Be sure to 'like' Hockeybuzz on Facebook!
The Boston Bruins are becoming a more complete team by the day. Captain Zdeno Chara (knee) could play in Thursday’s game against Chicago and top-line center David Krejci has returned to practice (though he’s still waiting for full medical clearance). But the Black and Gold were dealt another blow today, as winger Simon Gagne will take an ‘indefinite leave of absence’ to be with his father, who was recently diagnosed with an incurable form of liver cancer.
"I have taken a personal leave of absence from the Boston Bruins in order to return home to Quebec to be with my father, who was recently diagnosed with liver cancer. The doctors - who have been great throughout this whole process - unfortunately informed us that his cancer is not curable,… the 34-year-old Gagne said through a statement on Wednesday afternoon. “I greatly appreciate the support and understanding that the Bruins organization and my teammates have given to me and my family since I let them know the news and I look forward to rejoining them when the time is appropriate. Until then, I would kindly ask everyone to respect my family and I's privacy during this difficult time."
Signed to a one-year, $600,000 contract shortly after surviving training camp on a non-contract invite, Gagne has recorded three goals, an assist, and 27 shots on goal in 23 games for the B’s this year, skating primarily on the fourth line with Danny Paille and centerman Gregory Campbell.
It’s been a struggle at times for the 14-year pro, especially after sitting out for the entire 2013-14 season, but with two goals in his last four games (including his 600th career point), Gagne’s play has certainly shown signs of coming around. The 6-foot-1 winger has the versatility that head coach Claude Julien loves with his veterans, too, as he’s also played on the first-line at various points this season, and was brought into the Hub with the hopes that he’d continue to pad a stellar postseason career including 37 goals and 59 points in 102 games played between Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, and Los Angeles.
But hockey and stats are secondary at this point for both Gagne and the B’s, and that goes without saying.
In the meantime, the Bruins have called forward Craig Cunningham up from the Providence Bruins to skate in Gagne’s spot during his absence. The 24-year-old Cunningham has scored five goals and 15 points in 21 games for the P-Bruins this season (including a goal on Tuesday night against the IceCaps), and has skated in three games for Boston this year, recording 10 hits and winning 16 of 29 faceoffs.
Cunningham will undoubtedly provide a boost of speed to that line, and it'll be equally interesting to see how he plays without the centerman responsibilities that he's skated with in all three games played this season.
Ty Anderson has been covering the Boston Bruins for HockeyBuzz.com since 2010, is a member of the Pro Hockey Writers Association's Boston Chapter, and can be contacted on Twitter, or emailed at Ty.AndersonHB[at]gmail.com