The centennial season celebration for the Bruins is officially underway, and boy, is there going to be a lot to take in when it comes to the Bruins turning 100.
We’re talking new jerseys (and fashion shows unveiling those new jerseys), and an on-site museum of sorts opening at TD Garden to look through the century-long history of the club.
One of the first tasks, however, was coming up with the ‘Historic 100’ to name the 100 most legendary players in the history of the franchise. Now, note that it’s legendary and not best. This wasn’t about picking the 100 greatest players in the organization (though that certainly played into it to a degree), but the 100 most legendary Bruins.
I was honored to be selected to be part of this committee, and while I didn't have all of these players listed on my own ballot, I was happy to see that I didn't have a glaring omission based on the results released by the Bruins on Tuesday.
So, without further ado, here's who made the Bruins' list...
Jason Allison (1997-2001): Traded to the Bruins from Washington in 1997, center Jason Allison spent four and a half years with the Bruins, and totaled 105 goals and 294 points in 301 total games with the Bruins.
Don Awrey (1963-73)
P.J. Axelsson (1997-2009): Axelsson spent his entire 11-year NHL career with Boston, and set career-highs in goals (17) and points (36) in 2002-03. Known for his two-way game, Axelsson’s best finish in the Selke Trophy race came in 2007-08 with a ninth-place finish, while Axelsson finished in the top-16 for the voting on four separate occasions. Axelsson’s 797 games with the Bruins are the 14th-most by any Bruin in the franchise’s history.
Garnet ‘Ace’ Bailey (1968-73): Bailey recorded 31 goals and 77 points in his 232-game run with the Bruins. Bailey, who moved into scouting following his retirement, sadly lost his life in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
Marty Barry (1929-35): A Bruin for six seasons, Marty Barry was one of the most productive scorers of his era, with 129 goals and 218 points in his 279-game run with Boston. In fact, over that six-year run, only three NHL players scored more goals than Barry did for the Bruins, while 218 points were the 10th-most in the NHL.
Bobby Bauer (1935-42, ’45-47, ’51-52): The right wing of Boston’s famous ‘Kraut Line’, Bauer spent his entire NHL career with the Bruins, and racked up 123 goals and 259 points in 327 games with the Bruins. Bauer’s nine-year career included two Stanley Cup championships, four All-Star nods, and three Lady Byng wins. It’s crazy to think what Bauer (and the Bruins for that matter) would’ve been able to accomplish had it not been for World War II robbing him of his Age-27, 28, and 29 seasons.
Patrice Bergeron (2003-23): The best two-way player of his era, Bruins legend Patrice Bergeron’s greatest career accolade, of course, is his NHL-record six Selke Trophy victories. In addition to the crowded trophy case, Bergeron also won a Cup with the Bruins in 2011 (and scored the game-winning goal in Game 7), and retired this summer third on the team’s all-time games list (1,294), third on their all-time goals list (427), fourth in assists (613), and third in points (1,040). Bergeron’s 81 game-winning goals are also the second-most in franchise history, trailing only Johnny Bucyk and his 88 career game-winning goals.
Leo Boivin (1954-66)
Ray Bourque (1979-2000): One of several gimmes on the board, Bourque is the franchise’s all-time leader in games played (1,518), assists (1,111), and points (1,506). Including his numbers with the Avalanche, Bourque is the highest-scoring defenseman in NHL history, with 1,579 points.
Johnny Boychuk (2008-14)
Frank Brimsek (1938-43, ’45-49): Considered by some to be the greatest goaltender in Bruins history, Frank Brimsek had a downright ridiculous career. During his nine-year tenure with the Bruins, Brimsek won the Calder, was an All-Star eight times, won the Vezina Trophy twice, and won two Stanley Cups. And like many, World War II interrupted Brimsek’s prime, as he missed his Age-28 and 29 seasons.
Johnny Bucyk (1957-78): A Bruin through and through, Bucyk sits atop the franchise’s all-time goals list, with 545. Bucyk, who won two Cups with the Bruins, was a model of consistency throughout his time with the Bruins, with 16 20-goal seasons and 12 years of at least 60 points. Bucyk is tied with Bourque for the most seasons with the Bruins, with 21.
Herb Cain (1939-46): On Boston’s roster for seven seasons, Cain was actually the first player in league history to record at least 80 points in a season, with 82 points in just 49 games during the 1943-44 year.
Wayne Cashman (1964-65, ’67-83): One of seven players to play at least 1,000 games with the Bruins, Cashman’s 277 goals are the 10th-most in Bruins history, while his 793 points rank eighth.
Zdeno Chara (2006-20): Personally, I think Zdeno Chara is the greatest free-agent signing in NHL history. The face of Boston’s shift from directionless to Stanley Cup contenders, Chara won the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman in 2009, and captained the Bruins to a Stanley Cup championship in 2011. The Bruins also went to the Cup Finals in 2013 and 2019 under Chara’s leadership.
Gerry Cheevers (1965-72, ’75-80)
Dit Clapper (1927-47): A career-long Bruin, Clapper played both forward and defense, and was an All-Star at both (three First Team All-Star nods at defense, four total All-Star nods at defense, and two at right wing). Clapper was also a three-time Cup winner during his time with the Bruins (the most among any Bruin in franchise history), and was the first player in NHL history to play 20 seasons with the same team.
Roy Conacher (1938-42, ’45-46): Winger Roy Conacher burst on the scene with a bang, with a league-leading 26 goals in 47 games during his rookie season back in 1938-39, and would score at least 24 goals in three of his first four seasons with the Bruins. Conacher’s 92 goals over the four-year run were the second-most in hockey, and Conacher is yet another player whose prime was taken from us by way of World War II.
Bill Cowley (1935-47): Nobody in the league had more assists (347) or points (537) than Bill Cowley did during his run with the Bruins from 1935 to 1947, and only Toe Blake scored more goals. Cowley actually retired as the NHL’s all-time leading scorer, too. A criminally underrated player in the history of the Bruins.
Jack Crawford (1937-50)
Keith Crowder (1980-89)
Byron Dafoe (1997-2002): Lord Byron spent just five years with the Bruins, but he really did stuff the ol’ stat sheet during that run, with 132 wins, a .911 save percentage, and 2.30 goals against average in 283 games with the Bruins. Dafoe also finished top-10 in Vein voting three times during that run, was an All-Star in 1998-99, and finished top-12 in Hart Trophy voting in both 1997-98 and 1998-99.
Gary Doak (1965-70, ’72-81)
Ted Donato (1991-98, 2003-04)
Woody Dumart (1935-42, ’45-54): A three-time All-Star and two-time Stanley Cup champion over the course of a 16-year career with the Bruins, Dumart’s 774 games with the Bruins are the 16th-most in team history, while his 430 points rank 25th. Only 14 players have appeared in more playoff games in a Bruins sweater than Dumart (88).
Phil Esposito (1967-75): The running mate for Bobby Orr throughout Boston’s 1970s runs, Esposito’s numbers with the Bruins were downright sick. In just nine years with the Bruins, Esposito was an eight-time All-Star, a five-time Art Ross winner, and two-time Hart winner. Esposito also won Cups in 1970 and 1972 and has a team record that’s unlikely to be broken, with 76 goals and 152 points for the Bruins in 1970-71.
Andrew Ference (2007-13)
Fernie Flaman (1944-51, ’54-61): Given Boston’s rich history at the defense position, it’s easy for a guy like Fernie Flaman to fall out of frame. But Flaman was considered by legends such as Gordie Howe and Jean Believeau to be one of the toughest defenders to go up against. That’s gotta count for something. Flaman played 683 games in a Bruins sweater, and had five straight top-five Norris Trophy finishes from 1954-59.
Gilles Gilbert (1973-80)
Ted Green (1960-72)
Lionel Hitchman (1925-34): If we’re talking about the identity of the Bruins, there’s no doubt that Lionel Hitchman was the organization’s very first foundational piece. Over the course of a decade-long run with Boston, Hitchman appeared in 378 games, was second in Hart Trophy voting in 1929-30, and was part of the team’s Stanley Cup-winning roster in 1928-29.
Ken Hodge (1967-76): With the Bruins for nine seasons, Hodge scored at least 40 goals on three separate occasions over his Boston run, including a career-high 50 goals in 1973-74. Hodge also hit the 100-point mark on two separate occasions, with 105 points in both 1970-71 and ’73-74. A two-time All-Star and two-time Cup winner, Hodge scored the fifth-most goals and seventh-most points in hockey over the life of his B’s tenure.
Flash Hollett (1936-44): Considered one of the best offensive blue liners of his era, Hollett recorded 84 goals and 199 points in 353 games with the Bruins. Hollett actually recorded back-to-back seasons of 19 goals, which at the time, was an NHL single-season record for a defender.
Nathan Horton (2010-13): Boston doesn’t get the job done in 2011 without some massive contributions from Nathan Horton along the way. Namely with his Game 7 overtime goal against the Canadiens and his Game 7 goal in a 1-0 final over the Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals. Horton had a bit of a flair for the postseason, really, as the Bruins made it to the Final in both of Horton’s healthy postseasons with the Bruins, while Horton had 15 goals and 36 points in 43 career playoff games with the club.
Bronco Horvath (1957-61)
Craig Janney (1987-92)
Eddie Johnston (1962-73)
Stan Jonathan (1975-83): Known for his tenacity, Stan Jonathan actually had a bit of offensive pop to go with his fists, and finished his B’s career with 91 goals and 198 points in 392 games with the club. Fun fact: His 19.4 shooting percentage with the Bruins is actually the third-best in franchise history among players with at least 400 shots on goal.
Steve Kasper (1980-89)
Phil Kessel (2006-09)
Gord Kluzak (1982-90)
David Krejci (2007-21, ’22-23): One of the greatest playoff performers in Bruins history, Krejci led the playoffs in scoring in both 2011 and 2013 and finally called it a career this past offseason after returning to the club for ‘one final run’ in 2022-23. One of just seven skaters to play at least 1,000 games with the Bruins, Krejci’s 1,032 games in a Boston sweater rank fifth on the club’s all-time list, while his 231 goals are 13th on the franchise leaderboard, and his 786 points are the ninth-most by any player in team history.
Torey Krug (2012-20): An undrafted talent out of Michigan State, the 5-foot-9 Krug put up 67 goals and 337 points in 523 games with the Bruins, and was named to the NHL All-Rookie team in 2013-14. His 337 points are the most by any American-born player in the history of the franchise.
Leo Labine (1951-61)
Reggie Lemelin (1987-93)
Ken Linseman (1984-90): The original ‘Rat’ in Boston (though I’m pretty sure he didn’t let anybody who wasn’t his teammate call him that), Linseman scored 125 goals and 372 points in 389 games with the Bruins. He was especially devastating in the postseason, with 16 goals and 38 points in 35 playoff games with the B’s. He’s actually one of just eight Bruins players to average at least 1.00 points per playoff game (minimum 30 games).
Milan Lucic (2007-15, 2023-present): One of the faces of ‘The Big, Bad Bruins 2.0’, Lucic enters 2023-24 with 139 goals (34th-most in team history) and 342 points (37th-most in team history) in 566 career games with the Bruins.
Fleming Mackell (1952-60)
Brad Marchand (2009-present): From fourth-line agitator to first-line superstar, Brad Marchand enters the upcoming season with 372 goals and 862 points in 947 games with the Bruins. His 372 goals are the sixth-most in franchise history, while his 862 points are the seventh-most among all Bruins. That gives Marchand a decent shot at becoming just the fifth player in team history to record at least 1,000 points in a B’s sweater.
Don Marcotte (1965, ’69-82)
Charlie McAvoy (2017-present): Despite playing just 380 NHL games, McAvoy is already the 13th-highest scoring defenseman in team history with 230 points. There’s a good chance he’ll move into the top 10 assuming he’s healthy for the majority of the 2023-24 campaign, too.
Don McKenney (1954-62)
Johnny ‘Pie’ McKenzie (1966-72)
Peter McNab (1976-84): A Bruin for eight years, McNab totaled 263 goals and 587 points in 595 games with the Bruins, and had an impressive stretch of least 35 goals and 75 points in six straight seasons from 1976 through 1982.
Rick Middleton (1976-88): With the Bruins for 12 seasons, Middleton put together a stellar B’s run that featured 402 goals and 898 points in 881 games played. Middleton’s 402 goals are the fourth-most in Bruins history, while his 898 rank fifth.
Mike Milbury (1975-87)
Doug Mohns (1953-64)
Andy Moog (1987-93): Another goalie with a relatively short but impressive run with the Bruins, Moog posted 136 wins and an .886 save percentage in six seasons from the Bruins, and had a top-5 finish in the Vezina Trophy voting on three separate occasions over that span. Moog also won the 1990 Jennings Trophy with Reggie Lemelin.
Glen Murray (1991-95, 2001-08): A two-time Bruin, Glen Murray is one of 20 Bruins to score 200 goals with the franchise, and his 389 points in a Boston sweater are the 30th-most in team history. Murray is also one of the only Bruins player in team history to play with Ray Bourque, Patrice Bergeron, and Zdeno Chara.
Cam Neely (1986-96): Before he was working in the B’s front office, Neely was busy scoring 50 goals in 44 games back in 1993-94, and put together a Bruins career that included the seventh-most goals in team history (344). Neely is also the only Bruins player other than Phil Esposito to have multiple 50-goal seasons with the club, with Neely having three 50-plus seasons (Esposito has five).
Mike O’Connell (1980-86)
Willie O’Ree (1958, ’60-61): The most recent retired number raised to the TD Garden rafters, Willie O’Ree’s greatest impact for the Bruins and the NHL came off the ice, as O’Ree broke the game’s color barrier.
Terry O’Reilly (1972-85): Boston’s all-time penalty minute leader (2,095 minutes in penalties), O’Reilly also recorded 204 goals and 606 points over the course of a 14-year career spent entirely with the Bruins. O’Reilly’s best year with the Bruins was his 1977-78, which featured single-season career-highs in goals (29), assists (61), and points (90) for O’Reilly on the way to an eighth-place finish in the Hart Trophy race. O’Reilly is one of just 12 players in NHL history to have at least 200 goals, 600 points, and 2,000 penalty minutes.
Adam Oates (1992-97)
Harry Oliver (1926-34): One of the game’s first true ‘speed and skill’ threats, Oliver put up 109 goals and 168 points in 353 games with the Bruins. Another perennial Lady Byng contender, it was said that Oliver was a “gentleman who never smoke or drank… and that Oliver was always “dressed to the nines.… Oliver also won a Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 1929.
Bobby Orr (1966-76): A nine-time All-Star, an eight-time Norris winner, a three-time Hart Trophy winner, two-time Art Ross winner, and two-time Conn Smythe winner. The greatest defenseman to ever play the game.
Brad Park (1975-83): Being the first stud defenseman in the post-Orr era should have been a terrifying experience. But Brad Park absolutely crushed it out of the park, with 100 goals and 417 points in 501 games over eight seasons with the Bruins. Over the course of his eight-season run with the Bruins, Park finished in the top-15 for the Hart Trophy voting four times and finished top-15 in the Norris Trophy voting six times.
David Pastrnak (2014-present): Another ‘fast riser’ on the franchise leaderboards, Pastrnak has already scored the eighth-most goals in team history (301) and tallied the 11th-most points in team history (617). Assuming he’s here and healthy for the majority of his eight-year deal that kicks in this season, Pastrnak has a legitimately great chance of becoming the leading goal scorer in the franchise’s history (Bucyk is the current leader on that front, with 545 goals in a Bruins uniform).
Barry Pederson (1980-86, ’91-92)
Pete Peeters (1982-85)
Johnny Peirson (1946-56)
Bill Quackenbush (1949-56)
Tuukka Rask (2007-22): Similar to defense, it’s hard to lose track of Boston’s goaltenders because of the organization’s absolutely ridiculous history at the position. But Tuukka Rask made sure his name isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, as Rask retired as the club’s all-time leader in wins (308) and save percentage (.921).
Jean Ratelle (1975-81)
Mark Recchi (2009-11): I have to think that Recchi has the shortest resume of all the players on this list, with just 180 games with the Bruins over two seasons and change with the Bruins. But Recchi’s impact was immense, particularly on linemates Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, and his presence helped the Bruins get through the storms that came their way during the 2011 postseason.
Sergei Samsonov (1997-2006): The Russian winger wasted no time in Boston, with 22 goals and 47 points in 81 games on the way to a Calder Trophy win in 1997-98, and put forth a Boston career that included four seasons of at least 20 goals. Samsonov’s career year came in 2000-01, with a career-high 29 goals and 75 points for the B’s. Samsonov even helped the Bruins when leaving town, as the Bruins used the draft pick they acquired from the Oilers in exchange for Samsonov to draft Milan Lucic.
Derek Sanderson (1965-74): One of the most notorious and legendary players in Bruins history, Sanderson won the Calder Trophy in 1967-88 as the top rookie in the NHL behind a 24-goal, 49-point season, and helped the Bruins win Cups in 1970 and 1972. (His biography is also a must-read.)
Ed Sandford (1947-55)
Marc Savard (2006-11): Signed as a free agent along with Zdeno Chara in 2006, Marc Savard whipped up some absolutely delicious apples during his time as Boston’s top-line center, and totaled 74 goals and 305 points in 304 games with the B’s before concussion issues ended his career.
Bobby Schmautz (1974-80)
Milt Schmidt (1936-42, ’45-55): The Ultimate Bruin. Mr. Bruin. Whatever your name of choice, let me assure you, Milt Schmidt was indeed him. A do-it-all figure for the Bruins over the course of his entire life, Schmidt’s playing career featured a resume headlined by 229 goals and 575 points in 776 games, along with four All-Star nods, a Hart Trophy in 1951, and two Stanley Cups.
Dennis Seidenberg (2010-16): Blocks have only been tracked as an official stat since 2005, but as you would imagine, Dennis Seidenberg is indeed near the top of that list for the Bruins, with his 808 blocks in a B’s uniform third on the all-time list behind (of course) Bergeron and Chara. Seidenberg was an absolute monster for the Bruins during their 2011 run, and gave the B’s a much-needed No. 2 behind/with Chara.
Gregg Sheppard (1972-78)
Eddie Shore (1926-39): Old. Time. Hockey. In addition to being the face of what it meant to be a Bruin, Shore was a dominant player in his day, with four Hart Trophy wins as the league MVP, eight All-Star nods, and two Stanley Cup championships over the course of a 14-year career with the Bruins. Absolute legend.
Charlie Simmer (1984-87)
Dallas Smith (1960-61, ’65-77): With the Bruins for 15 seasons, Smith appeared in 860 games with Boston (12th-most in team history), and his plus-331 rating is the third-best in franchise history behind Orr and Bourque. Smith’s plus-33 rating was the best in the NHL during the 1967-68 campaign.
Rick Smith (1968-72, ’76-80)
Fred Stanfield (1967-73)
Vic Stasiuk (1955-61)
Don Sweeney (1988-2003): One of the seven members in the Black and Gold’s 1,000-game club, Sweeney’s 1,052 games with the Bruins are actually the fourth-most in franchise history, trailing only Bergeron (1,294), Bucyk (1,436), and Bourque (1,518). Sweeney’s 262 points are also the 10th-most among all Boston defensemen.
Tim Thomas (2002-03, ’05-12): I will go to my grave saying that the wire-to-wire excellence of Tim Thomas in 2010-11 was the wildest thing I’ve ever experienced as a sports fan/observer/writer. Oh, and he won three Game 7 contests on the way to a Stanley Cup. Just a superhuman performance for the ages.
Tiny Thompson (1928-38): Another contender for the title of greatest goalie in Bruins history, Thompson held the franchise record for career wins (252 wins) before Tuukka Rask broke the record eight decades later. Thompson does still have a team record that simply won’t be touched, though, as his Bruins career included an absurd 74 shutouts. Thompson was also a four-time Vezina winner and four-time All-Star during his time with the Bruins, and helped Boston capture their first-ever Stanley Cup with a playoff run that included a perfect 5-0 record with three shutouts and a 0.60 goals against average.
Joe Thornton (1997-2005)
Shawn Thornton (2007-14): The great thing about this list is that it doesn’t have to be the 100 best Bruins of all time. The word ‘legendary’ allows some flexibility, and Shawn Thornton’s inclusion confirms exactly that. A fourth-line identity piece, Thornton was as likable as any Bruin in their 21st century revival, and was a key piece on that beloved ‘Merlot Line’ that helped turn tide after tide for Claude Julien’s club.
Jerry Toppazzini (1952-54, ’56-64)
Carol Vadnais (1972-75)
Cooney Weiland (1928-32, ’35-39): I feel like history will eventually push guys like Cooney Weiland out of frame (if it hasn’t already), but I really don’t want it to. Let me explain: From 1917 through 1929, nobody had seen a better season than the 1927-28 campaign put forth by Howie Morenz, which saw the Canadiens legend record 51 points in 43 games. But in comes Weiland in 1929-30 and Weiland absolutely shatters his record, with a ridiculous 73 points in 44 games. That’s a 22-point jump! Weiland didn’t sustain that pace for the rest of his career, of course, but that breakthrough was absolutely nuts for its time, and Weiland finished his Bruins career with 131 goals and 238 points in 365 games with Boston.
John Wensink (1976-80)
Glen Wesley (1987-94)
Eddie Westfall (1961-72): With the Bruins for the first 11 years an 18-year NHL career, Westfall recorded 126 goals and 339 points in 733 games with the Bruins, and was part of the 1970 and 1972 Stanley Cup championship runs.
Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. He has been covering the Bruins since 2010, and has been a member of the Boston chapter of the PHWA since 2013. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, HockeyBuzz.com or any subsidiaries. Yell at him on Twitter/X: @_TyAnderson.