The new head coach acknowledges he not yet very familiar with the Bruins' players, and team president Harry Sinden says he's not familiar with Lewis, either.

01:00 AM EDT on Friday, June 30, 2006

BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- Not only did the Boston Bruins introduce Dave Lewis as their 27th head coach in team history yesterday, the press conference at TD Banknorth Garden also served as a get-to-know-you gathering.

Lewis' résumé speaks for itself: he spent 20 years in the Detroit Red Wings organization as a player, assistant coach, head coach and scout and has three Stanley Cup titles to show for it. But the longtime front-office personnel for the Bruins do not know their new head coach on a personal level.

"I know very little about him," said team president Harry Sinden. "I'm not very familiar with him at all. I know his record and I know he hit Gordie Kluzak (in a preseason game that basically ended the promising career of the young defenseman in the late 80s), that I remember very well. I didn't forgive Lewis as of yesterday, but now that we've got him, I forgive him."

Bruins assistant general manager Jeff Gorton met Lewis for the first time on Wednesday and incoming general manager Peter Chiarelli met him during his recent coaching interviews. Other than watching the Bruins play last year, Lewis is not familiar with the players. The newest addition to the Bruins' defensive corp, Paul Mara, also met his new coach for the first time yesterday.

It's safe to say there's a huge learning curve ahead for the Bruins.

Chiarelli, who will officially take over the role of GM on July 15 after he closes out his tenure as assistant GM of the Ottawa Senators, obviously wanted to start with a clean slate.

Reading from a prepared statement, Chiarelli introduced Lewis yesterday, saying he chose the new coach for a variety of reasons.

"We shared many common objectives with the ultimate goal of returning this team to its winning tradition," Chiarelli said. "Dave is a highly motivated, team-focused, seasoned NHL coach with over 30 years of solid experience. . . . Dave has a passion for the game, and at the same time is a student of the game."

Lewis, a native of Kindersley, Saskatchewan, who turns 53 on Monday, said it is a great honor to be the new coach of the Bruins.

"It is such a great franchise with great history and great people," he said. "It's an opportunity for me to grow with the team. This is a great day, but I hope this is not the best day I have as a head coach of the Boston Bruins. In talking with Peter through the interview process, the goal is the same and the dream is the same."

Lewis said he is a big believer in leadership on and off the ice with everyone involved with the team. He has not chosen the people for his coaching staff, but said he has conducted casual interviews.

As far as the club's roster leading into the 2006-2007 season, Lewis said he expects the players to take control. In the meantime, the first thing he said he was going to do was call the players to get to know them a little better before training camp starts in September.

"I'm a believer in 'show me'," he said. "There is a strong young nucleus of skill here, I've tried to research some of their character and talked to people who have worked with these players. My job as a coach is to put these players in a position to be successful."

Lewis enjoyed great success with the Red Wings, winning three Stanley Cups in 1997, 1998 and in 2002 as an assistant coach. Lewis spent 15 seasons as an assistant coach for the Red Wings before succeeding Scotty Bowman as head coach after the 2001-2002 season. He held the job for two seasons, but his contract wasn't renewed in June 2005, and he stayed with Detroit as a scout. Those Stanley Cup championship teams in Detroit were filled with seasoned veterans and future Hall of Famers. In Boston, Lewis is inheriting a good young team but there are still many questions how the team will be filled out.

He will have more of an understanding after this weekend with the buyout period today and the free-agent period starting tomorrow. Gorton said two players will be bought out, likely Shawn McEachern and Alexei Zhamnov. Gorton also said the club is looking to sign a big-name free agent, if possible. Even though the Bruins have had a tough couple of months, and have been criticized for it, Lewis appeared energetic and enthusiastic yesterday despite all the unknowns.

"There will be a growing curve," he said. "But if you asked me, I don't know how long that will be."

jmcdonal@projo.com / (401) 277-7340