Bruins' Acciari brings street cred to NHL

Soon after Noel Acciari signed a two-year, one-way deal with the Boston Bruins last summer, he spent a week playing street hockey with a bunch of kids.



Joining hockey-lifers Tim Army, his sons Derek and Travis, along with Max Mackay, Acciari was a popular guy during the Rhode Island Top Skills hockey school at Cranston Veterans Memorial Rink in Cranston, R.I. The weeklong camp consisted of on-ice drills but the best part of the day was spent behind the rink in the early afternoon.

Sporting flip-flops, Bruins warmup pants, and a massive smile, Acciari was surrounded by kids trying to steal the orange Mylec street hockey ball from him like it was Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final.

“Every year the kids are a blast,” Acciari said after a recent Bruins practice at Warrior Ice Arena. “Just having fun with them and making sure they’re having fun is great. It’s a great group of kids and you get to know them on a personal level, especially at lunchtime. You can just tell over the years the kids have excelled and it’s great to see them grow up as hockey players. It’s fun and we get to have fun with them after with street hockey and it’s a good time, a good week.”

Acciari, a Rhode Island native who captained Providence College to the 2014-15 NCAA Frozen Four championship, loves the game and enjoys giving back. Whether it’s a street hockey game, or a water balloon fight, the competitive juices are flowing around the campers.

“I’m always competitive and I’ve got to remember they’re little kids when I don’t want the other team to score a goal, but that’s just my competitiveness,” he said with a smile. “I love the game that much where it doesn’t matter how old you are I’m going to try and score on you. I have a lot of fun with them.”

Tim Army, also a former PC captain (we won’t mention the year) is currently the assistant coach for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He has 29 years of coaching experience in the NHL, AHL and at the collegiate level and is considered a great hockey mind.

Army knows talent when he sees it and Acciari is high on that list for numerous reasons, including work ethic, desire, and passion for the game, especially when it comes with working with kids.

“Noel is a great kid,” Army said. “He is very comfortable and relaxed with the kids. They really look up to him. He’s patient and a good teacher. He’s a great role model for the kids at camp.”

Speaking of camp, Acciari has looked extremely comfortable both on and off the ice at Bruins training camp.

In his third pro season, Acciari has only 48 regular-season games with Boston, but that will change this season. He’s nearly a lock for the fourth line and his relentless style of play is welcomed by his teammates.

“He can add a lot,” said Patrice Bergeron. “The confidence and the experience he gained last year, late in the year and during the playoffs, he was a big factor for us. His line was really contributing offensively and defensively while creating energy for us. That’s what we expect from him this year. His maturing, gaining confidence and he’s one of those guys who keeps getting better.”

It’s evident watching Acciari interact with his teammates on and off the ice he’s fitting in.

“I feel a lot more comfortable than I have in the past,” admitted Acciari.

He spent the offseason working on his skating and agility and worked with skating coaches three to four times a week. He also spent the majority of the summer working out with Bergeron and Brad Marchand.

Opponents have learned when they hear Acciari bearing down; he’s ready to throw a thunderous hit.

“That’s a big part of my game and being hard on the forecheck. I’m not going to stop that and that will help me get some (puck) control down low,” Acciari said.

A season ago, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy described Acciari perfectly.

“He’s built like a linebacker and he hits like one,” the coach said.

Since Acciari has transformed his body and quickness, Cassidy was asked recently to describe his fourth-line winger.

“More like a free safety now – a solid free safety,” Cassidy said with a smile. “He looks like he has a lot more confidence to make plays around the net. He’s taking that little extra half second to pick his spot, so we’re hoping that part of his game grows and we’ll be looking for that during the exhibition season.”

Recent Stanley Cup-winning teams proved why it’s important for a team to have secondary scoring from the bottom six forwards. That was a big reason why the Bruins won in ’11 and they’re hoping that’s the case again this season. Acciari knows his role and accepts it.

“I got a lot more confident toward the end of the year and I know I can score goals and it’s just a matter of time before they come,” he said. “Not all of them are going to be pretty but I know I can score goals. I’m hoping to pick up where I left off last year.”

Even if the goals aren’t coming, the physicality, work ethic, and passion will be.

“He’s always going to give you 100 percent effort,” Cassidy said. “He’s looking to finish all of his checks and if he’s a bit of a threat offensively that would be great.”

It was a great summer for Acciari. He only wishes he wore sneakers during those street hockey games and not flip-flops.