the only Bruins to participate in yesterday's morning skate at HSBC Arena. They skated under the watch of assistant coach Doug Houda. During first and second intermission, Alberts, a Boston College grad, was checking out his team's progress in the NCAA Tournament against Miami of Ohio. The Eagles won, 4-3, in overtime . . . Marc Savard (back) and Andrew Ference (knee) didn't make the trip. They are scheduled to be re-evaluated today . . . The Bruins went 0 for 4 on the power play, snapping a three-game streak with at least one man-advantage tally. Four of Boston's 18 shots came on the power play. "Maybe we were a little sluggish, but we still played hard," said Glen Murray. "We couldn't seem to make the power play work tonight." . . . Vladimir Sobotka threw a game-high five hits. Sobotka also recorded five hits Saturday against Ottawa, most of any player.

Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at FShinzawa@globe.com.