By: Steve McClure | Follow me on Twitter / X at stmcclure1993
Happy 71st birthday to former Boston Bruins defenseman Al Sims. Sims was on the Bruins’ back end from the 1973-74 season through the 1978-79 season, intermittently returning to the Bruins’ Rochester farm club over the course of those years.
The solid six-foot Sims played in 311 regular season games for Boston, scoring 22 goals and 48 helpers for 70 total points. He also suited up in 38 playoff games through those ‘Lunch Pail’ Bruins years. During his tenure in Boston, he was partnered on defense with all-star Bobby Orr. As a rookie in 1973-74, he benefited so much from this pairing that—though only registering twelve total points—his +63 plus/minus was second on the team.
After the 1978-79 season, Sims was lost to the Hartford Whalers in the expansion draft. He played parts of four more seasons for Hartford and Los Angeles before retiring in 1983. He was head coach of the San Jose Sharks in the 1996-97 season.
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