Globe Top 20 softball poll: Amid rankings tumult, Taunton holds tight to No. 1
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Records based on scores reported to the Globe.
The Globe's Top 20 softball poll
The Globe poll as of May 21, 2025. Teams were selected by the Globe sports staff.
No.
Team
Record
Previous
1.
Taunton
17-0-0
1
2.
Silver Lake
14-2-0
2
3.
King Philip
16-3-0
4
4.
Bedford
15-1-0
7
5.
Lincoln-Sudbury
14-4-0
5
6.
Dighton-Rehoboth
18-2-0
3
7.
Bishop Feehan
16-2-0
6
8.
Walpole
12-4-0
9
9.
Bridgewater-Raynham
11-6-0
12
10.
Joseph Case
14-5-0
13
11.
Central Catholic
12-4-0
8
12.
Norton
17-2-0
10
13.
Attleboro
15-3-0
14
14.
Marblehead
15-2-0
15
15.
Pentucket
16-2-0
11
16.
Hopkinton
14-3-0
16
17.
Tewksbury
16-3-0
19
18.
Apponequet
15-5-0
17
19.
Middleborough
14-5-0
18
20.
Abington
14-5-0
–
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Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Boston Globe
Despite fighting cancer, Dave O'Hearn steadfastly led Methuen/Tewksbury girls' hockey. This week, he lost that battle.
First and foremost, say those close to him, he was a devoted father. 'He was beaming with pride for his daughters,' said Methuen athletic director Tom Ryan. 'He was very proud of his kids.' Sad day on Ranger Road, Methuen Red Rangers Girls Hockey Coach, Guidance Counselor and MHS Boys Hockey Famer Dave O'Hearn has passed away after his courageous battle with cancer. The services are TBD. They will be posted when we find out. May you rest in peace my friend. — Tom Ryan (@MethuenHighAD) Dubbed 'Mr. Methuen Hockey' by Ryan, O'Hearn's legacy as a player remains enshrined in the Methuen High School Hall of Fame. He logged the most minutes in program history, returning to his alma mater as an assistant coach in 2017. Two years ago, Advertisement 'His rink was like his refuge from his problems,' said Ryan. 'He enjoyed going to the rink because for that brief amount of time, it was about hockey, and the girls, and the team.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The locker room was infused with O'Hearn's courageous spirit. Despite his declining health, O'Hearn continued to show up to the rink, leading the Red Rangers to a 19-2-3 mark, clinching the team's first Merrimack Valley/Dual County Large title since 2019. Despite having just 15 players on the roster, the The Red Rangers won 11 one-goal games. For his efforts, O'Hearn claimed Advertisement Dave O'Hearn led Methuen/Tewksbury to the Division 1 semifinals despite having just 15 players on the roster. Matthew Healey for The Boston Globe 'Obviously those things galvanize teams,' echoed Tewksbury athletic director Ron Drouin. 'I think they were able to draw a lot off of his courage and use that to their advantage.' Former Methuen/Tewksbury coach Sarah Doucette called O'Hearn a great friend and her right hand behind the bench. 'I feel very lucky that I got to coach with him while I did,' said Doucette. 'He's super knowledgeable and a great role model for our athletes.' O'Hearn navigated the task of merging two communities into one team. School indentities were left at the door in order to blend competitors into a family on the ice. He would break the ice with pregame dances in the locker room, unafraid to be himself. Once the puck dropped, he demanded 100 percent from his players.. 💔Tough Day….. Methuen/Tewksbury Red Ranger Head Coach Dave O'Hearn lost his courageous battle with Pancreatic Cancer….. thoughts and prayers with his Family. RIP Coach! 🙏🏻🙏🏻 — TMHS Athletics (@TMHS_Athletics) A guidance counselor at Methuen High since 2017, O'Hearn spent more than 20 years at St. Ann's home. His professional work aided his passion for coaching, internalizing and understanding his players in order to form meaningful connections. Even as his fight with cancer drained his energy, he spoke to his players with utmost sincerity and the media with candor — win or lose. 'I can't say enough about his courage — his integrity, who he is as a person, who he is as a father,' said Drouin. In just two seasons as the head coach, Dave O'Hearn made a significant impact on the Methuen/Tewksbury girls' program. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff O'Hearn was well respected within coaching circles. His voice carried weight. The noted tactician turned the game into a chess match, altering forechecks and defensive systems depending on the opposition's tendencies. 'His legacy will go on to impact so many people,' said HPNA coach Gary Kane. 'He's going to be really missed.' Thoughts and prayers with the Tewksbury & Methuen High Scool Girls Hockey community as Coach Dave O'Hearn, passed away after a courageous battle with Pancreatic Cancer at 47.. Class Act who will be missed by all .. — SJP Hockey (@SJP_Hockey) O'Hearn not only made his players better hockey players, but he taught them life lessons to become better people. Advertisement 'If you had Dave in your corner you were very lucky,' said Doucette. 'There was nothing he wouldn't do for you.' Cam Kerry can be reached at
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Boston Globe
Is Mike Felger the most influential person in Boston?
To outsiders, it might sound absurd. In most cities, sports talk is drive-time filler. In Boston, it's emotional infrastructure. Anyone who's ever stewed in traffic on the Zakim, cursed a blown lead at TD Garden, or felt their stomach turn at a Red Sox trade deadline knows exactly what Walsh means. He wasn't listening for news. He was listening for the mood. Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up And for more than a decade, the person setting that temperature hasn't been the mayor, a professor, or a CEO. It's been Michael Felger, cohost of 'Felger & Massarotti' on 98.5 The Sports Hub, the city's highest-rated radio show. Felger didn't invent the genre. He just adjusted the voltage. Since 2009, 'Felger & Mazz' — with cohost Tony Massarotti, a longtime sportswriter for the Globe and the Herald — has delivered a daily litany of complaints, forensic breakdowns, and gallows humor. Felger railed for years against Patriots owner Robert Kraft's frugality, arguing that the 'Patriot Way' was little more than a branding slogan for cutting costs during the Brady-Belichick years. He's hammered the Celtics' new ownership for hiding behind the 'second apron' of the luxury tax, calling it a convenient excuse to avoid spending what it takes to win. In March, Felger ranted on the air about how difficult and expensive it's become to watch sports on television. 'A lot of us have cut the cord, especially just this past year. NESN and NBC Sports Boston unfortunately jacked up the rates again, so eff you, I'm not going to do that,' Felger said. 'I'm going to cut the cord, I'll get YouTube TV. Ah, NESN's not on YouTube TV. So you get Fubo. Well, if I get Fubo, you know what I can't get on Fubo? TNT. So I can't see NBA nationally televised games, which is the best product going. I don't get that if I have Fubo. So eff you, Fubo.… Don't you get sick of getting digitally penetrated? Every time you want to watch a ball come across your TV screen.' Viewers Are Getting "DIGITALLY PENETRATED" When Trying To Watch Baseball - Felger In a city where politicians cycle out and owners stay hidden behind tinted glass, Felger has been the loudest, clearest, and most consistent voice. Not just in sports — in anything. For 15 years, no one has moved the mood of Boston more than he has. 'Felger & Massarotti' has long earned 25 percent of Boston's radio listenership among men 25-54. Walk into any bar and you'll hear echoes of Felger's monologue. He sets the agenda. He starts the fights. He gives people language to explain how they feel — often before they've figured it out themselves. Rawer, meaner, sharper Felger, 55, did not arrive with the local pedigree Boston usually demands of its sports media icons. Longtime Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy, for example, grew up in Groton, while his rival Boston Herald columnist Steve Buckley grew up in Cambridge. Glenn Ordway — the former drivetime radio host of 'The Big Show' at WEEI — was raised in Lynn. Felger grew up in Milwaukee, a city whose relationships with its local teams are loving and pathologically polite. 'In Wisconsin, you're just kind of happy to be invited, happy to be mentioned, happy to be on the stage, but you understand you're not going to win it,' Felger told me in February. 'People back home don't treat sports that way I do. Here, it's different. That intensity, that whole thing, I liked better. It was refreshing for me.' He enrolled at Boston University, inhaled the cigarette cloud at the old Boston Garden, and felt something snap into place. He interned and eventually started writing for the Boston Herald, covering the Bruins and Patriots. As he rose in prominence among the city's sportswriters, he listened to WEEI, then the city's only sports radio station, which to his ear sounded suspiciously chummy. As Tom Brady and the Patriots turned Boston into Titletown in the mid-2000s, WEEI hosts were celebrating with team executives on the air and exchanging Christmas cards with general managers. The callers went soft on their favorite teams and were less critical. Felger went on Ordway's show, but he felt dissatisfied with the state of sports radio. Felger at CSN New England's studios in Burlington in 2017. Aram Boghosian for The Boston Globe 'I wanted to do more of the stuff we weren't doing on WEEI,' Felger said. 'Classic sports talk radio has been critical, fast-paced, topical, and not drifting around and losing focus. Did I mention being critical? It's important for sports radio. It's a critical medium.' In 2009, when CBS launched 98.5 The Sports Hub, Felger saw the opportunity to do sports radio the way he thought it should be done: something rawer, meaner, and sharper. He teamed up with Massarotti — whom he'd met when they were colleagues at the Herald — who was then writing acerbic sports columns for The Globe, channeled his idol Howard Cosell, and pushed back against fans' instincts for constant celebration. 'I wanted to tell it like it is,' Felger said. 'I wanted to dip my toe into the fellowship of the miserable and the negativity.' As 'Felger and Mazz' producer James Stewart says, 'When sports radio started in Boston, the fans would call up and be like, 'This team's never going to win,' and [Ordway] would say, 'Well, don't jump off the Tobin yet.' But with Felger, it's like, 'Yeah, it might be time to jump off the Tobin.'' Massarotti keeps things from flying off the rails. If Felger is the accelerant, Mazz is the afterburn — grimacing, interrupting, pushing back just enough. He gives the show shape and rhythm, keeping it from veering into total cynicism. He's part instigator, part guide — someone who knows when to challenge Felger and when to let the chaos cook. 'I'm sure you all have people like this. My wife is like this,' Felger said on the show one afternoon in April, kicking off a rant. 'She's got a relative on the phone.' 'Oh you want to say hi to so and so?' Massarotti added, throwing propane on the fire. 'You want to say hi to Aunt Millie? Say hi to Aunt Millie!' Felger yelled. 'Hi, Aunt Millie!' Massarotti exclaimed. 'Hi, Aunt Millie, oh, yeah, yeah,' Felger said. 'And you start passing the phone around the room. My wife doesn't get how painful that is. Talk to so and so. No, you talk to so and so!' Two years after they debuted, 'Felger & Massarotti' was the most popular radio show in the city. The corporatization of sports Meanwhile, Boston was diversifying — becoming a majority-minority city in 2000, with the foreign-born population reaching 29 percent in 2021, 16 points higher than it had been in 1960. Boston was becoming less provincial, with tech, academia, and health care exploding across the city. Major national chains expanded into areas like the Seaport, which transformed from a parking lot to a luxury playground. As Boston changed, The Sports Hub's biggest rival, WEEI, calcified around an old idea of Boston that was increasingly out of step with the city. In the early 2010s, the station's identity started to drift. (I was an intern at WEEI in 2013.) Its banter began to curdle into something more overtly political. Some shows veered into broader social commentary, often echoing the language of Fox News. On-air debates drifted from pitch counts and power players to rants about race, gender, and grievance. Sports talk blurred into something else entirely. 'A lot of people did want to hear the politics, but there were a lot of people that didn't,' says Michael Holley, who hosted shows at WEEI from 2005 through 2018 and now cohosts a show with Felger on NBC Sports Boston. Holley says that WEEI at the time veered into conservative political commentary in ways that alienated parts of the audience. 'Sometimes when you're so locked into politics, even when you're talking about sports, you can feel that there's something going on underneath. What's not being said?' Mike Felger and Tony Massarotti in 2017. Felger took a different path. 'Whatever his political positions were,' Holley says, they 'were generally far in the background.' He wasn't interested in gatekeeping the culture. He stuck to his North Star: skepticism. The same instinct that led him to question a cornerback's contract extension or second-guess a manager's pitching change also applied when he talked about the people in charge. Team owners weren't benevolent caretakers: They were billionaires trying to squeeze as much value out of a team as possible. Fans weren't helpless marks, but they were often being taken advantage of. That sensibility stood out at a time when Boston's institutions — its teams, its media, even its politics — were increasingly shaped by corporate interest. The clearest sign of Felger's growing influence came in 2011, when Red Sox owner John Henry, who owns the Globe, walked into 98.5 The Sports Hub to confront Felger on air. Henry was furious over the show's portrayal of the team as leakers and backstabbers in the wake of manager Terry Francona's firing — and especially the insinuation that details of Francona's personal life had been planted in the media by the front office. Felger didn't back down. The biggest reason Felger endures is that he channels the Boston that actually exists today — not the one frozen in black-and-white photographs of Southie taverns and cigar smoke. Felger's show isn't perfect. He's had his stumbles, like when he called former Major League Baseball pitcher Roy Halladay a 'moron' for piloting a stunt plane that crashed, leaving his young children fatherless. Most recently, Felger received criticism when he hammered Red Sox manager Alex Cora for missing a game for his daughter Camila's graduation from Boston College. And the program has had moments that forced internal reckoning, including a racially insensitive joke Massarotti made about two Black men in New Orleans, which sparked outrage among listeners locally and nationally. But in a city still shaking off its reputation for being hostile to outsiders, Felger's response to the backlash against Massarotti stood in stark contrast to the defensive posture that once defined WEEI. He addressed it directly, gave space for reflection, and didn't make himself or the show a victim. 'Minorities in this country do have to put up with a lot of crap, and comments like that just make it harder for them. We apologize for that,' Felger said on air. 'I feel bad that I personally didn't do more to correct it in the moment. I had a chance in just a split-second moment to do something, and I guess I just froze. So I feel bad about that.' The city has kept changing too. In 2021, Michelle Wu became the first woman and person of color elected mayor of Boston — a moment that felt inconceivable to me as a Korean-American growing up in Brookline during Tom Menino's reign. Wu, like Felger, came to the city for school and never left. She didn't look or sound like Boston's old guard. But she came to represent what the city was becoming: younger, more diverse, less beholden to the institutions that once defined it. The biggest reason Felger endures is that he channels the Boston that actually exists today — not the one frozen in black-and-white photographs of Southie taverns and cigar smoke. Whether it's torching billionaires for pretending to be poor or ripping MLB for turning the simple joy of watching a game on TV into a scavenger hunt, Felger plays the part Boston needs: the guy who still refuses to be bought off or distracted. He also embodies something essential about a city that doesn't always welcome change but that can't help evolving anyway. You can hear it in his caller board. It long ago stopped being the province of Irish and Italian lifers (although they still call in). These days, Felger and Mazz get calls from Roxbury, and even the occasional call from another state or another country. Felger speaks a dialect everyone recognizes: caffeinated and skeptical. Felger's greatest strength may be his clarity, but it can also read as rigidity. He's a little grumpier, a little more suspicious of anything new — streaming, social media, stats — like someone who still thinks the microwave is cutting-edge. He's not always in sync with how younger fans engage with sports. The show's ratings have slipped — down from an Like Felger, Wu didn't fit the mold of what Boston leadership used to look like. Does she ever listen to his show? Her office did not respond to requests for comment. As for her main rival in this year's election, Josh Kraft — whose father Robert remains one of Felger's favorite punching bags — he says he turns on both The Sports Hub and WEEI. 'Sports radio is great because it can test the temperature of what's going on,' Kraft told me. 'And they know how to maximize that temperature of what's going on. But sports radio is entertainment.' Kraft sounds a little dismissive of these shows. But his comment also captures something bigger: Sports radio doesn't just reflect Boston's mood but shapes it. It stokes and channels emotion. It's not just a mirror but a lever. Felger didn't bend the city to fit him. The city bent toward him — and toward the many Bostonians like him who've shaped what it's becoming.
Boston Globe
26-07-2025
- Boston Globe
Mikey Eyssimont is a pain to play against, a healthy sign for the Bruins
'My whole day, year-round, it's all hockey and nothing's ever changed,' Eyssimont told the Globe. 'Sometimes I look at it like, 'I'm 28 and my neighbors still see me stick-handling in the driveway.' So, a lot of my friends have moved on and I'm still doing the same thing. And I just find that really special and just love the sport and what it's done for me. And I just look forward to playing for Boston.' Eyssimont (that's AY-see-mawnt) was Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Don Sweeney described Eyssimont as a 'pain to play against' and the 6-foot, 191-pounder considered the Bruins general manager's scouting report a badge of honor. Advertisement 'I take it as a compliment. I've had an edge, and I have had a chip on my shoulder for a long time, and I think I've had it since I was little, a very competitive kid,' said Eyssimont. 'And now that I'm older, I've matured even through the pro ranks to be able to concentrate toward ways to help the team. And sometimes that's just getting under an opposing team's skin. And I guess I did a good enough job for Don Sweeney to notice and ultimately, I'm here, so I got to keep doing that.' Related : Advertisement A native of Littleton, Colo., Eyssimont's journey has taken him to myriad and varied hockey outposts, from the USHL (Fargo and Sioux Falls) to Division 1 college (St. Cloud State) to the AHL (Ontario and Manitoba) and finally to the NHL (Winnipeg, San Jose, Tampa Bay, and Seattle). Through it all, Eyssimont has battled his way through adversity to reach his ultimate goal of being a consistent performer in the NHL. Those battles included being diagnosed with Crohn's disease as he headed into his junior year at St. Cloud State. The diagnosis came after he dealt with symptoms for eight months that Eyssimont believed would clear on its own if he changed a habit or two. 'I was like, 'OK, I'm not going to drink any beer this weekend with my friends. I'm going to eat really healthy,' ' Eyssimont recalled. Eyssimont, then 21, was losing weight and his energy level — something he relied on to make maximum impact on the ice — was dipping daily. 'Something is going on and you're trying to figure out yourself and you're scared,' said Eyssimont, who did some internet research to find answers but that just led to more questions. 'And finally, it got to become too much where I just skated off the ice during a summer skate in St. Cloud and just went to my trainer and said, 'Look, I need you to come with me to the hospital. This has been going on longer than you probably want to know right now, but we just need to figure this out. It was really scary, and Google doesn't help.' Advertisement According to the Mayo Clinic, Chron's 'is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that causes swelling and irritation of the tissues, called inflammation, in the digestive tract. This can lead to belly pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition.' After a hospital stay, Eyssimont learned to manage his condition with treatment that included a special diet. Taking the first step of seeking help was big for Eyssimont, who said he regrets waiting — and suffering — for so long. It's a message he likes to drive home to others. 'Once I got to the doctor's office and sat down, I immediately felt better,' said Eyssimont. 'So, it's one of the things I always try to express to kids dealing with it and young athletes in general is that doctors are here to help and they have your back and if you think something's wrong, you need to use them and lean on them and trust them. But that's the main thing that I struggled with and that I try to get across is you can't just be stubborn, like 'I'm a hockey player, I can get through it.' No. You need to reach out and you need to use professionals.' A healthy Eyssimont collected 17 goals and 39 points in 39 games for St. Cloud before he signed an entry level deal with the Kings, who had drafted him in 2016. Eyssimont, who considers ex-Bruin and fellow Coloradan Brandon Carlo among his best friends, spent five-plus seasons in the AHL before breaking through with Winnipeg during the 2022-23 season. 'I think I spent longer than I deserved in the AHL. [Coach] Mark Morrison , my first year in Manitoba, in the Winnipeg organization, really believed in me,' said Eyssimont. 'And you're going into your third and a half year, fourth year playing in the AHL and he's telling you you're not an AHL player, you're an NHL player. Someone will see it. And Winnipeg did and I never looked back once I got my chance.' Advertisement Eyssimont was quick to credit Ontario Reign coach Mike Stothers with helping him develop into a more complete player. He was promoted by the Jets in Nov. 2022 (to replace an injured Blake Wheeler ) and was claimed by the Sharks on waivers when the Jets tried to send him back to Manitoba. The Sharks subsequently traded Eyssimont to the Lightning at the 2023 deadline and it was in Tampa where he gained his NHL foothold. 'Tampa was a place that once I landed that I felt, 'OK, I'm an NHL player now.' And I felt solidified and felt like I was starting to establish myself. And so that gave me a couple years, 2½ where I could just play and just learn what the NHL is and play 82 games and obviously play with one of the best players in the world [ Nikita Kucherov ] and a couple of the top 50 players in the world.' The structure of the Lightning organization was a perfect fit. 'There's no gray area, it's all black and white, whether it's systems or rules off the ice and stuff like that,' he said. 'And I think Boston's the same way, and I think I thrive under that type of culture and discipline. So, I think playing for Tampa, an organization like that really just allowed me to really play for anyone and Boston's the same way.' Advertisement Eyssimont finished the 2024-25 season in Seattle after again being flipped at the deadline before he went to the World Championship for the third straight season, this time helping the United States to a gold medal. 'It was unbelievable,' he said. 'Playing for the gold medal and winning the thing — first time the USA had done it since [1993]. It was pretty cool. It was definitely something I'll never forget — we were definitely a really close group.' It was at Worlds where Eyssimont bonded with future Bruin teammates Jeremy Swayman , Andrew Peeke , and Mason Lohrei . 'Yeah, I went to countless dinners with Mase and Sway, and I just saw Peeker at a wedding last weekend,' he said. 'These are definitely guys that I became good friends with, really good friends, and they were all really excited to see me sign there and they reached out and are helping me migrate over there and then acclimate to the new city and new organization. So, I'm thankful to have made those connections.' Eyssimont is not the only athlete in the family. His twin sister, Ana , is a former gymnast who is now a professional skier. 'Yeah, we're really close. Ana is on her own journey. She's a professional skier, amateur surfer. I kind of live vicariously — I can't really be outdoorsy or do those things — so I get to live vicariously through her,' said Eyssimont, who goes by Mikey because that's what his mother calls him. 'She's doing some amazing stuff in her own right and her own universe. She travels a lot and sees the world and we don't see each other as much as I'd like, but we're in touch and like I said, on our journey, so it's pretty special. I get to see her when we play somewhere where there's some good skiing like Vancouver or Seattle or Denver, Utah. So yeah, I'm thankful to have her and we push each other and yeah, it's really special.' Advertisement Eyssimont's NHL career has landed him in Winnipeg, San Jose, Tampa Bay, and Seattle so far. DARRYL DYCK/Associated Press Google it Zellers surprised, then pleased Trade deadline day naturally comes with angst for NHLers dealing with rumors and reports during the run up. It's not normally that way in the USHL, where players are generally locked in on improving, not moving. So, imagine Will Zellers's surprise when a Green Bay Gamblers teammate told him to plug his name in the old Google machine. 'Yeah, I mean I wasn't really expecting it. I was getting ready for a game, so it wasn't really on my radar at that time,' said Zellers. '... Kind of went on with my pregame routine and then my teammate, Geno Carcone said, 'You see Twitter?' I was like, 'No.' And he said, 'Look at your name.' So, my roommate looked it up and there it was, 'Zellers traded to Boston.' I was like, 'Wow, really?' ' Related : Zellers was part of the package the Bruins received from Colorado in exchange for Charlie Coyle . Boston also received Casey Mittelstadt and a second-round pick it used to take Liam Pettersson . Shortly after digesting the news, Zellers said he received reassuring calls from Don Sweeney and from the Avalanche organization, which drafted him 76th overall in 2024. 'They wanted to make sure I didn't question myself, didn't question my worth about being traded. They told me I'm still young and a good player,' said Zellers, 19. 'And Colorado, I mean, I understand with them it's a business. They tried to go on a [playoff] run. So, I'll forever be grateful for everything that they made come true.' What made it even more surprising was that Zellers, who will play at the University of North Dakota this fall, was enjoying a stellar season that ended with him copping USHL Player of the Year honors after leading the league with 44 goals. 'Yeah, it was a special year. I couldn't have done it alone. I had great teammates all around me, feeding me the puck, finding me in slots, but it was a special year,' Zellers said at the conclusion of Bruins Development Camp this month. 'Anytime you get to score that many goals, no matter what level you're at, I mean it's a good feeling. Now, you put your best foot forward going into college.' He acknowledged it was a surreal moment to walk into Warrior Ice Arena and see his nameplate in the locker room. 'You dream about playing here, dressing in here,' he said. 'It's pretty special. You get to be in here and kind of see what it's like here, see what all the facilities are like, but it's a dream come true to be at an NHL camp at this point in my career. So, I mean I'm just honored to be in here.' Zellers was among the more noticeable players at camp, using his fast feet and sharp vision to find lanes and show off his quick release. At 5-11 and 170 pounds, Zellers will work on bulking up as he prepares for college and life as a professional. 'The feedback's been great,' Zellers said of his interactions with the Bruins staff. 'I think they've been happy with how everything's going with me. But of course, just trying to find holes in my game. I mean, anytime I can turn those holes in my game into strengths, it just helps me out overall and helps me get to this level quicker.' Zellers was among the more noticeable players at development camp, using his fast feet and sharp vision to find lanes and show off his quick release. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Secondary chance Kuznetsov a solution for Bruins? The Bruins addressed a top need through free agency — grit — with the signings of Tanner Jeannot and Eyssimont. However, another top priority —secondary scoring — still needs to be a focus. Boston needs to squeeze some scoring from sources outside a projected top line of Morgan Geekie , Elias Lindholm , and David Pastrnak . One affordable solution could be Evgeny Kuznetsov , who scored 173 goals and 575 points in 743 NHL games. Related : Kuznetsov last played in the NHL late in 2024 with the Hurricanes after returning from a stint in the NHL's Player Assistance Program. Kuznetsov, 33, was suspended by the NHL for three games in 2019 for 'inappropriate conduct,' shortly after he was hit with a four-year ban in Russia following a positive test for cocaine. The crafty center signed a four-year deal with St. Petersburg SKA of the Kontinental Hockey League, but that contract was mutually terminated after he collected 37 points in 39 games during an injury-filled 2024-25 season. Kuznetsov likely would come on a short-term, team-friendly 'prove it' deal and could serve as a bridge in Boston as some of the organization's younger players continue to season. He could also help boost Boston's power play. Kuznetsov had 48 goals and 172 career points on the man advantage. And yes, a lot of that power-play time came with Alexander Ovechkin manning the dot. Loose pucks Quiz time: Who holds the Bruins rookie record for points in a season? (Bonus points for knowing the winner of the Calder Trophy that year). Answers below ... Bobby Orr revealed in a recent issue of Forbes that he's traded in his Cape Cod summers for a spot in Bruce Cassidy , Rick Tocchet , Pete DeBoer , and Misha Donskov were named assistant coaches for Team Canada for the 2026 Olympics. Jon Cooper will serve as head coach ... Rangers coach Mike Sullivan will coach Team USA ... If you need some cooling thoughts, Boston Bruins Heritage Hall is a great take. Everything you always wanted to know about your favorite franchise is right there on the Level 2 of TD Garden ... Quiz answer: Joe Juneau , who collected 32 goals and 102 points in 1992-93. Juneau, whose yodeling skills are still unknown, finished second in the Calder voting to Teemu Selanne , who potted 76 goals and 132 points. Jim McBride can be reached at
