Dearest Zdeno, you can contact me at...

Boston and Halifax are so up in a tree it is not even funny. We let them borrow Haligonians, BFFs and Mooseheads players Brad Marchand and Andrew Bodnarchuk. Also, for more than 30 years the people of Nova Scotia have been donating a giant ever green tree to the city of Boston, just to thank them for their assistance following the 1917 Halifax explosion. For what purpose do they use that tree? This is the tree that we all 'get up in' for the sole purpose of making kissy faces.

In the fall of each year Boston gives something in return, usually they send their finest studs to play some quality pre-season hockey in our lowly NHL deprived city.

As a child I was enamoured with all things Boston...because I had a speech impediment that made me sound like I was from Boston. I would say things like cAr, bAr, and I also had a problem with making the 'th' sound. I had to attend a special speech class, as did the boy who was my very first school crush. That boy grew up to play for the Mooseheads and the Voltigeurs, and now I am in love with all Mooseheads - kawinkidink! - nein doch! But I digress.

Because everybody said I sounded like I was from Boston, I loved all things Boston and thus as a child the Bruins were my favorite hockey team. Don't even try to discern the logic of a child.

Now I am one of those evil creatures that likes lots of teams for various different reasons. I like Boston (again) because I love Zdeno, and there is lateral transfer of my tingly feelings from Big Z to his Boston Jersey. I, like many people, think that trading Big Z was the dumbest move Ottawa ever made. Ottawa broke my heart (which did not even belong to them) but I still watch them ALOT because, being from the east coast of Canada, Sportsnet pumps us the Ottawa feeds like young men pump their boners, thinking that this is the team we should care about (WRONG). We are just lucky that Ottawa plays Montreal and Boston a lot.

Anywho, what does it all mean? It means that Zdeno, Milan Lucic and the rest of the boys in yellow will be in Halifax playing not only Montreal (yum yum) but also Detroit this pre-season. To top it off the Bruins have also decided that they will be having their training camp here.

According to an article by Monty Mosher in today's issue of the Chronicle Herald:

The Boston Bruins are coming to metro in September and they are bringing their suitcases.

Boston head coach Claude Julien made an appearance in Halifax on Wednesday to announce the Bruins will hold five days of training camp, which will be open to the public, at Cole Harbour Place and Halifax Metro Centre surrounding a pair of exhibition games in Halifax.

There will be two practices on Sept. 23 (10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.) and Sept. 24 (11 a.m. and 1 p.m.) at Cole Harbour Place.

There will be two practices at Metro Centre on Sept. 25 (10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.) prior to a game against the reigning Stanley Cup-champion Detroit Red Wings. There will be two more skates at 10 a.m. and 11:15 at Metro Centre the following morning before departure.

...There will be a lot of local content to display during camp with ex-Halifax Mooseheads Brad Marchand and Andrew Bodnarchuk of Hammonds Plains trying to make an impression.

"They were in Boston a couple of weeks ago at our development camp and both of them looked good," said Julien. "Bodnarchuk is a very mobile defenceman, a very good skater and moves the puck well and he’s a young player who will definitely get an opportunity to showcase himself."

Marchand’s time with the Mooseheads ended poorly and his talents became secondary to a lack of discipline. But Julien said he was all business at camp.

"He focused on just playing hockey and he went out and did his job. He’s a pretty good agitator, he doesn’t back down from anything and he scored some goals in the scrimmages. So both guys I think are going to have a really good look."

There is more to read here at the Halifax Metro.

So that is the deal. I will be starting my hockey season in Germany, where I will likely catch Jason King's first game with the Adler-Mannheim Eagles in Düsseldorf, but I should be home by the 15th of September. My German friend C.B. and I have it all planned out as long as we can get his wife (and Mooseheads' lover C.G.) to agree with our hockey shenanigans road trip from Mannheim to the rival town of Düsseldorf.

Yes, we spread Moosemania all over Germany. There are scientists in Wurzburg with Mooseheads mousepads, I will be bringing C.B. the Mooseheads jersey he requested, and C.G. has become the secret lover of Steve Lund, Colby Pridham, PJ Corsi and Mark Yetman. CG's special hockey trick was cursing at Denis Reul (who should also be here with Boston) in German whenever Lewiston came to town.

However, come training camp time the Bruins will be here, I will be here, and I can guarantee that when I am not slobbering all over Carey Price (because he should be here as well), I will be thinking about some Bruins - namely BigZ and Milan Lucic. I have one thing to say to these fellows - my e-mail address is in the sidebar on the right!