Andy Chase

There was little doubt that something would be done to shake up the Bruins if they couldn't pull themselves out of the nose dive they've been in for most of the season.

I didn't think they would get rid of Joe Thornton, though. As captain, Thornton was always billed as the team superstar, the superduper excellent player, the number one guy. I only got back to following the Bruins three years ago so I wasn't around for his early days with the team, but I have to admit that I've never thought Joe Thornton was living up to the hype.

Which is not to say he's a bad player, he's just always seemed somewhat lackluster to me and didn't really seem to fit the role of team captain either. (Of course, it will be hard for anyone to fit that role as well as Ray Bourque did if you ask me.) That being said, I find that I'm sorry to see him go... it seems like 7 years is a long time for a player to stick with one team these days.

It creates an interesting situation for the Bruins, who have invested a lot of energy in branding Joe as the Tom Brady of the team. Jackie McMullen puts it succinctly in this article in The Boston Globe:

We all know what happened when the Sox shipped out Garciaparra for a group of lesser names. The ball club regrouped, flourished with some new defensive pieces, and went on to win it all.

The Bruins can only dream of being so lucky. They have just wiped the face of their franchise from their roster, and an already disgruntled fan base is thinking only one thing: this better work.

Tagged:

• bruins
• nhl
• hockey
• sports