What’s new with the Boston Bruins? That’s what this page is all about.

The Team Spirit Line Change website begins where the Team Spirit books end.

That’s because hockey never stands still … And I can never squeeze everything I want into 48 pages!

Take a look at some of the Bruins collectibles I have in my home.

Enjoy this site, check back whenever you like, and contact me with any questions or comments.

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Updates

2022-23 Season

Season Recap: The Bruins were being called one of the best teams of the 2000s when the playoffs began in April. By the end of the month, they were out of the playoffs. Boston led the Florida Panthers 3 games to 1 before losing the series in overtime in Game 7. Still, it was a great year. Team leader Patrice Bergeron injured his back at the end of the season and was not 100% against the Panthers. Goalie Linus Ullmark, who was almost unbeatable during the regular season, was benched for Game 7. Until then, Boston fans had enjoyed great years from David Pastrnak, who led the club with 61 goals and 52 assists, and nine other players who scored 10 or more goals.

March 2, 2023: The Bruins reached 100 points in the standings in their 61st game, faster than any team in history. They beat the record of 62 games set by the Canadiens in 1976-77. Eight days and three games later, Boston became the fastest-ever to win 60 games in a season.

February 25, 2023: Linus Ullmark became the first goalie in team history to score a goal when he fired a puck the length of the ice into the open net of the Vancouver Canucks. Only 7 other goalies in league history have put the puck in the net during the regular season.

Season Preview: A first-round exit in the playoffs is usually followed by big changes, but the Bruins head into the season with the same key players as last year. Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak will power the Boston offense, with help from young center Pavel Zacha. New coach Jim Montgomery will need to give more young players a chance and will probably do so in 2022–23. The team’s defense is led by Charlie McAvoy, Boston’s best all-around player, as well as the goaltending duo of Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark. If things break just right, the Bruins could be in the mix for the Stanley Cup Finals next spring.

2021-22 Season

Season Recap: Boston won 51 games during the season, led by Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and captain Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins had the skaters and goaltenders to go deep into the playoffs, but they ran into the red-hot Carolina Hurricanes and lost 4 games to 3.

Season Preview: The Bruins look like a surefire playoff team in 2021–22, thanks to a solid roster led by David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Taylor Hall, Nick Foligno, and Linus Ullmark. The Boston defense isn’t the best, but there is a lot of young talent on the bench and coach Bruce Cassidy hopes to find a couple of new stars there.

2020-21 Season

Season Recap: The Bruins made the playoffs with 73 points in the super-tight Eastern Division. Brad Marchand led the team with 29 goals and 40 assists, and veterans Tuukka Rask and Patrice Bergeron enjoyed excellent seasons. After beating the Washington Capitals in the opening round of the playoffs, Boston fell to the New York Islanders in the next round.

April 15, 2021: Tuukka Rask beat the New York Islanders for the 300th win of his career. He became the 37th goalie in history to reach that mark.

Season Preview: The Bruins have three lines of talented scorers and playmakers, but are weaker on defense after the retirement of Zdeno Chara. David Pastrnak should be among the league leaders in goals again, and newcomer Craig Smith will add more firepower at forward. Boston is getting older, but the team’s experience could be a deciding factor in the playoffs.

2019-20 Season

January 25, 2020: David Pastrnak was named Most Valuable Player of the NHL All-Star Game.

November 5, 2019: Future Hall of Famer Zdena Chara played in his 1,500th NHL game at the age of 42.

Season Preview: After falling one victory short of the Stanley Cup, Boston hopes its veterans can lead them back to the finals. Zdena Chara, Tuukka Rask, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, and Brad Marchand provide leadership for young stars like David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy.

2018-19 Season

Season Recap: The Bruins came within 60 minutes of winning the Stanley Cup. They faced the St. Louis Blues in Game 7 in Boston, but fell 4–1. It was a disappointing end to an excellent season. The team won 49 games and featured five players with 40 or more assists, including David Pastrnak, David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, Torey Krug, and Brad Marchand. Marchand was the team’s leading scorer, with 100 points on 36 goals and 64 assists. Goalie Tuukka Rask became the team’s all-time leader in wins, breaking an 80-year-old record.

February 3, 2019: Tuuka Rask won his 253rd career game with a 1–0 shutout against the Capitals. He passed Hall of Famer Tiny Thompson as the team’s all-time victory leader.

January 25, 2019: David Patrnak won the Shooting Accuracy competition at the NHL All-Star Game.

November 12, 2018: David Pastrnak was named 1st Star of the Week after scoring 5 goals in 4 games.

Season Preview: The Bruins won games last season with a group of older players who stayed healthy and motivated. Can they continue to produce for another season while waiting for help from rising stars like Ryan Donato to arrive? Boston has good goaltending, penalty killing and a solid power play—and a pair of excellent forwards in Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. That gives them a chance to win every game they play.

2017-18 Season

Season Recap: The Bruins turned in a solid 50-win season led by Patrice Bergeron, David Pastmak, and Brad Marchand—each of whom netted 30 or more goals. Boston won a tough opening-round series with Toronto with four goals in the third period of Game 7. However, they ran into the red-hot Tampa Lightning in the second round and fell 4 games to 1.

January 6, 2018: Patrice Bergeron scored four goals against Carolina to tie a team record. He tallied his 700th career point during the game.

Season Preview: The Bruins skate into the season with the same club that won 44 times last year. During that season, the team switched coaches, bringing in Bruce Cassidy, who told his players to be more aggressive. They could be very dangerous playing this way for 82 games.

2015-16 Season

Season Recap: Boston finished the year with 42 wins and 93 points behind strong seasons from centers Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and Ryan Spooner. Defenseman Torey Krug helped to spark the offense with 40 assists, helping the team finish #5 in the NHL in goals. Tuuka Rask was excellent in goal, but the Bruins just missed making the playoffs.

Season Preview: Boston’s strength heading into the season is the goal-scoring talent of its first three lines, which include newcomers Jimmy Hayes and Matt Beleskey. The team’s weakness, however, looks like its defense. Age and injuries caught up with the team last season and not much has changed. However, if the Bruins can stay healthy, they’ll be hard to handle.

2014-15 Season

Season Recap: The Bruins gave up almost as many goals as they scored, but scored when it counted most. They won 41 games and tied 14 to finish with 96 points. Nine players scored 10 or more goals, led by Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and Loui Eriksson. The Bruins had four five-game winning streaks during the season, but came up one point short of making the playoffs.

Season Preview: The Bruins begin the 2014–15 campaign as the team to beat in the Atlantic Division. They have lots of experienced, big-name stars and a goalie at the height of his powers, Tuukka Rask. Rising stars like Loui Eriksson will be counted on to support team leaders Patrice Begreron, David Krejci, and Zdeno Chara on a team that is built to win now.

2013-14 Season

April 13, 2014: Brad Marchand finished the year with 5 shorthanded goals—tied for the most in the NHL. Marchand was third in the league in plus/minus behind teammates David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron.

Season Preview: The Bruins made a couple of big deals right after losing to Chicago in the Stanley Cup Finals, then were quiet the rest of the off-season. And why not? They have young talent and veteran leadership at every position, and a defense that could be the best in the East by the end of the year. The key loss for the team was Andrew Ference, a veteran leader on defense. Their key addition was veteran forward Jarome Iginla. He will play with Milan Lucic and David Krejci on the team’s top-scoring line.

More Go-To Guys

This old wire photo came out of a newspaper that went out of business years ago. It shows Bill Cowley getting ready for a playoff game against the Rangers in 1939. (Author’s Collection/Associated Press)

I love these old Bee Hive photos. They came free with honey and syrup in the 1950s and 1960s. Each photo was attached to a piece of cream-colored paper. This one shows Fernie Flaman. (Cargill, Inc.)

This media guide shows Adam Oates on the cover. I used it to write a book about the history of hockey in the 1990s, and again when I wrote the Bruins book. (Boston Bruins/NHL)

Patrice Bergeron signed this action photo. Isn’t it cool how they made the background black and white to make him stand out more? (Author’s Collection)

  • Bill Cowley — Center
    Born: 6/12/1912
    Died: 12/31/1993
    Played for Team: 1935–36 to 1946–47
    Bill Cowley began his hockey career as a goalie, but later found his calling as a center. Known for his pinpoint passes, Cowley finished among the league’s top scorers year after year. In 1943–44 he had 71 points after 36 when he suffered a season-ending injury. The record at the time was 73—and Cowley was on pace to finish with close to 100!

  • Bobby Bauer — Right Wing
    Born: 2/16/1915
    Died: 9/16/1964
    Played for Team: 1935–36 to 1941–42, 1945–46 to 1946–47 & 1950–51
    Bobby Bauer was the fast-skating, slick-passing member of a line that included Milt Schmidt and Woody Dumart. All three were of German heritage, so coach Albert Leduc nicknamed them the Sauerkraut Line—or Kraut Line for short. Like many NHL players, Bauer missed time while he served in the military during World War II. After returning from the Royal Canadian Air Force at age 32, he had his best season ever, with 30 goals.

  • Fern Flaman — Defenseman
    Born: 1/25/1927
    Died: 1/25/2012
    Played for Team: 1944–45 to 1950–51 & 1954–55 to 1960–61
    During Fern Flaman’s first stay with the Bruins, the team did not give him much ice time. When he returned, he became team captain and led Boston to two Stanley Cup Finals. Flaman was a physical player who could win battles for the puck in the corners and keep opposing scorers from setting up in front the net.

  • Leo Boivin — Defenseman
    Born: 8/2/1932
    Played for Team: 1954–55 to 1965–66
    Leo Boivin was short and stocky, and he used his low center of gravity to deliver body checks that sent opponents flying through the air. He was an important part of the Boston team that reached the Stanley Cup Finals twice in the late-1950s.

  • Gerry Cheevers — Goalie
    Born: 12/2/1940
    Played for Team: 1965–66 to 1971–72
    The Bruins lost Bernie Parent and Doug Favell when the NHL expanded from 6 to 12 teams in 1967. Luckily, they managed to hang on to Gerry Cheevers. Cheevers often practiced without a stick, which made him especially good with his glove and pads. He played his best when the stakes were highest, and was a key factor in Boston’s two Stanley Cups during the 1970s.

  • Adam Oates — Center
    Born: 8/27/1962
    Played for Team: 1991–92 to 1996–97
    Adam Oates was nearly 30 when he was traded to the Bruins. He proceeded to have the best year of his career in his first full season in Boston. He led the NHL with 97 assists, and also set a record with four assists in one period at the 1993 All-Star Game. Few players have ever had the passing skills and scoring touch that Oates brought to the Bruins.

  • Joe Thornton — Center
    Born: 7/2/1979
    Played for Team: 1997–98 to 2005–06
    Joe Thornton towered over his opponents at 6’4″ and outweighed most by a good 20 pounds. Yet it was as a playmaker—not as an enforcer—that he truly excelled. If there was a way to create an opportunity for a teammate, Thornton would find it. He was named team captain at age 22.

  • Patrice Bergeron — Center
    Born: 7/24/1985
    First Season with Team: 2003–04
    Few players have excelled on offense and defense the way Patrice Bergeron has for the Bruins. When he scored the winning goal in Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, he joined the Triple Gold Club—with an NHL, Olympic and World championship to his credit.

  • David Pastrnak — Right Wing
    Born: 5/25/1996
    First Season with Team: 2014–15
    David Pastrnak began scoring big goals for the Bruins as a teenager and never stopped. He led the NHL with 48 in 2019–20 and was named MVP of the 2020 All-Star Game.

More Fun Facts

I found this photo on Milt Schmidt’s Wikipedia page. It shows him at an autograph signing in 2011. (Meowcat)

  • WHEEL DEAL
    One of the strangest sights in Downtown Boston is 6’9″ Zdeno Chara pedaling his bike from his apartment to games. Chara also does neighborhood errands on his two-wheeler.

  • THE 75-YEAR PLAN
    The Bruins have had many great team leaders, but only Milt Schmidt served as an All-Star player, team captain, coach, and general manager. At the beginning of the 2010–11 season, the Bruins celebrated Schmidt’s 75th year working with the club.

  • DEEP POCKETS
    The Bruins’ first owner, Charles Adams, decided to bring pro hockey to Boston after a popular amateur club lost its fans after a scandal. He bought the franchise from the NHL for $15,000. Two years later, Adams purchased the entire Western Canada Hockey League for $300,000—and paid another $500,000 to build the Boston Garden!

League Leaders

Another Bee Hive photo. This one shows Rudy “Bronco” Horvath, the 1959–60 goal-scoring leader. (Cargill, Inc.)

This little coin showing Phil Esposito is made of plastic with a paper insert. The Shirriff Company made them in the 1960s and gave them away with bags of potato chips. (Shirriff Co.)

Whoa! I’m not sure I’d want to tangle with this guy! Frank Brimsek strikes a pose on the cover of a 1940s Sport Magazine. (Macfadden Publishing)

Exclusive Hockey Digest Access

When Hockey Digest began publishing in 1972, they picked this classic shot of Bobby Orr for the first cover. The magazine lasted until 2004 and I have every issue! (Century Publishing)

  • GOALS
    1929–30 — Cooney Weiland — 41
    1938–39 — Roy Conacher — 26
    1959–60 — Bronco Horvath — 39
    1969–70 — Phil Esposito — 43
    1970–71 — Phil Esposito — 76
    1971–72 — Phil Esposito — 66
    1972–73 — Phil Esposito — 55
    1973–74 — Phil Esposito — 68
    1974–75 — Phil Esposito — 61
    2019–20 – David Pastrnak – 48*

    *Tied with another player

  • ASSISTS
    1938–39 — Bill Cowley — 34
    1939–40 — Milt Schmidt — 30
    1940–41 — Bill Cowley — 45
    1942–43 — Bill Cowley — 45
    1959–60 — Don McKenney — 49
    1967–68 — Phil Esposito — 49
    1968–69 — Phil Esposito — 77
    1969–70 — Bobby Orr — 87
    1970–71 — Bobby Orr — 102
    1971–72 — Bobby Orr — 80
    1972–73 — Phil Esposito — 75
    1973–74 — Bobby Orr — 90
    1974–75 — Bobby Orr — 89*
    1992–93 — Adam Oates — 97
    2005–06 — Joe Thornton — 96*

    * Tied with another player

  • POINTS
    1929–30 — Cooney Weiland — 73
    1939–40 — Milt Schmidt — 52
    1940–41 — Bill Cowley — 62
    1943–44 — Herb Cain — 82
    1968–69 — Phil Esposito — 126
    1969–70 — Bobby Orr — 120
    1970–71 — Phil Esposito — 152
    1971–72 — Phil Esposito — 133
    1972–73 — Phil Esposito — 130
    1973–74 — Phil Esposito — 145
    1974–74 — Bobby Orr — 135
    2005–06 — Joe Thornton — 125*

    * Tied with another player

  • GOALS-AGAINST
    1929–30 — Tiny Thompson — 2.19
    1932–33 — Tiny Thompson — 1.76
    1935–36 — Tiny Thompson — 1.68
    1937–38 — Tiny Thompson — 1.80
    1938–39 — Frank Brimsek — 1.56
    1941–42 — Frank Brimsek — 2.36
    1982–83 — Pete Peeters — 2.36
    2008–09 — Tim Thomas — 2.10
    2009–10 — Tukka Rask — 1.97
    2010–11 — Tim Thomas — 2.00
  • PLUS/MINUS
    1967–68 — Dallas Smith — + 33
    1968–69 — Bobby Orr — + 65
    1969–70 — Bobby Orr — + 54
    1970–71 — Bobby Orr — + 124
    1971–72 — Bobby Orr — + 86
    1973–74 — Bobby Orr — + 84
    1974–75 — Bobby Orr — + 80
    2008–09 — David Krejci — + 37
    2010–11 — Zdeno Chara — + 33
    2011–12 — Patrice Bergeron — + 36
    2013–14 — David Krejci — +39

In the Stanley Cup Finals

Stanley Cup Finals Information

This program was from Boston’s wipeout of my beloved Rangers! (Author’s Collection)

SEASON OPPONENT RESULT
1926–27 Ottawa Senators Lost 0–2 (+ 2 Ties)
1928–29 New York Rangers Won 2–0
1929–30 Montreal Canadiens Lost 0–2
1938–39 Toronto Maple Leafs Won 4–1
1940–41 Detroit Red Wings Won 4–0
1942–43 Detroit Red Wings Lost 0–4
1945–46 Montreal Canadiens Lost 1–4
1952–53 Montreal Canadiens Lost 1–4
1956–57 Montreal Canadiens Lost 1–4
1957–58 Montreal Canadiens Lost 2–4
1969–70 St. Louis Blues Won 4–0
1971–72 New York Rangers Won 4–2
1973–74 Philadelphia Flyers Lost 2–4
1976–77 Montreal Canadiens Lost 0–4
1977–78 Montreal Canadiens Lost 2–4
1987–88 Edmonton Oilers Lost 0–4
1989–90 Edmonton Oilers Lost 1–4
2010–11 Vancouver Canucks Won 4–3
2012–13 Chicago Blackhawks Lost 2–4
2018–19 St. Louis Blues Lost 4–3

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