Over the next few weeks, I will be looking at the best Bruins to wear each jersey number from 1-99. As an original six franchise, there were plenty of options to choose from for most numbers.
Some numbers were extremely easy…. some were not.
Part 1:
Numbers 1-10
Part 2:
Numbers 11-20
21: Don Marcotte
Marcotte spent his entire 16-year career with the Bruins, playing in over 800 games. Marcotte was a two-way forward who was one of the Bruins best defensive forwards during his tenure in Boston. A winner of the Stanley Cup in 1970 and 1972, Marcotte’s 21 shorthanded goals has him ranked fourth in franchise history.
22: Brad Park
One of the best defenseman in franchise history, Park was as reliable as they come. Park spent eight seasons of his Hall of Fame career with the Bruins. Park was often a big contributor offensively, totaling 417 points with the Bruins. Oddly enough, Park never won a Norris Trophy, finishing second in voting eight times.
23: Steve Heinze
Born in Lawrence, MA, then going on to play three seasons at Boston College, Heinze instantly became a fan favorite when he was drafted by the Bruins in 1988. Playing in 515 games with the Bruins, Heinze recorded 239 points. Heinze had the honor of representing Team USA in the 1992 Olympics. His tenure in Boston ended when he was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2000 expansion draft.
24: Terry O’Reilly
Arguably the top enforcer in NHL history, O’Reilly took the term “Big Bad Bruins” to heart. Not only could O’Reilly drop the gloves with the best of them, he could also put the puck in the net with ease. O’Reilly still stands as the franchise leader in penalty minutes with 2095. In 14 seasons with the Bruins, O’Reilly collected 606 points. O’Reilly coached the Bruins for parts of three seasons from 1986 to 1989, leading the Bruins to the playoffs in each season, including the Stanley Cup Final in 1988. O’Reilly’s number was retired in 2002.
25: Gary Doak
Doak had two different stints with the Bruins. His first came in the mid 60’s, with his second coming in the early 70’s, and lasting until 1981. In over 600 games with the Bruins, Doak was an impressive plus-110 in that span. Doak was with the Bruins in 1970 when they captured the Stanley Cup, the final season of his first stint in Boston.
26: Mike Milbury
The younger generation knows Milbury mostly for his role with NBC Sports, but Milbury was even feistier as a player. Spending his entire 12-year career with the Bruins, Milbury is mostly remembered for his incident at Madison Square Garden where he climbed into the stands during a fight with the Rangers and struck a fan with the fans own shoe. Milbury finished his career with 1552 penalty minutes.
27: Glen Murray
Another Bruin who played in Boston in two different stints, Murray spent 10 of his 18 NHL seasons with the Bruins. Totaling 389 points in Boston, Murray was a two-time all-star with the Black and Gold. Murray’s best season with the Bruins came in 2002-03 where he set career highs in goals, (44) assists (48) and points (92). One of the most notable Bruins of the early 2000’s, Murray was always a reliable source of scoring.
28: Mark Recchi
Only two Bruins have worn the number 28 (Dominic Moore and Gemel Smith) since Recchi helped the Bruins capture the Stanley Cup in 2011. Elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017, Recchi was an important piece of the 2011 Bruins. With his goal in Game 2 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final at the age of 43, Recchi became the oldest player in league history to score a Stanley Cup Final goal. Recchi played in 180 games with the Bruins over the span of three seasons.
29: Jay Miller
Another Massachusetts native to play for the Bruins, and another tough one, Miller racked up 858 penalty minutes in just 216 games with the Bruins. In January of 1989, Miller was traded to the Los Angeles Kings.
30: Tim Thomas
Tim Thomas or Gerry Cheevers? Because Cheevers also wore another number to start his Bruins career, I am sure he will appear later on this list, so let’s go with Thomas here.
One of the most interesting Bruins in recent memory, Thomas’ run in 2011 was amazing, leading the Bruins to the Stanley Cup. Thomas won two Vezina Trophies with the Bruins, and is the franchise leader in save percentage with a .921 percentage. If you ask me, Thomas’ save on Steve Downie in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals is one of the most iconic moments in Bruins history.
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