from Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal,

I suspect the new man Dallas Eakins will not try to make former Boston Bruins’ defenceman Andrew Ference into something he is not, except for maybe changing the important letter on his NHL jersey from an A to a C because Ference is certainly acquainted with winning, something in short supply here for quite some time.

Plus, Ference, part of the strong leadership inner circle in Boston, knows how to talk the talk and walk the walk. This is not some guy who is just good in the room. He is good, where it counts, on the 200′ by 85′ sheet of ice, too. Just take it from his former boss Peter Chiarelli, part of Canada’s Olympic selection committee. He hated to lose Ference, one of his top four D-men, somebody who could move up and down his lineup–mostly playing with fellow Edmontonian Johnny Boychuk.

Chiarelli simply couldn’t afford his assistant captain with the salary cap squeeze, not having to sign goalie Tuukka Rask..

“Andy’s a competitive little S.O.B,” said Chiarelli. “He plays harder than his size (5’11″, 189).”

continued