Tyler Seguin will have chance to say ‘Thank you Kessel’ as NHL All-Star linemates
OTTAWA — Tyler Seguin had an idea: That he should play on a line with Phil Kessel in the NHL All-Star Game, skating alongside the player whose trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs enabled Seguin to play for the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins.
"Just put us together. Let everyone have a story," Seguin said prior to the NHL All-Star Skills Competition.
Trouble was that his All-Star coach is his everyday coach: Claude Julien of the Bruins, who Seguin said isn't exactly receptive to line combination suggestions from his players.
"Maybe I'll just go over, whisper in his ear and walk away slowly," said Seguin.
The lobbying, subtle or otherwise, worked.
Joe Haggerty of CSN New England reports that Seguin will skate with Kessel and Joffrey Lupul on Team Chara in the All-Star Game. From Haggerty:
"I don't know if we're going to get booed every time we take the ice because of the Ottawa/Leafs thing, but I saw that before the game and thought it was pretty funny," said Seguin, who was fed passes from Kessel during the shooting accuracy competition that he failed spectacularly at on Saturday night.
"They've got me at center. It's a little surprising. I was going to ask coach about playing center, but I'm looking forward to it. I'll probably just throw the puck at them and watch them go."
In which Seguin becomes yet another Bostonian who's wanted to throw a puck at Phil Kessel …
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