Bruins enforcer Shawn Thornton will be no stranger to the penalty box in 2010-11. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

Winger Shawn Thornton is today’s featured Bruin in the Black and Blog’s series of player-by-player previews for the 2010-11 season.

SHAWN THORNTON | #22 | Left Wing

HEIGHT: 6-2      WEIGHT: 217       SHOOTS: Right
BORN: July 23, 1977 – Oshawa, Ontario
DRAFT: 1997 – 7th round (190th overall) by the Toronto Maple Leafs
CONTRACT STATUS: Signed through 2011-12 ($812,500 cap hit)
2009-10 STATISTICS: 1 goal, 9 assists, 10 points in 74 games

LOOKING BACK ON 2009-10

With Milan Lucic out of the lineup for 32 games and Zdeno Chara nursing a handy injury for most of the campaign, Thornton was called upon early and often when it was time to throw down. The 33-year-old veteran winger racked up career highs with 21 fighting majors and 141 penalty minutes. The ever-comical forward continued his role as a staple on the B’s fourth line, a unit Claude Julien has consistently shown confidence in since both he and Thornton arrived in Boston in 2007. Although the game itself turned out to be a dud for Bruins’ fans, Thornton may have elevated the volume level at the TD Garden to its highest point during any regular season game last year.

In the infamous, highly-hyped “revenge” game against the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins on March 18, Thornton hopped over the boards and swiftly made a bee-line for Matt Cooke. The home crowd erupted as their resident pugilist pounded on Cooke and satisfied their quest for vengeance in the wake of Marc Savard’s concussion. Thornton, who picked up five for fighting and a 10-minute game misconduct for the fracas, also partook in the Winter Classic’s first-ever fight on January 1 at Fenway against Flyer Dan Carcillo. Thornton was disappointingly quiet in the postseason, picking up just 15 hits and never dropping the gloves against the Sabres or Flyers.

FIVE FACTS

1. Thornton’s 21 fighting majors placed him in a tie for sixth overall in the NHL in that category.
2. With 110 hits during the regular season, Thornton ranked fifth on the B’s.
3. With another four minutes in the box, Thornton will hit 500 career PIM.
4. In 605 career AHL games, Thornton racked up 2468 penalty minutes.
5. The Bruins were 9-1-0 in 2009-10 when Thornton recorded a point.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2010-11

After inking a two-year deal to remain in Boston over the summer, Thornton will resume his role as the tough-as-nails winger on the team’s fourth line. While his expected duties will be familiar to the Ontario native, he’ll have to grow accustomed to a new center for the fourth consecutive season. After tours of duty with Glen Metropolit, Stephane Yelle and Steve Begin, newcomer Gregory Campbell expects to be slotted in as the unit’s pivot. As has often been the case under Julien, both of Thornton’s linemates will likely see additional ice time on the penalty kill with Daniel Paille expected to line up on Campbell’s left side. Never afraid to shoot the puck, Thornton fired 119 shots on net in 2009-10. Don’t be surprised to see one of his trademark turn-around slap shots with great regularity in 2010-11.

Thornton’s new deal stems from his work off the ice just as much as his efforts on it. While his influence on the locker room can not be precisely measured, the veteran’s work ethic, determination and unrivaled flair for jovial behavior is an integral part of the B’s success. A quintessential and prideful teammate, Thornton will have the backs of everyone dawning Black and Gold next season. With both Chara and Lucic heading into the campaign healthy, it’s unlikely we’ll see Thornton top his career-high of 21 bouts from a year ago. Regardless of the eventual total, however, you can always bank on No. 22 being ready to happily oblige any challenger.

PREDICTION FOR 2010-11

Statistically, Thornton could reap the benefits of the added skill level to the fourth line that Paille (despite his noted struggles) and Campbell will provide. With the aforementioned clean bills of health for both Lucic and Chara, as well as defender Mark Stuart, Thornton’s knuckles should earn a bit of a reprieve in 2010-11. My prediction: 4-10-14 totals and 15 fights for No. 22 in 2010-11.

NEXT PREVIEW (8/22): Trent Whitfield

The Bruins continue to assemble their 2010-11 roster, though salary cap constraints will require some disassembly later this summer.

Boston announced the re-signing of four restricted free agents this afternoon, avoiding arbitration with Gregory Campbell by agreeing to a two-year deal, while also signing defenseman Adam McQuaid for two years and minor leaguers Andrew Bodnarchuk and Jeff LoVecchio to one-year deals.

That leaves just Blake Wheeler, who is scheduled for an arbitration hearing on July 27, and second overall pick Tyler Seguin in need of contracts, though adding them will require the Bruins to shed salary elsewhere before the start of the season. Don’t expect those moves to be made right away though, as the trade market has dried up quickly this summer.

“After we get Wheels done, we’re going to be relatively quiet,” said Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli on a conference call this evening.

“I was active in the trade market,” added Chiarelli, who noted his pre-draft trade for Nathan Horton and Campbell and discussions on other potential deals. “It’s just quiet right now. Everything’s slow. Everything has kind of grinded to a halt.”

The Bruins do have some flexibility left, as clubs are allowed to spend up to 10 percent above the cap during the offseason, as long as they are compliant by the start of the year. So Chiarelli can wait until after resolving Wheeler’s situation before making any further moves.

“We’re tight at the cap,” said Chiarelli. “We’ll be able to put Blake in the mix. We have the summer overage and we’ll see where we go from there.”

One place Chiarelli will have to go soon is the negotiating table with Seguin’s representatives. That shouldn’t be too tough a bargaining session though, as he’ll slot in easily to the rookie max on an entry-level deal. Fitting that deal – approximately a $900,000 base plus bonuses that could push the cap hit to around $3.75 million – under the cap is a tougher task.

“I had a brief discussion with his camp,” said Chiarelli of Seguin. “We’ll get going on him next week.”

As for the players Chiarelli did sign today, Campbell reportedly will have a cap hit of $1.1 million for the next two years. That puts Boston’s fourth line at around $3 million (Daniel Paille $1.075 million, Shawn Thornton $812,500). That’s a bit pricey for a fourth line, but Campbell and Co. are more versatile and reliable than most fourth units.

“He’s a very versatile player,” said Chiarelli. “He blocks a lot of shots, takes a lot of face-offs, logs a lot of good minutes. With Gregory, it’s versatility and it’s grit (that he brings to the lineup).”

McQuaid’s two-year deal is a two-way contract (separate salaries if he plays in the NHL or AHL) for this season and a one-way deal (receiving NHL salary whether he plays in Boston or in the minors) next year. He will have to clear waivers to be sent down in either season, giving him the inside track on the club’s seventh defenseman role.

“I think he’s close (to being an NHL regular),” said Chiarelli. “He’s going to need (to clear) waivers (to be sent down). That’s something we’ll have to deal with when the time comes.

“He’s shown a real good progression,” added Chiarelli. “He’s maturing as a player. He’s a big strong kid and a real competitor. … We have him as an NHL player in very short order, and he may even progress from there.”

Bodnarchuk is further away from making an NHL impact, but Chiarelli liked what he saw from the blueliner last year.

“I think Andy had a real solid year last year,” said Chiarelli. “I thought he really figured out the game and simplified it a bit. I saw a guy who really turned the corner.”

The Bruins GM was also impressed by LoVecchio, who bounced back nicely in Providence after missing the previous season with a concussion.

“He’s a big guy who can kill penalties and can skate,” said Chiarelli. “I have to see more of him, but I saw enough to want to bring him back.”

Some other quick hits from Chiarelli’s talk with reporters:

- Despite all appearances of having no more room at the inn (or under the cap), Chiarelli didn’t completely rule out a return for unrestricted free agents Steve Begin and Miroslav Satan, but neither forward should be expecting their phone to ring anytime soon.

“I haven’t moved on from them yet,” said Chiarelli. “Obviously we’re tight right now. There’s still a lot left in the summer. We’ll see where we go.”

- Chiarelli joked that it would take a three-hour seminar to explain the long-term injury reserve provision in the CBA that allows teams some flexibility to spend over the cap to replace injured players, but the basic gist it that the Bruins will have a stay of execution on their cap conundrum with Marco Sturm’s $3.5 million hit off the books while he rehabs from his knee surgery. But they will have to be back under the cap when he is able to return, which Chiarelli said would be mid-November at the earliest.

“I’ll have to do something before Marco returns” was about as detailed as Chiarelli would get on that aspect of the always intricate cap situation.

- Chiarelli stated there was no update on any potential trades involving goalie Tim Thomas. The former Vezina winner was granted permission to speak with other clubs about a potential deal, but Chiarelli reiterated that Thomas’ preference continued to be remaining in Boston.

“Tim wants to be a Bruin,” said Chiarelli. “And there’s really no other update on that front.”

The Bruins have avoided at least one of their potential arbitration cases, coming to terms today with forward Gregory Campbell on a two-year deal. Terms were not released, but Campbell made $762,500 last year with Florida before being acquired from the Panthers along with Nathan Horton earlier this summer and stood to make at least a modest raise on that figure. The Bruins also announced the re-signings of restricted free agent defenseman Adam McQuaid and minor-leaguers Andrew Bodnarchuk and Jeff LoVecchio.

Campbell, 26, is expected to take over the role as the club’s fourth-line center and will also be a key contributor on the penalty kill. He posted 2-15-17 totals in 60 games last year, but did have 13 goals the previous year so he could slide up higher in the lineup if injuries hit. He’s just 6-foot, 199 pounds, but Campbell does provide a physical presence with his hitting and shot blocking, and is a willing, if not overly skilled, fighter.

McQuaid, 23, is a more accomplished scrapper and proved last year he was not out of place in an NHL lineup when called up to play 19 games in the regular season and nine more in the playoffs. He should have the inside track on sticking with the big club as the seventh defenseman after signing a two-year deal, but would likely need injuries to strike to see regular playing time ahead of anyone in the top six of Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg, Johnny Boychuk, Mark Stuart, Andrew Ference and Matt Hunwick.

Bodnarchuk, 22, could also compete for the seventh defenseman role after making his NHL debut last year and playing five games with the big club in Boston. But he spent most of the year in Providence and is likely ticketed for the AHL again after signing a new one-year deal.

LoVecchio, 24, spent the entire 2009-10 season in Providence and made a nice comeback after missing the previous season with a concussion. He’ll add depth to the system again after inking a new one-year deal, and could potentially fill a role as an energy forward in Boston if injuries strike.

The last remaining piece to fit into the puzzle is restricted free agent forward Blake Wheeler. His arbitration hearing is scheduled for July 27 if the Bruins can’t hammer out a new deal before then. Once he signs or is awarded an arbitration decision, however, the Bruins will have to make more moves to get under the cap, so the offseason maneuverings are not complete quite yet.

The Bruins and Blake Wheeler will find out what the young winger is worth on July 27, as that's when his arbitration hearing has been scheduled. (photo: Getty)

The NHLPA still has not officially released the dates for this year’s arbitration hearings, but the Boston Globe has reported that the Bruins will have their hearings with Gregory Campbell on July 22 and Blake Wheeler on July 27. All hearings will be held between July 20 and August 4.

Wheeler is the key one for the Bruins. His play slipped in his sophomore season, dropping from 21-24-45 totals and a plus-36 as a rookie to 18-20-38 totals and a minus-4 this past year. But two things did remain consistent from both seasons. He failed to provide much of a physical presence despite his 6-foot-5 205-pound frame, as he managed just 49 hits as a rookie and 70 in his second season. He also struggled to produce when the games mattered most, scoring just one goal in 21 career playoff games. Those stats will be strong evidence for the Bruins in an arbitration hearing, but putting them forward too forcefully could lead to some lingering ill will between Wheeler and the club.

And the Bruins don’t want to alienate him, as the 23-year-old has plenty of skill and a guy who averaged nearly 20 goals a year in his first two pro seasons is a valuable asset. The question is how much will that asset cost to keep around, especially with the Bruins’ precarious cap situation. Wheeler had a base salary of $875,000 last year and a cap hit of $2.825 million due to the bonuses in his entry-level deal. The Bruins will be free of those bonuses this time around, but how much of a raise on his base salary will an arbitrator award Wheeler? Or what will it take for the Bruins to reach a deal without having to go through with the hearing?

Campbell, acquired from Florida along with Nathan Horton, has less of a case after managing just 2-15-17 totals in 60 games last year. He did post 13-19-32 totals in 77 games the previous year and brings plenty of intangibles as a leader, physical presence and key penalty killer. He has some numbers to back up those qualities, with 158 hits and 72 blocked shots last year and 202 hits and 82 blocked shots the previous season. Campbell, 26, also is always willing to stand up for a teammate (7 fights last year, 6 in 2008-09), despite not being the best pugilist and standing just 6-foot, 197 pounds. How much will those intangibles be worth in arbitration? At least the Bruins now know they will find out by July 22.

Right wing Nathan Horton will bring his strong shot and scoring touch to Boston next year after being acquired in a trade from Florida. (photo: Getty)

Nathan Horton wanted a fresh start. Gregory Campbell is hoping for a better finish. Both players think they’ll get what they seek in Boston.

Horton and Campbell were dealt to the Bruins this afternoon in exchange for defenseman Dennis Wideman, a first-round pick (15^th overall) and a 2011 third-round pick.

“I’m excited to go to a new start in a stable, historic and successful franchise,” said Horton in a conference call.

Horton said he had become frustrated with the lack of stability in the Panthers organization, noting that he had played for five different coaches in seven seasons. That led Horton to request a trade from new Florida GM Dale Tallon.

The Bruins, who finished dead last in the NHL last year in scoring, could certainly use a player with Horton’s touch around the net. Horton had 20-37-57 totals in 65 games last year, his fifth straight season reaching the 20-goal mark with a high of 31 in 2006-07.

“Nathan is a big, powerful young man,” said Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli in a statement. “He is 25 years old and has scored over 30 goals once and over 20 goals in five consecutive seasons. He is a shooter who plays a power game.”

Horton has been criticized at times for not using his 6-foot-2, 229-pound frame to full advantage, but he vowed to be more of a presence in Boston.

“I want to be more physical and just all around be a better player,” said Horton. “I think I have more to give.”

Dennis Wideman (6) will be skating in Florida next year, while Gregory Campbell (11) comes to Boston. (photo: Getty)

Horton has played both center and right wing, but figures to slot into one of Boston’s top two lines on the wing as the club is already set up the middle with Marc Savard, David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron.

“I think I’m just a better fit on the wing,” said Horton. “I think that’s perfect because they have some pretty good centermen on the team already, so that works out well.”

Campbell is more of a role player, a gritty checker versatile enough to play all three forward positions. He should be an asset on the penalty kill and will contribute some physical play as well, as he is an aggressive hitter despite his modest size (6-0, 197) and is willing to drop his gloves when necessary (7 fights last year).

“Gregory is a hard-nosed, smart, two-way player,” said Chiarelli. “He is strong in his zone and can play a variety of roles.”

Campbell hopes coming to Boston will finally give him a chance to play those roles in the postseason.

“There’s always mixed feelings in a trade,” said Campbell. “I had a great time in Florida, but I’m really excited to be part of the Boston organization. It’s a great team. Unfortunately I haven’t played in the NHL playoffs yet, so I’m looking forward to doing that with the Bruins and being on a winning team.

“It’s not fun ending your season in April,” added Campbell.

While neither team has officially confirmed it yet, Bob McKenzie of TSN has reported that the Bruins have acquired forwards Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell from Florida for defenseman Dennis Wideman, Boston’s first-round pick (15th overall) this year and a third-round pick in 2011.

Horton would help add some much-needed scoring to the wing for the Bruins. While he’s never completely lived up to the potential that made him the third overall pick of the 2003 draft, he has had five straight 20-goal seasons, including a career-high 31 goals in 2006-07 and 20-37-57 totals in 65 games this past year. Overall, he has 142-153-295 totals in 422 career games. The 6-foot-2, 229-pounder also adds some needed size up front. Horton, 25, is a right-handed shot who normally plays on the right side. He has three years remaining on a six-year deal signed in 2007, with salaries of $4 million, $4.5 million and $5.5 million due and an annual cap hit of $4.0 million. He also has a no-trade clause that kicks in on July 1.

Campbell is a gritty bottom six forward who can supply some toughness and potentially contribute on the penalty kill. He had 2-15-17 totals with 53 PIMs and seven fighting majors in 60 games last season. Overall, he has 29-56-85 totals with 312 PIMs and 26 FMs in 363 games. A left-handed shot who plays both center and left wing, Campbell, 26, is a restricted free agent who made $762,500 last year. The 6-foot, 197-pounder is the son of NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell. The elder Campbell excuses himself from discipline matters involving his son’s teams, so the Bruins will at least be spared his sporatic attempts at “justice” if Campbell is re-signed.

Wideman slipped from 13-37-50 totals and a plus-32 in 2008-09 to 6-24-30 and a minus-14 last year, and was regularly booed by the Garden faithful. He has two years remaining on a deal with a $3.938 cap hit, so the Bruins will be adding significant salary only if Campbell is re-signed.

UPDATE: The Bruins have confirmed the deal and Horton and Campbell will be available on a conference call later this afternoon.

Looks like the league is serious about not letting the Bruins get their pound of flesh from Matt Cooke tomorrow night. To try to keep things as peaceful as possible, the NHL has assigned one of its most veteran crews of officials to work the game.

According to the Boston Globe, Bill McCreary and Stephen Walkom will be the two referees for the game. McCreary has been a member of the NHL Officials Association since 1982, refereeing his first game in the league in 1984. Walkom has been part of the official’s union since 1990. He spent four years as the league’s Director of Officiating before returning to an on-ice role this year.

Not many refs have worked more games than that pair, and they are sure to give their whistles a workout as they try to keep the peace in a game with a potential for plenty of fireworks.

Working with them will be linesmen Brian Murphy and Tony Sericolo. Murphy, a native of Dover, NH who worked the Winter Classic at Fenway Park, has been in the league since 1988, while Sericolo has been working the lines in the NHL since 1998.

If that wasn’t enough, NHL vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell will also be on hand at the Garden. That’s the same Colin Campbell who chose not to suspend Cooke for his cheap shot on Marc Savard on March 7, but will be more than willing to ban anyone who steps over the line attempting to seek retribution tomorrow.

Campbell was a guest on the NHL Live program on the NHL Network this afternoon, and was asked why he would be attending the game in person.

“Anytime we have things like this, we do some things to ensure that hopefully things don’t get out of hand, and they do what they have to do and keep things civil,” said Campbell.

Campbell’s presence may not have the calming effect he hopes. He may take some of the attention away from Cooke, but he probably won’t like the reception he’s sure to receive from Boston fans.

It’s interesting that this game comes almost exactly 55 years after another league official named Campbell made a controversial ruling, then sparked a riot by attending the next game in that city.

That, of course, was the famous Rocket Richard Riot in Montreal in 1955. Canadiens star Maurice Richard had been suspended by NHL president Clarence Campbell for the rest of the season and playoffs for striking linesman Cliff Thompson during a brawl against the Bruins on March 13. After issuing his ruling, Campbell chose to attend Montreal’s next home game on St. Patrick’s Day against the Red Wings.

The Montreal crowd ignored the game and focused on assailing Campbell, first verbally, then with projectiles and eventually a tear gas canister was set off. The riot spread outside the Forum and onto the streets of Montreal, forcing the game to be forfeited, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage and leaving dozens injured and more arrested.

Colin Campbell’s presence tomorrow isn’t likely to spark any riots, but it could make a volatile environment even more ugly. As usual, whenever the NHL tries to curb the physical side of the game and prevent the players from policing things themselves, it usually just ends up leading to even uglier forms of violence.

Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli just completed a conference call with the media, and it’s safe to say he’s not too happy with just about anyone involved in the events surrounding Matt Cooke’s cheap shot on Marc Savard.

Chiarelli was particularly displeased with NHL senior vice president Colin Campbell’s decision today to not suspend Cooke for the hit.

“I’m both surprised and angered,” said Chiarelli. “The last couple days I’ve been lobbying Colin Campbell and the (NHL) hockey ops staff in regards to this shot on Savard.”

Campbell defended his inaction by citing the lack of a suspension to Philadelphia forward Mike Richards for a similar hit earlier this year on Florida’s David Booth, all while ignoring two similar hits by Cooke that did draw a pair of two-game suspensions in the past 14 months. Campbell also claimed there was nothing illegal about Cooke’s hit with the way the NHL rulebook currently reads. The NHL general managers did vote today to change the rules regarding headshots, but that does the Bruins and Savard little good right now.

“The issue here is that right now there’s no infraction for what Cooke did,” said Chiarelli. “He didn’t leave his feet. He didn’t charge. He didn’t use an elbow. It was a shoulder hit to the head. It was a very surgical shoulder hit to the head. What I tried to convince the hockey ops staff was to take it outside the current rule and to use the repeat offender criteria and implement an infraction of an intent to injure, so there you have your infraction. And that should distinguish this from the Richards-Booth hit. And that was the issue here. They didn’t want to and they couldn’t distinguish it from the Richards-Booth hit. So I’m disappointed.”

Chiarelli tried to keep his comments about his own team’s lack of an on-ice response to the hit on Sunday in check, but his displeasure with his own club’s action, or lack of action, was also evident.

“I’m not going to comment on that, I want to talk to them first,” said Chiarelli. “I was bewildered at the fact that one, there wasn’t a penalty called, and I guess I was disappointed that there wasn’t a reaction. I want to talk to the team.

“I know it’s been frustrating, and it’s been frustrating for me,” added Chiarelli later in the call when asked about the fans’ discontent with the lack of response on the ice. “I said earlier that I was disappointed and I’m going to speak with the team. … With regard to the team and their lack of response, that’s something that I’m going to deal with.”

Chiarelli was also asked to update Savard’s condition, but didn’t have any good news to report on that front.

“I haven’t even talked to him,” said Chiarelli of Savard, who was diagnosed with a Grade 2 concussion. “You can’t talk to him. He’s been sleeping every day and there’s nothing to show from it.”

It’s the news the Bruins feared would come and might be a shock to those who actually witnessed the incident, but it’s hardly a surprise for anyone familiar with the warped world of NHL discipline.

Matt Cooke will not be suspended. Not for a single game.

While Bruins center Marc Savard may miss the rest of the season, and the Bruins might miss the playoffs as a result, the Penguins head-hunter won’t miss a shift or see a single dollar lifted from his wallet for his brutal, cowardly blindside hit to Savard’s head on Sunday.

So much for Claude Julien’s decision to “let the league take care of it and hopefully make the right decision here.” Were those two points really (that the Bruins didn’t even get) worth not making a statement and standing up for Savard on Sunday really worth it? The only good news is that this decision means Cooke will be eligible to play next Thursday in Boston. But after their disgusting display in Sunday’s closing minutes, how can anybody have any confidence that the Bruins will actually attempt any payback? And if they do, you can be sure the league will issue suspensions for that.

The NHL has yet to officially announce its decision, but TSN has reported that Cooke has escaped punishment for his blatant cheap shot. TSN reported that league senior vice president Colin Campbell explained his decision as being based on consistency involving similar incidents. The prime example was Mike Richard’s hit on David Booth earlier this year that knocked Booth out for 45 games and cost him a shot at playing in the Olympics. Richards was not suspended for that hit.

The only problem with the NHL applying the consistency standard to this decision is the fact that Campbell has never consistently ruled on any discipline matters. The league’s double standards are legendary. That’s especially true in this case, as Cooke himself was suspended twice for almost identical hits, getting two-game bans in January 2009 for a blind-side hit to the head of Carolina’s Scott Walker and again for a similar headshot to the Rangers’ Artem Anisimov last November.

Adding some salt to the wound is the fact that the league’s GM unanimously approved a new rule recommendation at their annual meetings today that would outlaw exactly the kind of hit Cooke put on Savard. If approved by the competition committee and board of governors the rule change will go into effect next season. Maybe by then Savard’s headaches will have ceased and he can open his eyes around bright lights again.

I’d say maybe someday the league would open its eyes toward protecting its employees, but I know better than to expect that to ever happen as long as Campbell and Co. are making the calls.