It all started with a list of 100 highlighting the most historic Bruins in the century-long history of the club.
But from there, an independent committee met — and met for hours, at that — to come up with the 12 forwards, six defensemen, and two goalies that make up the All-Centennial Team for the Bruins.
Of course, there were some early rules laid out. It didn’t matter if they were a center or a wing, and you didn’t have to have a lefty-righty combo on the backend. This was simply about the best forwards, best defensemen, and best goalies.
The first one was reaaaallll easy ðŸ
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 13, 2023
Watch the All-Centennial Team Selection Special, pres. by @rapid7 âž¡ï¸ https://t.co/mHTUqS8FoW pic.twitter.com/eH6LfcF9MB
The rules were that there had to have a unanimous or a majority rule, and boy, was that tough. I’m pretty sure our goaltending debate lasted about an hour, and same for where to properly slot a dual-threat player like Dit Clapper. But after hours of numbers, ideas, and a fantastic lunch, the committee got its group, and on Thursday night, at a gala celebrating 100 years of Bruins hockey, it was finally revealed to the public.
Patrice Bergeron (2003-23): One of the greatest two-way players in hockey history, Patrice Bergeron finished his career with six Selke Trophy wins, which was two more than Canadiens legend Bob Gainey for the most in league history, and Bergeron is one of just five players in league history to win the award at least three times, with Gainey, Guy Carbonneau, Jere Lehtinen, and Pavel Datsyuk on that list with Bergeron.
A career-long Bruin, Bergeron helped lead the Bruins to a Stanley Cup in 2011, and brought Boston to Stanley Cup Final appearances in both 2013 and 2019 after that. His 170 career playoff games with the Bruins are second to only Ray Bourque and his 180 games played, and Bergeron retired from hockey third in playoff goals (50) and tied for second in playoff points (128) among all Boston skaters.
Bergeron retired 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.
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.
‘Chief’ also won two Stanley Cups, was a two-time All-Star, and captured two Lady Byng wins during his career.
Wayne Cashman (1964-65, ’67-83): One of seven players to play at least 1,000 games with the Bruins, Cashman spent his entire NHL career with the Bruins, and his 277 goals are the 10th-most in Bruins history, while his 793 points rank eighth.
A two-time Cup winner, on both the 1970 and ’72 teams, the now 76-year-old Cashman also captained the Bruins from ’78 until his retirement five years later, and recorded seven seasons of at least 20 goals.
It would be nice to see Cashman return to Boston and take part in some Bruins festivities before time runs out, though it doesn’t seem like that’s of particularly great interest to him.
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. Cowley is perhaps the most criminally underrated player in the 100-year history of the Bruins, and he clearly has the numbers to back it up, so it’s nice to see him get his flowers on this list.
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.
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.
Krejci is also one of just seven skaters to play at least 1,000 games with the Bruins, and his 1,032 games in a Boston sweater rank fifth on the club’s all-time list. His 231 goals are the 13th-most on the franchise leaderboard, and his 786 points are the ninth-most by any player in team history.
Brad Marchand (2009-present): From fourth-line agitator to first-line superstar, Brad Marchand has recorded 372 goals and 863 points in 948 games with the Bruins. His 372 goals are the sixth-most in franchise history, while his 863 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.
Marchand is also the franchise’s all-time leader in shorthanded goals, with 33, which is a staggering eight more shorties than second-place Rick Middleton.
Rick Middleton (1976-88): With the B’s 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 points rank fifth.
Middleton was a three-time All-Star during his time with Boston, and won the Lady Byng in 1982.
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).
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.
David Pastrnak (2014-present): A ‘fast riser’ on the franchise leaderboards, Pastrnak has already scored the eighth-most goals in team history (303) and tallied the 11th-most points in team history (619). Assuming he’s here and healthy for the majority of his eight-year deal that kicked in this year, Pastrnak has a legitimately great chance of becoming the leading goal scorer in the franchise’s history (Bucyk is the current leader there, with 545 goals in a Bruins uniform).
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. Following his playing career, Schmidt moved into a coaching and then a front office role with the franchise, and helped build the iconic Bruins of the early-70s.
Ray Bourque (1979-2000): An early pick in this draft style roundtable, Ray Bourque’s nod was an easy one. Bourque is the franchise’s all-time leader in games played (1,518), assists (1,111), and points (1,506). He did everything ‘cept win a Cup during a time with the Bruins, and that’s through no fault of his own, as Bourque was a consistent playoff performer throughout his tenure with the Bruins. Including his numbers with the Avalanche, Bourque is also the highest-scoring defenseman in NHL history, with 1,579 points.
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 and one of the most feared defensemen of his era, 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.
Aubrey ‘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.
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. Simply put, the greatest defenseman to ever play the game. Orr was the first pick on the board in this selection process, and was made by yours truly. (Quick shoutout to the Bruins for giving me an easy one.)
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.
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.
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.
Overall, the Minnesota-born Brimsek’s Boston run featured 230 wins, 35 shutouts, and a 2.57 goals against average in 444 games. Brimsek, who was a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s 1966 class, passed away in 1998 at the age of 83.
Gerry Cheevers (1965-72, ’75-80): In addition to sporting one of the most iconic masks in hockey history, Bruins netminder Gerry Cheevers helped backstop the Bruins to Stanley Cup parades in both 1970 and 1972. His 226 wins with the Bruins are the fourth-most in team history, while his 53 playoff wins with the B’s are the second-most in Bruins history, and rank 20th on the league’s all-time leaderboard.
Cheevers, who was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985, also has a record that’s almost surely going to stand the test of time, as he had a 32-game undefeated streak in goal back in 1972.
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.