Camp Notebook: Bruins all ‘on board’ for reaching full-vaccination threshold; Coyle’s early absence cultivates competition

When Patrice Bergeron speaks, people tend to listen. 

Such is the respect that the B’s captain carries — especially in a Bruins dressing room where he has cultivated an inclusive and winning culture for close to two decades.

But when it came to the frustratingly divisive venture plaguing some sports franchises when it comes to reaching a 100% vaccination rate against COVID-19 — Bergeron didn’t have to waste his breath on his teammates. 

There’d be no speeches delivered, no twisting of arms or any other veteran-led intervention needed when it came to convincing the entire roster to get the jab. 

Be it the off-ice restrictions (and fiscal ramifications) imposed by the NHL for unvaccinated players, the in-house consequences of hampering on-ice success or the peace of mind that comes from a health standpoint — Boston’s efforts of reaching that 100% vaccination threshold didn’t meet any resistance. 

“There were no meetings about it,” Bergeron said of discussions regarding vaccinations. “It was more, I think everyone was kind of on board and kind of did it organically, if you will, for their own beliefs and for themselves and their families.”

With every B’s player now compliant with the NHL’s COVID-related protocols, a (somewhat) normal season could finally be within reach for a roster longing for a chance to build chemistry away from on-the-ice interactions and conversations broadcast through a Zoom screen.

On the road, Bruins players will no longer be sequestered in their hotel rooms when they’re not at the rink — opening the door for the team dinners and other impromptu hangouts that were taken for granted over the last two years. 

Given the number of new additions to the roster over the last two years (even tenured guys like Craig Smith, Taylor Hall and others still spent most of last season in a COVID-impacted bubble away from the rink), a focus this preseason will be building connections away from the game — with Bruce Cassidy noting that a number of excursions are already on the docket, all of which would not be possible without the team reaching its sterling vaccination rate. 

“There's always a family barbecue when protocols allowed,” Cassidy said. “So we're going to get back to that — our team's 100% vaccinated. So whatever rules are in place for those conditions, we're going to do our best to make sure guys get to know each other and their families, the wives, the kids, the girlfriends, etc. And then there's a planned retreat. ... So with all the new faces on our team this year and last that kind of had to stay apart a little bit — I think we could really benefit from that.

“So that's what's in the works. Again, we're a little bit at the mercy of the NHL in terms of their protocols. Right now we're going to be able to do it. Hopefully that doesn't change in the next two weeks and everyone stays healthy. And that's our plan. ... Those are great team bonding, get to know one another, loosen up a little bit and we intend to do those, like I said, as long as we're able to.”

Of course, there’s a competitive angle that plays into vaccinations as well. A fully vaccinated dressing room severely curtails the risk of extensive outbreaks that could put multiple players on the shelf for extended stretches. And considering unvaccinated players (such as Detroit’s Tyler Bertuzzi) won’t be able to play in games taking place up in Canada, it sure seemed like a no-brainer for every Bruin to get the shot and not hamper the team during pivotal matches against the likes of Toronto, Montreal and other foes north of the border. 

But beyond just the X’s and O’s, Bergeron believes that the collective effort put forth by the rest of his teammates stands as a necessary step toward embracing normalcy for the first time in a long, long time. 

“When you're able to get away for a day or two, whatever that is, and start doing activities and team building activities, I think it kind of gives you a better understanding of who that person is  — get to know him, have those talks and just create something,” Bergeron said of the importance of off-ice interactions and preseason excursions. “I think every year, that's the beauty of sport — is that you have a clean slate and you have an opportunity in front of you to create something as a team and work towards that. 

“I think that's where we are and as we mentioned before, there's some new faces, new players and I guess the pandemic is somewhat behind us or a little bit more in the rearview mirror. Still got to be careful, with that being said, at least we can start doing some of those activities back and we're kind of looking forward to it."

A limited Charlie Coyle could open door for competition down the middle

Charlie Coyle might be the early favorite to seize the vacancy down the middle on Boston’s second line this year, but the 29-year-old pivot won’t be skating with the main group for at least the first week of camp. 

Coyle, now in the final stages of his recovery from offseason knee surgery, is still expected to be cleared for the start of the regular season — with the Weymouth native noting earlier this month that a slight delay to the start of camp fell in line with his timetable this summer. 

 “By next week, we hope he's ramped up enough that he can join us,” Cassidy said of Coyle. “So we anticipate — again, I don't want to speak for the trainers, that he'll be ready to go at the start of the year. So in the big picture, we're factoring that in.”

Given the rest of the field in terms of potential top-six pivots, Coyle sure seems to be in a tier above UFA additions like Nick Foligno, Erik Haula and Tomas Nosek — while Jack Studnicka will need to put together quite the preseason performance to leapfrog Coyle on the depth chart and earn legitimate second-line reps once the former returns to full participation. 

But if Studnicka has any shot of playing spoiler and pushing for a featured spot down the middle on this NHL roster right away — his best bet at making said case will likely come over the next week, as Coyle’s short-term absence will likely mean more reps at center for the youngster, especially during a stretch that will see the B’s play four preseason games from Sept. 26 - Oct. 2. 

“We're going to try different players in that spot," Cassidy said. "Jack Studnicka being one — he was drafted as a centerman. Last year was tough on a lot of young guys with a limited schedule. … So we got to find out where he's at. We do have Haula that we're trying to find some wingers for him — prefers to play in the middle.

“Foligno, on the other hand, we can move around, we don't have to put him in the middle right away. He's a guy that's played left wing, right wing, center. So there's a little bit of leeway there."

Chris Kelly’s coaching role falls right in wheelhouse 

Cassidy and his staff are looking to make Chris Kelly’s transition into his new role as assistant coach as seamless as possible. And that means drawing on his reputation as a two-way stalwart and utilizing that experience in a hands-on setting with the rest of Boston’s roster. 

While Joe Sacco will continue to take an active role in working with forwards in the O-zone and Kevin Dean will focus on defense, Kelly will primarily work with forwards on the smaller details of their respective games, especially in Boston’s own end. 

“Chris will work with the defensive side of the puck with the forwards,” Cassidy said. “That was the best part of his game when he played. He's the most comfortable with it and coming into an NHL locker room coaching. So we'll start with that and see where it leads down the road. 

“That's the plan right now as far as distributing responsibilities, and again, I think we all coach every part of the game, but that's how we're going to break it down to start. Make Chris as comfortable as possible. I think Joe, being a head coach in the NHL at different levels, he can handle a lot of different areas of the game, so not worried there. Hopefully it works out for the best and everyone's comfortable with their assignment and go from there."

TD Garden to require proof of vaccination / negative COVID test for Bruins games and all other events

In a move that follows plenty of other COVID-related protocols across North America, TD Garden will require all guests 12 years and older to provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or a qualifying negative COVID-19 test for entry to any Bruins games, Celtics games and any other event set at the venue. 

The policy will go into effect on September 30, which stands as the same day as the B’s first preseason home game against the Flyers. In accordance with the current health ordinance in effect in Boston, all guests over the age of 2 will have to wear a mask inside TD Garden, except while actively eating or drinking.