Bruins' Neely goes to battle at draft

CAM NEELY More involved

OTTAWA - On its surface, the invitation general manager Peter Chiarelli extended to Cam Neely last June to attend the 2007 NHL draft was a courtesy call to give the Bruins great a peek behind the curtain.

It evolved, however, into a strong lure.

"We met for lunch in early June for the first time," recalled Neely. "That was when he started bringing up discussions on me getting more involved with the team. He invited me to the draft. I'd never been to the draft before. He said, 'Do you want to come and be involved with the team at the draft?' I thought it would be a good experience, so I agreed to take him up."

On June 22, 2007, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, Chiarelli brought Neely to the podium, and the Hall of Famer took the microphone to introduce Zach Hamill, a fellow British Columbian, as the Bruins' No. 8 overall pick.

The Bruins came away from Columbus with Hamill and five more prospects: defensemen Tommy Cross, Denis Reul, Alain Goulet, and Radim Ostrcil, and forward Jordan Knackstedt. But perhaps just as significant a find was Neely, who was introduced Sept. 25, as the organization's vice president, serving as a sounding board for executive vice president Charlie Jacobs on the business side and for Chiarelli in hockey operations.

"It did pique my interest," Neely said of his draft experience last year. "I really wanted to have a better understanding from ownership and management about the direction they were taking the team in, and how badly they wanted to win a championship. I wanted to have a good understanding of that. I know it takes time. A lot of things have happened in the last 10 years or so that have been disappointing to a lot of people, and more importantly to our fans. I really feel like if I can help this organization get in the position someday soon to win a championship, I relish that opportunity. So I wanted to make sure from ownership and management's standpoint that they had the same feelings that I did."

Tonight at Scotiabank Place, when the Bruins are expected to make their first-round selection at No. 16, Chiarelli, Neely, assistant general manager Jim Benning, director of hockey operations and player development Don Sweeney, and director of amateur scouting Scott Bradley will continue a process that has been implemented to aid the Bruins' revival: the Neely-ing of the Black and Gold.

Chiarelli's organizational mandate has been to identify prospects who have elements of being a Bruin: tough, hard to play against, and willing to battle. Two drafts ago, they hit the jackpot when interim GM Jeff Gorton, then at the helm (Chiarelli was still fulfilling his obligations with the Ottawa Senators), selected Milan Lucic in the second round. And it's no coincidence that the tough-to-play-against mantra was brought to new heights by Neely.

"That's why I really enjoy working with Don Sweeney," Neely said. "When you talk about being tough to play against, you're not necessarily talking about dropping the gloves. It's about taking a hit to make a play. Don Sweeney is one of those guys. I loved having him on the team - the commitment he had, the work ethic he had. When you talk about wanting those types of players, it's not necessarily the big, tough guy who drops the gloves all the time. It's the guy going to battle who's going to be there for you."

It's been a year of education for Neely, one of a number of former NHL stars who have moved to front offices around the league (Steve Yzerman in Detroit, Brett Hull in Dallas, Ron Francis in Carolina, Al MacInnis in St. Louis). As expected, Neely didn't have the personnel knowledge of executives such as Chiarelli and Benning when he was brought on. Last June, Neely was a mere observer at Boston's draft table, sitting wide-eyed as the team's bosses and scouts worked the draft machine.

"When you're a player, you really focus on playing the best you can play and preparing yourself to play," Neely said. "You don't have too big an idea of what goes on in the hockey operations department. I don't think a lot of people know what it takes to be a pro scout, how many conversations there are over players."

But as the year progressed, Neely came up to speed. He went on several road trips to watch other players. At home, he sat in Chiarelli's ninth-floor suite at TD Banknorth Garden. Occasionally, Neely tied on the skates and hit the ice for practice, working with youngsters such as Lucic.

Neely's primary objective, however, was to master his own team. The Bruins have followed the Patriots' model of understanding their own organization - the players they have in the system, what their strengths are, what the club needs to improve.

"I'm not quite there like some of the other guys in the organization are," Neely said of his knowledge of other teams. "They've watched a lot of hockey games the past few years, which I can't say I've done. It does take time. More importantly this year, it's getting a better understanding of our team and organization."

Lately, Neely has become more involved during meetings with colleagues, making his opinion known about the moves the Bruins need to make. Most recently, Neely and Sweeney were heavily involved in the courting of 22-year-old forward Blake Wheeler, Phoenix's former fifth overall pick who opted for free agency instead of signing with the Coyotes. Wheeler will sign a two-year, entry-level contract with the Bruins when he is eligible July 1.

"From what he's seen and done and advised me on this year, he's been outstanding," Chiarelli said of Neely. "He participates more every day. I've seen a couple of these [prospects], but at the end of the day, I have to rely on my staff. He's been really good. He and Donny played a large part in talking to Blake Wheeler. They've been good. Cam's been good."

Tonight and tomorrow, Neely will be at Boston's draft table once more, this time as an active participant instead of an observer.

"If you look at where our payroll is at, it's in the top third of the league," Neely said. "Now it's just a matter of getting the right mixture and the right guys. The coaching staff did a great job this year.

"Hopefully, we can make some positive moves in the offseason here. It's one thing to play for a team. It's another to work for a team. Right now, I feel pretty positive about the direction we're going in."

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