Back to work

As of tomorrow morning, all Black-and-Gold hands will be on deck and ready for the start this week of Bruins training camp.

Michael Ryder, signed to a three-year, $12-million free-agent contract at the start of July, will touch down in the Hub early tomorrow. He will be the last of the veterans to arrive here in Boston, and will hit the ice Saturday with the rest of the senior sect for their first official at TD Banknorth Garden.

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All of the rookies are in town, and many of them were in and out of the Wilmington training facility today. They will meet with the coaching staff this evening at the club's suburban hotel, then hit the ice for the first time as a group tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Ristuccia Arena.

They newbie B's will have another workout Wednesday prior to their 1 p.m. game Thursday against the Islander freshmen in Shelton, Conn.

A large percentage of the rooks likely will be dismissed Sunday night, prior the varsity shipping out early Monday afternoon for the first preseason game later that night in Halifax against the Habs. The following night, Sept. 23, the Bruins will take on the Islanders in Moncton.

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Eyes will be fixed over the weekend on team captain Zdeno Chara, who underwent surgery on his left shoulder soon after the Bruins were eliminated in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series vs. the Canadiens in April. Management doesn't expect Big Z to play in many, if any, of the preseason games, allowing him extra time to build up shoulder strength for the heavy hitting to come over the next 6-9 months.