Metropolit broadening his horizons
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Before he signed on the dotted line in Philadelphia, Glen Metropolit received a two-year bid to remain a Bruin - an offer that exceeded by one year any other offer to come his way in 13 years of playing pro hockey.
"Trust me, it was tempting," said Metropolit, whose 2007-08 season with the Bruins provided him an invaluable career booster shot. "I was able to prove myself in Boston, and I owe a lot to [general manager] Peter [Chiarelli] and that organization. The Bruins offered two years, too, but the financial part wasn't where we thought it should be."
The Flyers snagged the 34-year-old pivot with their two-year offer at a guaranteed $1 million per season. It was the money, as well as his projected role, that eventually made the crafty centerman swap his Spoked-B for that stylized Broad Street P.
"What convinced me," said Metropolit, who averaged 16:25 of ice time last season, "was talking to [Flyers coach] John Stevens before I signed. He said they'd like to experiment with moving [center Daniel] Briere to the wing.
"No guarantees or anything, right? But I figured if Briere moved to wing, then that would leave me as one of their top three centers. Then [Stevens] said he'd try me with [Joffrey] Lupul and Scotty Hartnell, and right there I said, 'Oh, great, I'm all for that, let's do it.' "
When the Flyers open their season Saturday, against the Rangers in Philadelphia, Metropolit is expected to anchor that third line, slotted behind the top trio of Simon Gagne-Mike Richards-Briere and the No. 2 unit of Mike Knuble-Jeff Carter-Scotty Upshall. The Metropolit line certainly ranks as one of the most talented, and potentially productive, in the game, among the reasons some pundits pick the Flyers as Cup finalists this season.
"Who knows what would have happened in Boston?" mused Metropolit. "Like I say, we loved it there, and it was great for me. But the way I had to look at it, Bergy [Patrice Bergeron] was coming back, and they had Savvy [Marc Savard] and [David] Krejci.
"That's a good setup. But where did that leave me? Bergy and Savvy are going to get their 20 minutes, right? They're good players. Well, that would leave me and Krejci with something like 10 minutes. And based on the offer, that's how they wanted to pay me, as a fourth-line guy. We still gave them the chance to match the [Flyer] offer, but . . ."
With Bergeron sidelined for the season after a check by Flyer defenseman Randy Jones on Oct. 27, Metropolit's profile, and game, received big boosts over the course of the 2007-08 season. Technically a walk-on in September (albeit with assurances a deal would be finalized), he thrived in the Hub as a jack-of-all trades, skating in all situations: full-strength, four-on-four, penalty killing, and small dollops of power-play duty. He finished with 11 goals and 33 points in 82 games.
If there was a shortcoming to his game, it was his inability to pot a bunch of the gimme chances he helped generate around the net.
"There was just no knowing what would have happened if I stayed in Boston," said Metropolit. "I was in a good situation there, but it was changing.
"I didn't know what my ice time would be. They extended that two-year offer, and it was great to have that, and my wife was saying, 'Oh, we should take it, we should take it.'
"But after averaging 16 minutes, and talking with my agent, the money just wasn't where we thought it should be. And I had the option of joining another good team, with great young kids. Really, it's worked out great."
The Bruins went out and filled Metropolit's spot by acquiring Stephane Yelle, a free agent out of Calgary whom they inked to a one-year deal at $750,000.
Over the summer, Metropolit returned to his hometown Toronto and participated in an NHL Players Association-sponsored charity event that had him giving away hockey equipment at the very downtown community center where he played as a kid. Raised by a single mom, he grew up in Regent's Park subsidized housing, in the area known as Cabbagetown.
"They asked if I'd talk, and when I did, it was weird, but I got all emotional," he said. "I said, 'Gee, I don't know where this is coming from, but . . .'
"You know, I couldn't fake it. I got all choked up. I looked in those kids' eyes, and it was like I saw myself out there. I mean, I was one of those kids.
"Growing up, all I had was one stick. And there I was giving out stuff, and I kept saying, 'I can't believe this is happening.' But, hey, it is what it is. Glad I got to do it."
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NHL teams finding new worlds to conquer
"Clearly," reports NHL Players Association boss Paul Kelly, "the NHL is still the top league in the world."
For proof, Kelly, the former BC Eagle, presented the work last week of the Lightning, Rangers, Senators, and Penguins as they tuned up on a collection of European clubs before getting down to NHL business today. The four NHL freres had a collective record of 6-0, dismissing the likes of Berlin, Bratislava, Bern, Mettalurg, Jokerit, and Froleunda.
Jeremy Jacobs, the Bruins owner and director of the NHL Board of Governors, said he spoke Friday to commissioner Gary Bettman, who reported that tickets for the NHL games in Prague were going for $1,000 a pop.
Jacobs's response?
"Try that for 42 games," he said to Bettman.
Jacobs said he also felt the NHL had a prime opportunity to operate franchises in Europe, a concept that has been around as far back as the World Hockey Association days of the 1970s.
As for the difficulty that the NHL has had in recent years with Russia, especially in crafting a transfer agreement, Jacobs opined, "It's the Russians being the Russians.
"At the end of the day, until they can put 20,000 people in an arena as they can in Canada, and average $100 [for tickets] - and have that kind of advertising promotion - they're going to suffer."
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Allen ready to say "game over"
Bobby Allen won't turn 30 until November, but unless his lower back suddenly allows him some relief, he's likely turning the page on an NHL career that finally began gaining traction his last couple of years with the Bruins.
"I'm living a totally normal life," said Allen from his home in Scituate, where he lives with wife Natalie and 5-month-old son Quinn. "I wake up every day with a smile on my face. No complaints. Sure, I'd love to be 100 percent healthy, and playing hockey, but life's too short to dwell on that."
Midway through last season, two or three problematic disks flared up, yanking Allen out of Boston's back-line mix. He diligently underwent physical therapy, and has had three epidural injections (cortisone), but he has not recovered to the point of being able to withstand on-ice workouts or entertain the idea of a comeback.
"I didn't skate at all during the summer," he said. "I was really frustrated by the process. I've kept up with my rehab and physical therapy, but right now that's aimed at getting better on just an everyday basis - not so much trying to play again.
"I can run, and that's not an issue. But the idea of bending and twisting, either to shoot a puck, or swing a golf club, that's not happening."
The summer travails of Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew, similarly hindered by back problems, didn't go unnoticed by the former BC defenseman.
"From what I hear, that's maybe something he had in the past, too," said Allen. "Unless you've had back pain, boy, it's hard to understand what it must be like to have that and swing a bat. No thanks."
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Etc.
Hip, hip, hooray: A shout-out and wish for speedy recovery to Hingham-based agent Jay Fee, who returned home Thursday only a week after having both hips replaced at New England Baptist, the work performed by Dr. Jeff VanFlandern. "Home with two hips in seven days!" said Fee, who had an intermediary stay at Spaulding Rehab in the shadows of the Vault. "Pretty crazy when you think about it. Now I've outscored my old client, [Cam ] Neely, 2-1, in hip replacements."
Going places? According to Paul Kelly, the NHLPA executive director, the league and the players are considering sending six teams to Europe for the start of the 2009-10 season. It's a good bet the Bruins will receive heavy consideration as one of the traveling six-pack.
Big wheel: Blake "The 42-" Wheeler weighs in at about 220 pounds these days, some 20 more than when the Coyotes drafted him. He figures he could add another 15 or 20 pounds. "As long as I can stay quick and agile out there, sure," he said. "But I don't want to be carrying any unnecessary pounds and have that slow me down." It has been a long time since the Bruins had a big body like Wheeler, willing to box out near the post and do the grunt work that is needed to pot ugly goals. The last really was Mike Knuble (a casualty of the team's failed approach to the lockout). Joe Thornton did some of that in his early days, but then opted to be solely a peripheral player, attempting to hook in pucks from behind the goal line or dish from the right half-wall. If Wheeler tries that hook-from-behind approach, coach Claude Julien will use a hook of his own.
Crumbling Wall: Headed into the weekend, it appeared the Blackhawks would soon be shedding goalie Nikolai Khabibulin's $6.75 million cap hit, with the Bulin Wall ultimately landing back home in Russia with a KHL club. The Hawks would still owe Khabibulin the dough but would be entitled to zero him out on the cap, leaving them with upward of $8 million in space to begin the new season. The Hawks early last week put Khabibulin on waivers, starting the process to get rid of the ex-Tampa standout. Since leaving the Bolts after backing their 2004 Cup win, the oft-injured goaltender has gone 65-72-17 with Chicago.
Doesn't hurt to ask: Rumors ran rampant last week that the Bruins were shopping veteran pivot Marc Savard. Only one problem: Savard has a no-trade clause, and has settled comfortably into his role as Boston's No. 1 point-getter. Even if he were not comfortable, what would be the sense of a team so strapped for scoring dealing its top producer? Truth is, it is standard practice around the league for general managers to inquire about other squads' best players, and with Patrice Bergeron ready to pick up where he left off, other teams no doubt are taking stabs at the 31-year-old Savvy. Not going to happen.
A visor adviser: Stephane Yelle, among those who will make their debuts in Black-and-Gold Thursday night, is among the few Bruins to wear a visor. "Over the years, I got a lot of high sticks, cuts around my eyes and nose," said Yelle, who will be employed as a defensive specialist and faceoff man. "Finally I said, 'Enough!' When you have it on a while, and then try to go without it, you get hit all the time. I think it's because, with the visor on, you forget to protect yourself, and you're not aware of so many high sticks."
Loose pucks: Ex-Bruin Steve Leach recently hooked on with Calgary as a pro scout, and will spend much of his time in NHL buildings in the Northeast, including the Garden . . . Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs and wife Margaret recently rounded up a few longtime friends and headed for a cruise around Croatia to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. They also enjoyed stops in Spain and Italy. "We started with a flight from Buffalo to Barcelona," the elder Jacobs noted to a visitor to Friday's media day at the Garden. When the visitor expressed surprise that a direct flight existed between Buffalo and Barcelona, the understated chairman and chief executive officer of Delaware North Companies Inc., said, "Well, it's my plane."
