Top 50 Boston Bruins
Hockey might be “Canada’s Game”, but the tradition of the sport is very strong in many major American markets, one of the biggest being Boston, Massachusetts.The Boston Bruins are the third-oldest team in the National Hockey League and the oldest in the United States. They are a member of the “Original Six”, and they have won the Stanley Cup six times.
As you can imagine, this list of the fifty top Boston Bruins includes many Hall of Famers and legends, and even those who did not make the Hall of Fame are long-tenured Bruins and iconic figures in New England.
Note: Hockey lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff statistics, and postseason accolades.
This list is current as of the 2024/25 Season.
The Boston Bruins fans were not always enamored with Ken Hodge. Actually, the Bruins coaches weren’t exactly either. The main reason for that is that, at 6 foot 2 and well over 200 pounds, he was bigger than most players, but did not always use his physicality as he was…
Gordie Howe called Fern Flaman the toughest defenceman he ever faced. If that is true, that is about as good an endorsement as anyone could ask for.
Bobby Bauer’s career only spanned nine seasons (all with Boston), but the Right Wing of the famed “Kraut Line” was a Second Team All Star in four of them. Bauer was a selfless player who knew how to set up his teammates brilliantly, and he was also a player who…
The first season that saw forward passing allowed in the National Hockey League was by far and away the best of Cooney Weiland’s career. In that, his sophomore campaign in hockey, Weiland led the NHL in scoring with 43 Goals, 73 Points, and destroyed Howie Morenz’s record of 51. That…
While the man nicknamed “Taz” was not your most skilled player, he embodied Boston Bruin hockey better than almost anyone. He was rough and tough (his 2,000-plus PIM tells you that), but he was just skilled enough to provide some solid offense, and in a career spent entirely in Boston,…
Adam Oates was only with the Boston Bruins for five years, but during his tenure with the B’s, he was a bona fide scoring machine, finishing third in scoring twice. Oates is third all-time in Points per Game for the Bruins and still holds the franchise record for Assists and…
Trivia question: Who was the first player to lead the NHL in plus/minus when it became an official statistic? Answer: Dallas Smith.
One of the few players in franchise history to have played more than 1,000 Games, Don Sweeney was a player who was content to stay out of the spotlight and bring his lunchpail-like work ethic to the defensive side of the ice, a job he performed very well. Sweeney would actually…
A finesse player who probably did not get his proper due, Don McKenney had his most successful seasons as a member of the Boston Bruins. McKenney would win the Lady Byng in the 1959/60 season and would also lead the National Hockey League in Assists that campaign. The slick player…
While Tim Thomas was often controversial, the fact remains that he had a lot of success when he backstopped the Boston Bruins.
Often paired with the legendary Eddie Shore, Lionel Hitchman was a stay-at-home defenceman even for an era where that was considered normal. As such, he did not put up impressive offensive statistics, but he was a highly respected hockey player who once finished second in Hart Trophy balloting and would…
Tuukka Rask played his entire career with the Boston Bruins, where the Goalie from Finland did a spectacular job in between the pipes. Rask was a First Round Pick by Toronto in 2004, but before he made it to the Leafs, he was traded to Boston in a move…
An essential part of the Boston Bruins' 2011 Stanley Cup Championship run, Czech forward David Krejci brought an impressive workmanlike attitude to the game and led the National Hockey League in Plus/Minus twice becoming one of the few players ever to achieve this feat. A very good two-way player, Krejci…
A small fraction away from being a Point per Game player as a Boston Bruin, Peter McNab was a skilled scorer known for his accurate shot and excellent stick handling. McNab was far from the best skater on the ice, but he had a high hockey I.Q. and knew where…
From Long Island by way of Boston University, Defenseman Charlie McAvoy did not have to travel far to join the team that drafted him, the Boston Bruins, who used their 14th Overall Pick in 2017. McAvoy had a very good start to his professional career, finishing fifth in Calder voting…
A member of the Boston Bruins Championship teams in 1939 and 1941, Jack Crawford was a good blueliner who would be a First Team All-Star in 1946 and a Second Team All-Star in 1943. He would spend his entire career with the Bruins and would also lead the NHL in…
One of the best checkers of his era, Leo Boivin wasn’t known for scoring with the puck, but was adept at stripping attackers with it with his hard hits and perfectly timed checks. Boivin was a well-respected locker room leader who was the captain of the Bruins for three seasons. …
While Mike Milbury was not always beloved by the Boston fans as a Coach or a General Manager, the rough and tough defenseman was a fan favorite as a player. Milbury’s no-nonsense attitude and penchant for aggression were combined with solid defensive play. Milbury would only suit up for the…
Glen Murray was not exactly the greatest skater, but he was a very capable scorer, especially when he came back for his second stint with the Boston Bruins. Murray was known for his ability to have a dangerous shot from any place on the rink and would lead the NHL…
Joe Thornton may have had a less than amicable departure from the Boston Bruins, but the fact was that the former Bruins captain first developed his NHL scoring touch as a member of the Bruins. Thornton was a Second Team All-Star in the 2002/03 season, and incidentally, in the campaign…