WILMINGTON, Mass. – Jeremy Reich would have had every reason to be bitter.
After finally earning a one-way deal from the Bruins in 2007 after spending the bulk of his first seven pro seasons in the minors, Reich became victim of the terms of that deal in its final year in 2008-09. With the Bruins tight against the cap, they couldn't risk being caught with half his cap hit if he was claimed on re-entry waivers, and Reich was thus stuck in Providence all season after being sent down in camp.
Last year, he had a chance to make it back to the NHL with the Islanders, but suffered a broken wrist in a preseason fight and was relegated to the AHL again after he recovered.
But Reich's patience and perseverance may finally be rewarded. The Bruins brought him back this summer, and he'll have a chance in camp to battle for a spot in Boston, where he played 90 of his 99 career NHL games from 2006-08.
"It's perfect. It's kind of like I never left to be honest with you," said Reich, 31, after skating with the club in informal workouts for the first time on Thursday. "It's funny. It feels like I was in here just yesterday. A lot of the guys that I played with before, Thorny [Shawn Thornton] and [Adam] McQuaid and a lot of the guys I played with in Providence are up here now, so it was exciting for me out there today."
Reich's new one-year deal is a two-way contract, paying him $500,000 if he stays in the NHL and $160,000 in the AHL, according to capgeek.com. That means even if he doesn't make the big club in camp, he won't be subject to re-entry waivers and can be called up during the season if needed.
"I'm not under those guidelines anymore," said Reich. "It gives me a little more leeway. I'm going into camp to make the team, but if it doesn't work out I know I'll fight down there to get back up here."
Reich knows plenty about fighting, as he has piled up 161 penalty minutes and 21 fighting majors in the NHL, plus another 1,357 PIMs in 565 AHL games. But he didn't even have a puncher's chance of making it back to the NHL the past two years due to cap considerations and injuries.
"It was tough," said Reich. "It's kind of tough knowing there's a very slim chance you're going to get called up. But there's no point hanging your head about it. I think if I would have hung my head, I wouldn't be standing here today. It's just something I had to battle through."
Reich's positive attitude in Providence, where he served as captain in 2008-09, certainly helped pave the way for his return to the organization this summer.
"That's just the way I am. I try to be upbeat," said Reich. "There's a lot worse things I could have been doing than being down there, so I was just trying to make the most of it and have fun."
Reich did make the most of his chances the past two years, proving he can contribute in ways beyond just dropping the gloves. He had his best offensive year as a pro with Providence in 2008-09, putting up 21-13-34 totals in 76 games. Last year with the wrist injury limiting his ability to fight, he played a more offensive role again, scoring 12 goals and 20 points in just 33 games with the Islanders' AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.
"I stayed away from the fighting a little bit because I had to with the wrist, so I ended up doing all right," said Reich. "I was playing with some good players. My wrist wasn't fully healed so I knew going in I wasn't going to be fighting much right off the hop. I was playing on one of the top two lines and we just played pretty well together."
His improved play, as well as the leadership he displayed under trying circumstances in Providence, led the Bruins to sign Reich as soon as possible, inking him to a deal on the opening day of free agency on July 1.
"It was kind of quick," said Reich, who noted that his wrist is now fine and he will not have any restrictions on fighting when necessary this season. "It was a lot quicker than I expected. I was ecstatic that it got done that quickly. I didn't have to linger on until August to figure out what was going on. It obviously feels good when somebody wants you. I'm going to go out there and play the same way and do the same things I did before."
