Take A Seat

In Bruins news:

• Tuukka Rask has taken a seat at the World Cup of Hockey in favor of Pekka Rinne. Don’t read too much into it. The Boston Globe
• This marks the second off-season in the Don Sweeney administration, and needed changes to the defensive corps were not made. Maybe luck will be in the Bruins favor this year? WEEI
• Step right up... the failure to land a veteran defenseman is likewise a call to Bruins youngsters to leap into the breech. Remember Frank Vatrano’s success? Boston Herald
• Ryan Spooner is well aware of the areas in which he needs to improve. The arrival of new teammates David Backes, Riley Nash, and Dominic Moore should serve to stoke his effort. Boston Herald
• Zane McIntyre’s new mask design is bold and uncluttered, with a few nods to Boston and a shoutout to one special lady. Weekend at Bergy’s
• Best wishes to John Whitesides (the breakout star of Behind the B) as he transitions to a community outreach role for the Bruins. Mike Macchioni takes the helm of team strength and conditioning going forward. (With video) WEEI
• This quick video recap of the Boston Bruins Foundation Golf Tournament includes glimpses of familiar faces (Anton Khudobin and Denna Laing among them) verdant scenery and rainbows. (Video, 1:58) Bruins NHL

Elsewhere around the rink:

• A new movie called Hello Destroyer takes a sobering look at junior hockey, portraying the way in which players are used up and then unceremoniously discarded. (With video trailer) The Hockey News
• Meanwhile, the movie Ice Guardians has premiered, in which enforcers themselves control the narrative of what it means to fight in hockey. (With video trailer) The Hockey News
• The local Panthers’ affiliate, the Springfield (MA) Thunderbirds, have introduced their new mascot, Boomer, and uniform concept. MassLive
• Suggestions are pouring in for a goal song to be played for Team North America (the "Young Guns") as you can well imagine. Bar Down
• Dig into these Cliff notes from last weekend’s Rochester Institute of Technology Hockey Analytics Conference (#RITHAC)... or wait until the pertinent content is uploaded to YouTube. TSN
• Steve Dangle offers his take on the new EA Sports NHL 17 (Video, 15:42) which he likes for more realistic netfront battles and goaltending. Sportsnet
• The ghost of World Cups past... Sean McIndoe employs hindsight to imagine how prior Cups would look had they iced a Team North America all along. Sportsnet
• Too much, too soon? Bobby Clarke doesn’t advocate handing off the "C" to a callow youth, future superstar or not. Puck Drunk Love
• Youth movement be damned! Should a babe in arms be required to buy a ticket to watch the Heritage Classic? The NHL thinks so. National Post
• Godspeed Pavel Lainka, the young official who took a puck to the (helmeted) head and has subsequently passed away. Puck Daddy