(Photo Credit: Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

By: Jeff Playdon | Follow me on Twitter @PlaydonJeff

Rich Peverley, not a guy you immediately think of when someone mentions the Boston Bruins, but he made a definite impact on the Bruins franchise from 2011-2013. Peverley was brought in on a trade from the then Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for Blake Wheeler and Mark Stuart. Peverley would be placed on the Bruin’s third line and made an immediate impact. On July 8th, Peverley turns 39, and today we’re gonna take a look at his career and some of his best moments dressed in the black and gold.

Early Career and finding his footsteps

Rich Peverley played collegiate hockey for St. Lawrence University and led the team in points in three of his four seasons. After graduating from St. Lawrence and going undrafted, Peverley soon made his professional debut in the 2004-2005 season in ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays. Peverley would then play for the Milwaukee Admirals, and during his second season with the club, Peverley was called up to the NHL and signed with the Nashville Predators. It was towards the end of the NHL’s regular season, but Peverley still managed to play 13 games and was finally in the NHL.

Riding the Trade Train to Boston

After playing 139 games for Nashville and racking up 64 points with the team, Peverley was claimed off waivers by the then Atlanta Thrashers. In Atlanta, Peverley’s career really started to pick up. In his first year with the club, Peverley scored 13 goals and 22 assists in 39 games. During the next two seasons, Peverley scored 36 goals and 53 assists for 89 points.

During the 2010-2011 season, the Boston Bruins looked for more depth scoring to make a deep run into the playoffs and hopefully reach the Stanley Cup Final. So, in February of 2011, the Boston Bruins packaged a deal to Atlanta, which featured Blake Wheeler and Mark Stuart going to Atlanta, and Boston receiving Rich Peverley and Boris Valabik. In a 2020 interview with NESN announcer Andy Brickley, Peverley was quoted on saying this after the trade:

“I”m not gonna lie; I was a little worried at the start; I was worried where I was gonna fit in. I had played a top-six role in Atlanta, and I went into Boston, and I have to give it to them, they slotted me right into the third-line wing … I felt comfortable ….”

The Bruins now added a guy to help with more depth scoring, and he did exactly that. Peverley was a huge help in the 2011 NHL Playoff run for Boston and helped them win the Stanley Cup. In the 2011 playoffs, he accounted for four goals and eight assists which was a huge help in winning the cup. Peverley would play two more seasons in Boston, which featured two more playoff runs, but he couldn’t add another Stanley Cup to his resume. In his three seasons with Boston, Peverley scored 21 goals and 46 assists for 67 points.

End of Perverley’s Career

In the summer of 2013, Peverley found himself getting traded again, this time to Dallas. The trade featured Peverley, Tyler Seguin, and Ryan Button going to Dallas in exchange for Loui Eriksson, Joe Murrow, Reilly Smith, and Matt Fraser. Unfortunately, Peverley would only play 62 games in Dallas and score 7 goals along with 23 assists. Peverley only played 62 games that season because of a near-death experience while on the bench. In a regular-season match in March, Peverley collapsed on the bench and needed medical attention for a cardiac event.

After the event took place, both teams headed to the locker room as the game was delayed for seven minutes. Luckily Peverley was saved by doctors and was kept alive. Unfortunately, however, in the upcoming fall, Peverley was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat and soon would announce his retirement from the NHL.

So, you might be asking what Peverley is up to nowadays. Well, right now, he is currently a part of the Dallas Stars organization and was recently promoted to Director of Player Personnel. Peverley said that since his career was unfortunately shortened, he would like to lead the Stars organization to a Stanley Cup. So Mr. Peverley, on behalf of the BlacknGold Hockey Organization, we wish you a very happy 39th birthday.