As reported earlier, captain Zdeno Chara did not play in last night's preseason opener against the Ottawa Senators. Instead, the Bruins dressed three alternate captains: Andrew Ference, Chris Kelly, and returning alternate captain Patrice Bergeron. That sighting gave us some insight on who might wear the second "A" this season. At the same time, it also did not help us fully establish who will wear the second "A." A classic situation where an issue answers one question but generates a few more. Weird.
There are several candidates that could be the other alternate captain. Head coach Claude Julien loves his grinders, or players who play with an old-school mentality. Gregory Campbell and Nathan Horton fit that description. Despite only being with the team for one season, they are both candidates.
He could also go with someone with a natural leadership ability like Chris Kelly or Shawn Thornton. Kelly's only downfall is that he has only been with the team since February. Julien could also go with a player who has been with the organization for a while, like Andrew Ference, David Krejci, or Milan Lucic. Why not just have all of those players wear the "A" Julien? You would be the Vancouver Canucks of the Eastern Conference.
Actually, he may end up doing just that. He will not have them wear it at the same time, but he might rotate it among those players throughout the season. He did this during the 2008-2009 season when he would pass off the "A" to worthy players every month. I like this idea very much. This will solidify the Bruins as a true team in a true team sport.
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