As reported on the Bruins Blog, Dale Arnold will no longer be doing play-by-play for the Bruins. His contact was not renewed and now Jack Edwards will be assuming the full-time duty. Edwards and Andy Brickley ran the show on the road last year but will be doing so at home in 2007-08 was well. This was very dissapointing for me to here because Dale Arnold was a great play-by-play announcer.

When I see the name Jack Edwards, I can't relate a face. He is quite tall but otherwise transparent. Dale Arnold's voice would echo throughout my living room following each and every Bruins goal. He was ellated. Genuinly excited, pumped-up for each goal. I might go a little too far here to say...as Zdeno Chara would wind up for a rip-roaring slapshot on the power-play, Arnold would similarly wind up, reaching into the depths of his vocal chords to deliver that sweet scoring sound. He would pick up steam as a Bruin player did the same. He announced the same way some great players, Mario Lemieux first comes to mind, effortlessly glide (so it seems) around the ice, only to explode into a sudden shot or make a mind boggling move toward the net. During a power-play, Arnold is steady, calm, but unable to hind that immenent excitement only moments away, in the air always.

I understand a lot of people aren't big fans of Arnold. I have no problem with that. Some people especially don't like hearing him on WEEI but for me, well his voice signals Bruins chatter and any Bruins dialogue stuck in between all that Sox, Celtics, Patriots clutter is welcomed with open ears.

Reflecting on my previous post regarding Manny Fernandez, the new Bruin stopper is the 11th highest paid keeper in the league. Six of those goalies had better GAAs. Again, he was a good sign.

Lastly I want to remind any local readers that the Bruins development camp begins at Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington this week. The players will be skating once on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and twice Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. I've never seen a development camp and I am curious to see some of the news guys so I'll probably head up there once or twice. Tuukka Rask should be an especially interesting specimin - with all the goalie overload going on right now, it's not out of the realm of possibility that he could dethrown any of the season-opening starters by say midseason if all is not well in the Boston net. I guess I'd rather not see too much Tuukka in Boston this year. I'll gladly make the trip to Providence.