One of the real surprises of the Boston Bruins' camp is former Merrimack D
and captain Mark Cornforth.  Cornforth, a 1995 graduate who was also named
a Distinguished Scholar by Hockey East for making the league's Academic
Honor Roll all four years, put on hold a prestigious accounting job with
Boston's Peat Marwick so that he could give the NHL a try.
 
He has impressed the Bruins' staff to the extent that he has a decent shot
at landing a roster spot when the team breaks camp next week and begins the
NHL campaign.  Tonight (Friday) was his second straight game for the team,
and he was again paired on defense with veteran Ray Bourque.  Wednesday
night he got the start in hometown Montreal along with Bourque.
 
If Cornforth does stick with the Bruins for the start of the season, I
believe he would become the first Merrimack player to play in the NHL who
came to Merrimack since the team joined HE in 1989.  He would also join an
exclusive club of former Warriors to see action in the NHL.  The only other
players I am aware of are Jim Hrivnak and Jim Vesey, but I am looking for
additions if anyone knows of any, particularly from before my time.
 
I have placed on the Merrimack hockey web site two articles about Cornforth
from the last few days.  They are accessible through the URL in my .sig;
follow the link for "Press clippings".
 
BTW, among those playing for the Flyers against Cornforth and the Bruins
this evening were fellow Montreal native and former Maine Black Bear Jim
Montgomery, Maine's Garth Snow, and PC's Chris Therien.  A good showing for
recent HE stars...
 
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                   [log in to unmask]            *HMM* 11/13/93
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