Shawn Thornton Pleased with Bruins Moves This Summer, Though Not Certain What to Make of Adding Another Ex-Hab to Roster

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Aug 8, 2011

MIDDLETON, Mass. — The Bruins' strong chemistry was a big reason for their success last season, with that camaraderie helping the club win its first Stanley Cup in 39 years.

So it's hardly surprising that Bruins forward Shawn Thornton is happy to know that nearly all of his teammates will be back in Boston next year to try to defend that title.

Unlike many recent championship squads in the salary cap era, the Bruins didn't have to jettison any key contributors to stay under the cap or watch as other clubs raided their roster in free agency. The Bruins have the bulk of their roster locked up for at least one more season, giving the club a chance to become the first repeat champs since the Red Wings won back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998.

"I think management did a good job of being in a spot where they didn't have to break up the team when we won it," Thornton said Monday at his second annual "Putts and Punches for Parkinson's" golf tournament at the Ferncroft Country Club. "I think we're in a good position."

The Bruins did suffer a few losses, with Mark Recchi retiring after winning his third Cup, Tomas Kaberle signing with Carolina as a free agent and Michael Ryder signing with Dallas, but the overwhelming majority of the team is back. And the Bruins have looked to fill the void left by the few departures by signing free agent forward Benoit Pouliot and acquiring defenseman Joe Corvo from the Hurricanes.

Thornton was especially impressed by Corvo, a frequent opponent in both the AHL and NHL over the past decade.

"Obviously we lost Kaberle, Ryder and Rex, but I've played against Corvo a number of times in the minors and up top," Thornton said. "He's a very good hockey player that can skate and shoot the puck. I think he'll definitely help us in the back end."

Up front, Pouliot comes over from Montreal, which could make for an awkward transition given the nature of the rivalry between the Bruins and the Habs. But switching sides in that age-old battle is not as uncommon as it used to be. Pouliot could actually replace another free agent that left Montreal for Boston back in 2008 in Ryder. Still, Thornton didn't seem quite certain what to make of that unlikely trend.

"We brought in another one," Thornton said. "I guess there's something going on there, I don't know what it is, but there's something going on there, though."

Even Boston's Cup-winning coach got his start in Montreal, but Thornton wouldn't take the bait when asked about Claude Julien's first NHL head coaching job behind the bench for the Canadiens.

"I'm not throwing Coach under the bus," Thornton said. "I still want to play 10 minutes a night."

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