Peter Chiarelli doesn't look much like hockey with his professorial appearance and law degree from the University of Ottawa. He looks more like Harvard, which he captained during his playing days before going to law school, becoming an agent and getting into the management business.

In five years, the Bruins' general manager turned a sorry team that finished 26th in the NHL into Stanley Cup champions. He remained mostly behind the scenes during their march through the postseason this year but deserves more credit for their success than any player on his roster, including Tim Thomas.

Chiarelli showed how champions could be made in just a few years if they have the right guy running the show. Chiarelli's intelligence, aggressiveness and fearlessness defined his management style and the play of his team. Pretty good wasn't good enough. The goal was winning the whole thing.

The Bruins are champions today because he refused to stand pat and hope for the best after their 116-point season two years ago. He traded for seven players who contributed to them winning the Cup. Some swaps were bigger than others, some more bold than others, but he put the pieces together and made it work. It wasn't luck.

Intelligence? He took Daniel Paille from the Sabres for a conditional draft pick early in the 2009-10 season with the idea that the winger would kill penalties and play on the fourth line. Paille was very good on the PK and gave them quality minutes in the playoffs. Remember, he was sent packing because Tim Kennedy took his spot in training camp.

Aggressive? Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell were acquired from Florida, addressing critical needs before free agency opened last summer. Horton came through in the clutch during the playoffs, and the Bruins rallied around him after he was knocked out in the finals. Campbell embraced his role on the fourth line and killed penalties.

Dennis Seidenberg, who played on the top defense pairing with Zdeno Chara, was snatched in a previous trade with the Panthers. Chiarelli didn't mess around and wait for the last possible moment to, you know, maximize his leverage this year. He grabbed Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley more than a week before the deadline without fretting about disrupting the team's chemistry. Instead, he made it stronger and deeper.

Chiarelli also landed defenseman Tomas Kaberle, who didn't play well for Boston after arriving but was solid enough in the playoffs. Ultimately, the trade worked. If it didn't, at least Chiarelli made the attempt.

Fearless? Chiarelli had a 30-goal scorer in winger Phil Kessel when the Bruins finished with the best record in the East in 2008-09. Kessel wanted big money, but Chiarelli didn't like the fit for several reasons. So he traded Kessel without getting a warm body in return or worrying about making a mistake.

Boston ended up with two first-round picks. One was used to select Tyler Seguin second overall a year ago. The Bruins allowed him to develop in the NHL at the right pace. Seguin didn't play in the first two rounds, but he was ready when they needed him in the final two.

Chiarelli's best move was the one he didn't make. Philadelphia made an offer for Thomas in the offseason, but Chiarelli kept the veteran and his $5 million salary even though they had a capable, cheaper option in Tuukka Rask.

Thomas had a 1.98 goals-against average and a .940 save percentage in the playoffs. He had a 1.15 GAA and .967 SP in the finals. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the postseason and will likely become the first player to win the Stanley Cup, the Conn Smythe and Vezina Trophy in the same season.

Chiarelli made it all happen.

bgleason@buffnews.com null