AHL Providence Bruins

Johnny Boychuk Assigned To Providence For Conditioning

Published on December 2, 2009 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Providence Bruins News Release


Providence, RI - The Providence Bruins, in their 18th year in the American Hockey League, announced that the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins have assigned defenseman Johnny Boychuk to Providence for conditioning. With the move, the P-Bruins have 23 players on their active roster, including 14 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders.

Boychuk, 25, has been with Boston all season but has been limited to three games. He has been a healthy scratch for 23 of the parent Bruins' first 26 contests this year. Boychuk returns to Providence for the first time since winning the AHL's Eddie Shore Award as the league's outstanding defenseman for the 2008-09 season. As a first-year P-Bruin last year, Boychuk led all AHL blue-liners with 66 points, 20 goals and 46 assists in 78 regular season games before adding eight points (3g, 5a) in 16 postseason contests. He shared the team-lead in points with Martin St. Pierre, setting a single-season points-record for P-Bruins defensemen, eclipsing the 62 totaled previously by Jeff Serowik (1994-95) and Brandon Smith (1998-99).

Boychuk's 2008-09 campaign was full of accolades, receiving four team awards as its Most Valuable Player and Best Defenseman, both honors voted on by his teammates, and the Leading Scorer Award, along with the club's October Player of the Month honor. The veteran was also voted into the starting lineup for the Canadian team at the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic, he was a co-winner of the CCM/AHL Player of the Month award for March, a Reebok/AHL Player of the Week distinction in October, and he was named a First Team AHL All-Star.

Boychuk re-signed with the Bruins organization on July 1, inking a one-year contract. Last season was his first with the Bruins, appearing in one NHL game on December 4, 2008 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Edmonton, Alberta, native enjoyed previous NHL experience in 2007-08 during a scoreless four-game stint with the Colorado Avalanche after spending most of the year with the Lake Erie Monsters. Boston originally acquired Boychuk on June 24, 2008 from Colorado in a trade for center Matt Hendricks. He was drafted by the Avalanche 61st overall in the second round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

The P-Bruins are back in action with three road games this week, beginning tonight in Connecticut as Providence takes on the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at 7 p.m. The P-Bruins then play back-to-back games with the Portland Pirates on Friday and Saturday, both at 7 p.m. Friday's game will be played in Lewiston, Maine, at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee and Saturday's contest will be held at the Cumberland County Civic Center. Providence is next home at the Dunkin' Donuts Center on Friday, December 11 against the Lowell Devils at 7:05 p.m. for Rhode Island Reds Winter Hat Night. To purchase 2009-10 season tickets, Flex Tix or individual game tickets, please call the Providence Bruins ticket office at (401) 273-5000 or log on to the team website at www.providencebruins.com.

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American Hockey League Stories from December 2, 2009


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