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Kalman: Still Short On Talent, Bruins Now Have World-Class Practice Facility

BOSTON (CBS) - It was a scene out of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, if instead of a candy producer the magical site was a brand new practice rink.

And instead of the late Gene Wilder leading the way Thursday, the tour guide for the unveiling of the Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton was another comedic actor (albeit with fewer credits) Cam Neely. The Bruins president and Hall of Fame player showed off the replacement for 30-year-old Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington as though his team had found a golden ticket that would make the difference between making the playoffs this season and missing the postseason for a third straight year.

Although he wouldn't single out one specific part of the new start-of-the-art arena as his favorite, Neely definitely had one space he considered the most important for the Bruins' future – the trainer's room. In a space that dwarfs the trainer's room at the old practice rink, the Bruins have a hot and cold tub, a treadmill that can go underwater and plenty of room for players and therapists (including several newly added to the staff) to get stretches and treatments done in an attempt to keep the Bruins as healthy as possible.

"A lot of the guys in the offseason, when they work out or they get treatments, they're taking care of their bodies as best as they think they can," Neely said. "We want to do that for them during the season. So I think it's very important for us to give them the best equipment, give them the best care that we can. ... When they do get banged up, if it helps them get back a little more quickly, that's better for everybody."

Let's face it, it's difficult to commend the Bruins for needing so many years into the 21st century to do what many teams in the NHL did in the 20th century. A high-tech practice facility has become a given in most cities. Whether or not their sad-sack practice digs cost them free agents over the years, the new building isn't going to be that much of a difference maker considering the competition will probably have a comparable facility. Touring Warrior Ice Arena didn't change Jimmy Vesey's mind about heading to New York.

But the Bruins finally got it done. They're leasing the space from New Balance and doing everything they can to make sure the players that choose to play in Boston are taken care of the way millionaire athletes expect to be cared for. In addition to the trainer's room, there's a player's lounge with leather couches and a ping pong table, a kitchen, and a state-of-the-art workout room. There are jumbo television screens everywhere.

Warrior Ice Arena isn't going to make up for the Bruins' lack of a No. 1 defenseman or guarantee Frank Vatrano scores 30 goals or make sure Tuukka Rask doesn't struggle for the first two weeks of the season again. However, it will make life a lot easier for the players' preparation and focus.

"It's just the fact that now the guys want to be here," defenseman Torey Krug said. "Not to take anything away from any past facilities or anything, but guys would get in there, get on the ice, do your work in the weight room and just get out of there. Now we have this beautiful facility and there's this energy and people want to be here, they're going to spend time here. To be honest, you might go that extra mile to do things that you probably wouldn't in the past to make sure your body's ready whether it's the next practice or the next game. I think that's a large part for every individual as well."

Barring complaints from players' families, the new rink should add to the Bruins' camaraderie. If they're hanging around the luxurious trainer's room or lounge, they're getting to know one another better and bonding. Hopefully they're talking hockey and having constructive conversations about plays and opponents.

Where the players enter the rink after exiting the elevator from the garage, the Bruins have placed six replicas of the Stanley Cup to represent the franchise's greatest seasons. Right now those models are more of a tease than a realistic goal for the rebuilding Bruins. But at least once the players walk past the trophies they'll be entering a rink that shows the organization is serious about competing and putting them in the best shape to succeed.

It's up to the players to make the championship-caliber rink into the home of actual champions.

"Now there's no shortcuts," Krug said. "We've been provided with a lot of resources to be able to do a lot of things. And there's no excuses to not be prepared for upcoming games over the season or anything like that."

Matt Kalman covers the Bruins for CBSBoston.com and also contributes to NHL.com and several other media outlets. Follow him on Twitter @TheBruinsBlog.

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