By: Declan Flavin | Follow me on Twitter / X @FlavinDeclan
The Boston Bruins opened preparation for the 2025-26 season Thursday with plenty of encouraging takeaways from the first round of media availability. That was expected as excited attitudes came together after a long offseason, but the rising culture seems connected and on the same page. Much of what makes teams successful is the culture built off the ice, especially at the start of its rise. From General Manager Don Sweeney on down, this part of the retool appears set for an upward trajectory. Recent comments from Sean Kuraly, Nikita Zadorov and Morgan Geekie should leave the fan base cautiously optimistic, setting up an interesting transition to putting those words on the ice.
“It’s speed, it’s simplicity, it’s straight lines, it’s routes. We’re going to know where to be. We’re going to have very repeatable … patterns. And I think it’s going to be really black and white on how we want to advance the puck, how we want to move from zone to zone and eventually get the puck in net.” —Kuraly on the team’s offensive approach, via Boston Globe’s Conor Ryan
From the sound of it, the Bruins will likely play a more up-tempo style and keep opponents on their heels. They clearly want to modernize their collective game to stay in step with the National Hockey League’s forechecking trends. These trends have been set by teams such as the Carolina Hurricanes and, of course, the Florida Panthers. The Bruins can either chase the Panthers’ energetic forecheck, which balances persistent physicality with quality scoring chances, or emulate the Hurricanes’ approach of relentless skating and heavy shooting. From this quote, “straight lines” and “repeatable patterns” suggest a simple, black-and-white system similar to what Carolina runs, which could suit this somewhat depleted roster well.
“Last year you were going on the ice, and you have some young guys you have never seen that before. You don’t even know how they look, what their names are — but now you’re in the same room with them.” —Zadorov on the team merging younger and older players together, via Boston Globe’s Conor Ryan
From these comments, it appears the Bruins are adjusting to a new era of assimilating the youth in the organization. It’s not that the team hasn’t made the environment inviting for prospects, but there could be a different level of patience from Head Coach Marco Sturm when they make mistakes on the big stage. With younger players becoming more familiar with the veterans before the season, it sets the stage for an equal-opportunity culture where the best competitor earns the spot. This ties to Kuraly’s comments and highlights the team’s goal of making the locker room universal for roster purposes, since the modern forecheck system does not discriminate. The organizational refresh may take some time, but elements like this reflect the correctly oriented urgency the new coach brings.
“I’m sure nobody that’s interviewing me now thought I was going to score 33 goals last year.” —Geekie on repeating the success he had last season, via Boston Globe’s Conor Ryan
Lastly, we see some competitive fire from one of the team’s top players last season. Scoring 33 goals and adding 24 assists in a season is no small feat for a player who was only expected to reach around 20 goals, and Geekie feels he has every reason to believe he can set a new career high. With a spot on the first line and a long-term commitment from the organization, who wouldn’t be in a strong mental position for the upcoming season? Regardless, the quote reflects both the person and player Geekie is, showing a calm focus while maintaining the high energy needed to keep improving. Because of that, he has given fans and front office personnel the chance to sit back and watch his new season unfold.
These three quotes reflect the progress being made at Warrior Ice Arena, but ultimately, no one will know for sure until the first puck drops. The coaches and players speak candidly, but they also must maintain consistency over time and carry it through the regular season. However, some teams in the past have had disordered cultures as the foundation for an organizational restart, and that is something the Bruins will want to avoid from the start. It appears things are anything but disordered, and the players have ample opportunity to adjust and make a difference in shaping the Bruins’ future. It’s time to chip the puck and work together as a team.
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