BOSTON — Claude Julien wasn't ready to reveal the lineups planned for the Bruins' first two exhibition games yet, but he did possibly tip his hand on when highly touted prospect Tyler Seguin may make his debut with the big club.
The Bruins play in Montreal on Wednesday night to open their preseason slate, then travel to Rochester, N.Y. to take on Florida on Thursday in the home of the Panthers' AHL affiliate. With a full camp of over 50 players still at his disposal, Julien expects to dress to completely separate lineups in the two games.
"We're hoping to have two teams to go on this trip," said Julien after Tuesday's afternoon practice. "We think we have enough players here to basically have Team A and Team B. Having said that, we've got some 50-plus players, so there's going to be some extra ones. They'll stay behind and management will decide whether they practice and join us later or if they'll move on."
That means there could be some cuts as soon as Wednesday once the lineups for the first two games are finalized. One player who won't have to worry about getting cut this early is Seguin. He's sure to go on this trip and play his first NHL exhibition game. But where will that debut take place?
Julien wouldn't commit to either game, but it certainly sounds like the No. 2 overall pick will get unveiled on the big stage in Montreal in one of the NHL's flagship arenas, the 21,273-seat Bell Centre, as opposed to an AHL building like the 11,215-seat War Memorial in Rochester.
Seguin could benefit from getting used to playing in the glare of the spotlight in a place like Montreal, an atmosphere he'll need to get used to if he's going to make it in the NHL.
"I know you're comparing Montreal, the Bell Centre, to Rochester, and it's a totally different situation," said Julien. "There is something to be said about it, that much I'll tell you. There is something to be said about playing in those situations and understanding what it does it for you as an individual. Anybody that's played at the Bell Centre or any of those rinks for the time will tell you they get shivers going on the ice and stuff like that. There is a special feeling in some of those rinks and that's maybe something we'll look at when we decide our roster. We'll weigh that in."
If Seguin does play in Montreal, don't expect to see him suit up in Rochester as well, as the Bruins don't plan to use anybody in both games.
"We're going to try not to," said Julien. "I think at this point it's probably two separate teams, and that's what we're trying to do right now is make those rosters so that we have guys playing just one of the two games."
One player who might not mind waiting until Rochester to play is newcomer Nathan Horton. It's not that he isn't eager to get his first taste of the Bruins-Habs rivalry. It's just that Thursday's game would give him a chance to play against the only team he was ever a part of in the NHL before this summer's trade brought him to Boston.
"It's definitely going to be nice to get it under way," said Horton, who was drafted by Florida with the third overall pick in the 2003 draft. "It's obviously going to be a little different on the ice than a real game, but it's good to get it out of the way early and concentrate on the beginning of the year. It's going to be different playing my old team, but I think it's going to be a lot of fun."
