By: Neil Simmons | Follow me on Twitter / X: @NSimmz
Hundreds of National Hockey League players have donned the Boston Bruins’s iconic “Spoked B” throughout the team’s one-hundred-year history. Some brought the Boston faithful to their feet on a nightly basis, creating an endless real of highlight plays that have embedded themselves into the memory of every Bruins fan. For better or worse, others have their Bruins careers best remembered for one single play, like Mike Milbury, Nathan Horton, Seth Griffith, or Kyle McLaren.
McLaren, a native of Humboldt, Saskatchewan, was drafted ninth overall by the Bruins in the 1995 NHL draft. Despite only having 109 games of WHL experience before the draft, McLaren made the Bruins roster out of training camp and was the youngest player in the NHL heading into the 1995-96 season. A big, bruising defensive defenseman, McLaren wasn’t afraid to dish out big hits or get in the mix right off the hop, logging 73 Penalty Minutes in 74 games as a rookie while making the All-Rookie team.
As the young defenseman grew into his 6’4”, 230lb frame, he racked up a who’s who list of dance partners within his first five seasons: Owen Nolan, Mike Grier, Kelly Chase, Kevin Dineen, and Darren McCarty. He helped anchor the Bruins’ blueline as the franchise transitioned from the Cup contenders of the late 80s and early 90s into a new generation headlined by first-overall pick Joe Thornton.
Partially due to his physical play, McLaren never played an entire 82-game season with the Bruins, maxing out at 74 during his rookie season. After playing 71 games in the 1999-2000 season, McLaren played just 58 and 38 games in the next two years. McLaren’s defining moment as a Bruin would come in the 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs, following his 38-game campaign.
Towards the tail end of a blowout victory in game four of their first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens, McLaren elbowed opposing forward Richard Zednik in the face as he cut into the slot. The hit knocked Zednik out cold and had to be stretchered off the ice. McLaren was suspended for three games, and Montreal, galvanized by the hit, won the next two to upset the top-seeded Bruins in six.
Following a breakdown in contract discussions in the offseason, McLaren was traded to the San Jose Sharks, along with a fourth-round pick, in exchange for Jeff Jillson, Jeff Hackett, and a third-round pick. McLaren’s tenure in San Jose got off to a rocky start as he was struck in the head by a slapshot and only played in 33 games during his first season. He rebounded from the injury to play in 269 games over the next four seasons, helping the Sharks blossom into a bonafide Cup contender with consistently elite defense.
Ahead of the 2008-09 season, McLaren was waived as the odd man out on the San Jose blueline following the acquisitions of Dan Boyle, Rob Blake, and Brad Lukowich. Playing out the final year of his contract in the AHL with the Worcester Sharks, McLaren dressed in just 22 regular season games. The following season, a failed physical torpedoed his training camp bid with the New York Rangers.
After another comeback attempt with Atlanta in September 2010 ended similarly, McLaren officially retired two seasons after his last appearance in the NHL. McLaren played in 719 NHL regular-season games for his career, scoring 46 goals and 207 points while racking up 671 Penalty Minutes. Although 417 of his games were played with Boston, for better or worse, many will remember him specifically for that one hit on Zednik.
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