Wednesday, August 03, 2005

First they took Boomer, now they take Brian

Bostonians once again have claimed a New York icon as their own. The Bruins surprised many observers today when they acquired the services of Brian Leetch, former Ranger Blue line mainstay. Leetch who had spent a few weeks in the Toronto dressing room back when they last played the game, signed on the dotted line today, no doubt planning on wrapping up his career closer to his childhood home.

However, the move by the Bruins has caught a few off guard and certainly raised a few eyebrows. Former Ranger GM Neil Smith recounted on the Fan 590's Prime Time Sports today how the Bruins would routinely claim that Leetch had been overpaid and underperforming while in Broadway Blues. Smith wondered why Leetch would forget all those slurs of the past just for the chance to relive his Boston College days.

With Leetch signing with the Bruins the exodus from Toronto continues at a fast pace, while Leetch did not really get to put his stamp on the Maple Leaf blue line in his short time in Toronto, it seems to be a theme of late that players are abandoning the Maple Leaf blue print for other pastures.

Whatever the reason for the Bruins decision it certainly shall add even more fuel to the long running rivalry between Boston and New York. While it's best known for the Yankee/Red Sox wars, the addition of a former Broadway star to the Bruins line up, should help to keep both the Gallery Gods of New York and the Bruin's faithful full of oral compliments all season long.

Like Boomer before him, Leetch may find that as long as he wins when they play New York he'll be a hero. Bostonians are storing up the wood, it's time to throw another Log onto the rivalry fire, a blaze that can now blaze long after the ALCS. We look forward to the Jaded New Englanders' take on this latest addition to her beloved Bruins.

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