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Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs believes GM Peter Chiarelli has “put together a dream team”

Jeremy Jacobs

Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs answers a reporters question during a media availability at Bruins hockey media day in Boston, Wednesday morning, Sept. 29, 2010. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

AP

During his time as Bruins owner, Jeremy Jacobs hasn’t always been the lovable figure in Boston. After years of struggles and the Bruins not always being a solid contender, the die hard hockey fans in Boston have always focused their ire on Jacobs.

Now with the Bruins in their first Stanley Cup finals since 1990, it’s a love-in all over the city and Jacobs is feeling it for his team.

Jacobs spoke with the media today and lots of glowing words for the city of Boston, Bruins fans, and most particularly his staff and team.

Danny Picard from CSN New England gives the update from the Bruins owner and how he thinks Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli, VP Cam Neely, and coach Claude Julien have put it all together for his Bruins.

“I think that Peter [Chiarelli] has put together a dream team, his dream, as he saw it, within the parameters that they have to work,” said Jacobs. “I think Cam has shown great understanding of hockey. And this is a great city to play hockey in.

“You’ve got a coach that is a player’s coach, whose outstanding leadership really represents . . . You have to admire the way, when things don’t go your way, he doesn’t say, ‘Woe is me,’ which we saw throughout the playoffs with some people. He says, ‘You’ve got to dig down. You’ve got to work harder.’ And I think that’s just a wonderful attribute. I think it plays well to the players. They know that they have to work hard to be successful.”


Working hard is something that’s a Bruins specialty. They play a tough brand of hockey that sees them get physical with opponents, block shots, and generally just get in the way of everything going on with their opponents on the ice. Working hard off the ice is a big key for the Bruins too because that’s precisely what Peter Chiarelli’s done as the team’s general manager. The moves he makes aren’t always blockbusters or ones that grab you by the ears and make you pay attention, but they’ve been smart and have taken advantage of other team’s situations.

The separate deals Chiaelli’s made to acquire key players like Nathan Horton and Dennis Seidenberg from Florida coupled with the Tomas Kaberle deal as well as helping develop players into more important pieces of the puzzle the way they have David Krejci (2004 second round pick) and Johnny Boychuk (acquired in 2008 from Colorado for Matt Hendricks) have been huge for Boston.

While Jacobs will take his hits from critics (and rightfully so for some things) the loyalty staked to Chiarelli and Julien even in the face of potential disaster is one thing he should be proud of. And don’t worry, he is proud.

“This is not an overnight wonder. This is a team that has evolved, and built in their experiences, both good and bad. And that’s very apparent to me, to watch them grow the way they have. I couldn’t be happier than I am right now.”

Now, he said, everyone shares one common goal, and one common goal only.

“It was a great experience to visit with them, and to understand the ambition that I share with them,” said Jacobs. “The ambition is to go and win the Stanley Cup.”

Perhaps in a couple of weeks we’ll find out if there’s a way for Jacobs to be even happier than he is now.