By: Jack Studley | Follow me on Twitter/X @jackstudley13
We are a few weeks away from training camp, and once everything kicks off, it will all look different. This summer, a rebrand (with a familiar logo) came into play, which will help carry the team forward into a new generation. With that, the Bruins logo that has been recently retired has filled fans with all kinds of emotions, from clutch goals that rocked the Hub on Causeway to lifting the Stanley Cup for the first time in 39 years. These sweaters are tied to some of the most iconic moments in recent Boston Bruins history.
I wanted to look back at some of the most electric moments in the “old” uniforms, and now felt like the right time to do so. I kept this list exclusive to moments in the standard home and away sweaters. Alternates and specialty jerseys (specifically Winter Classic) were left off this list. The Bruins started wearing these jerseys in 2007-08, when Reebok took over jersey production for the NHL. They wore the set every season, except the Centennial, until the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.
I could not start without giving love to some honorable mentions. To start, either one of Miroslav Satan’s two goals against Buffalo in 2010: the game-winner in double overtime of game four, or the series clincher with 5:11 to play in the third period of game six, both goals sending the Garden crowd into a roar. Another honorable mention comes from January 2011, when chapeaus came raining down from the Garden crowd after captain Zdeno Chara completed his hat trick. And the final honorable mention is a personal favorite of mine, David Pastrnak’s go-ahead goal in game five against Columbus, giving the Bruins a big win in the second round, en route to the Stanley Cup Final.
With so many unforgettable moments, here are the ten that stand out from the old Bruins sweaters:
10. April 25, 2018 – Game 7 vs. Toronto
This list starts in 2018, when the Bruins picked up their first series win in four years. After missing the playoffs in 2015 and 2016 and an early exit to Ottawa in round one of the 2017 playoffs, the Bruins needed to get back on track with a series win. Toronto had fought off elimination, winning games five and six to force a game seven in Boston.
The Bruins were down by a goal entering the final period of game seven. Torey Krug notched the game-tying goal 70 seconds into the third. Four minutes of back-and-forth hockey passed, and 21-year-old rookie Jake DeBrusk barreled down the right side and found the opening, giving the Bruins a 5-4 lead. Another 21-year-old, David Pastrnak, built on the lead after ripping a pass home from Patrice Bergeron, and Brad Marchand iced it with an empty net goal. The Bruins were back on track, winning a playoff series for the first time in four years, and reestablishing the black and gold as a serious contender in the NHL.
9. February 9, 2011 – Fight Night vs. Montreal
The Boston and Montreal rivalry is iconic, and when both teams are competitive, it gets even better. That was the case in the late 2000s and early 2010s. At the time of this game, both teams were neck and neck in the standings; the Bruins were two points up on Montreal in the Northeast Division. This game was their fourth of six meetings this season, and the Canadiens had won all three of the previous meetings going into this one. This game had an old-school hockey feel, and the rivalry was boiling.
On that Wednesday night, penalty minutes totaled 192, including five misconducts and six fighting majors, which, yes, accounts for the attempt at a goalie fight. Fourteen goals were scored, including eight in the second, but the goals were secondary to what happened in this game. Nathan Horton and PK Subban were jawing at each other’s throats all night, and guys like Andrew Ference, Johnny Boychuk, Shawn Thornton, and David Krejci dropped their gloves and fought a Canadien skater. The crowd was into it the whole time, and during the first near-brawl in the second period, Jack Edwards stated he was wearing headphones partly due to the volume inside the TD Garden that night.
8. 2022-23 Regular Season
Instead of picking one or a few moments from this season, looking at the entire regular season seemed fitting for this list. The 2022-23 Boston Bruins had the best regular season in NHL history. Many specific moments could come from this season, but the ending rightfully blankets most of the magical moments. However, winning 65 games had not been done before, and throughout the entire season, Bruins fans were spoiled with wins and grew hope for the postseason.
Along with wins, the black and gold faithful were treated to a goalie goal, goalie hugs, milestones achieved, and broken records. New head coach Jim Montgomery and the team started the season by winning their first 14 home games, and were 32-5-4 halfway through the season, seemingly nothing went wrong. There were six separate times when the Bruins had a win streak of six games or more. The Bruins, already at the top of the league, got even better by adding Tyler Bertuzzi, Dmitry Orlov, and Garnet Hathaway at the trade deadline, and they immediately gelled with the team. The way it ended will haunt me forever, but the 2022-23 Boston Bruins regular season is hard to leave off this list.
7. April 19, 2008 – Game 6 vs. Montreal
“This building is vibrating.” Jack Edwards was not lying on April 19, 2008; Bruins’ hockey arguably reemerged on this night. The Bruins were back in the playoffs for the first time in four years, and looking for their first series win since 1999. The Bruins faced elimination after trailing 3-1 in the series, and with their backs against the wall, they fought to win game five in Montreal.
The longtime rivals returned to the TD Banknorth Garden for game six. Montreal scored first and held a lead at the end of the first and second periods. Milan Lucic tied the game at three with 7:47 remaining in the third, and Phil Kessel scored to give the Bruins a 4-3 lead, their first of the night, which prompted Jack Edwards’ memorable line. Montreal immediately tied the game, but not for long. Marco Sturm played an unbelievable shift; he knocked off Roman Hamrlik twice, shot the puck, grabbed his rebound, and ripped it into the back of the net, giving Boston the lead with 2:37 remaining. The Garden crowd that night was jumping, and the Bruins had laid the foundation for the upcoming generation of Bruins hockey.
6. May 1, 2010 – Game 1 vs. Philadelphia
Exactly four months after the Winter Classic at Fenway Park, the Bruins and Flyers faced off yet again for another afternoon game on NBC, just this time it was inside at the TD Garden, and in round two of the playoffs. The Bruins and Flyers had their fair share of bouts in the early 2010s, and although this series ended in the worst way imaginable, it is hard to overlook the overtime winner Marc Savard rifled past Brian Boucher in game one.
Unfortunately, Marc Savard battled concussions throughout his time in Boston, and his playing career was cut short due to concussion problems. In the 2009-10 season, he played 41 games. He missed the last 18 regular-season games because of a dirty, cheap shot from Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke. Savard also missed the first round against Buffalo, but made his return for game one against Philadelphia. His return to the team could not have gone any better, scoring the overtime game winner and sending the crowd at the TD Garden into a frenzy.
5. April 17, 2013 – Boston Strong
This was never not going to make it to the list. After a touching video tribute, former public address announcer Jim Martin encouraged the crowd to sing loudly, and they did exactly that. The crowd took over for Rene Rancourt very early through The Star-Spangled Banner, creating a moment that is hard to forget for those in the crowd and watching on their TVs.
4. April 27, 2011 – Game 7 vs. Montreal
For the third time in five years, the Bruins and Canadiens squared up for postseason hockey. This series with the Canadiens went back and forth the entire time, with Montreal taking a 2-0 series lead off the jump, the Bruins winning the next three to lead 3-2, and Montreal tying it in their barn to send the series back to Boston for game seven. Chris Kelly broke the tie halfway through the third period, making it 3-2 Bruins, but PK Subban answered with just under two minutes to go in regulation.
“Game seven” is known to be the two best words in sports. If you add sudden death overtime to that, it’s even better. Above all, it was the eighth time these historic rivals have faced off in a game seven. Just over five and a half minutes into overtime, Milan Lucic grabs the puck out of the air and puts it on his stick. He finds Nathan Horton, who winds up and unleashes a rocket, beating Jeff Halpern and Hal Gill on its way by Carey Price. The Bruins won a series after starting down 2-0 for the first time in franchise history. The Garden crowd erupted, Jack Edwards saw stars in the booth, and the Bruins earned a rematch with Philadelphia to make amends for the year before.
3. May 27, 2011 – Game 7 vs. Tampa Bay
Zero penalties were called throughout this game, and zero goals were scored in the first 52 minutes. The game summary is empty, especially compared to other games in the series. This series went back and forth, tied after games two, four, and six. Home teams had the upper hand in games four, five, and six, but none of that mattered at 8:00 PM on May 27, 2011. One win separated the two teams from getting closer to the ultimate goal. Through two periods of play, the Bruins had 29 shots on Dwayne Roloson, and the Lightning had 17 on Tim Thomas. Both goalies were standing on their heads.
The game was intense. With just over seven and a half minutes remaining, the Bruins blew right by the Lightning’s 1-3-1 formation. David Krejci sent the puck to Nathan Horton’s stick as he crashed towards the far post, redirecting the puck right by Roloson and opening the scoring. The pressure did not stop once the Bruins opened the scoring and had the fully-amped crowd behind them. In the last 90 seconds of the game, the Lightning struggled to pull Roloson for an extra attacker. The Bruins’ relentless pressure, combined with the volume of the crowd, made the simple task difficult for Tampa Bay. The Bruins had made it to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1990.
2. May 13, 2013 – Game 7 vs. Toronto
The most remarkable comeback in franchise history came against the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was Toronto’s first time in the playoffs in nine seasons, and they had won games five and six to force the series to the seventh and final game. Matt Bartkowski got the Bruins on the board first, but four Maple Leaf goals answered that: two from Cody Franson, one from Phil Kessel, and one from Nazem Kadri. With less than 14 minutes to go in regulation, the Bruins trailed by three.
Nathan Horton scored with 10:42 remaining in regulation, making it a two-goal game. Tuukka Rask went to the bench with under two minutes left, and the Bruins played six-on-five. Milan Lucic made it a one-goal game with 82 seconds to go, and Claude Julien called a timeout. The Bruins are still playing six-on-five, and Zdeno Chara found his way to the front of the net, setting a screen on James Reimer. Patrice Bergeron set up and fired a shot from the point, beating traffic and finding the back of the net. The game went to overtime, and after five minutes, Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and Tyler Seguin were creating chances in front of the net. In a clearing attempt, Jake Gardiner perfectly placed the puck on Bergeron’s stick, and the game and series ended right there.
1. June 15, 2011 – Winning the Stanley Cup
Winning it all tops any moment that the Bruins have in these uniforms, forever etching them in history. The team had a magical run to the Stanley Cup Finals, with a few of those games already mentioned here. The Stanley Cup Final provided many memorable moments in and of itself, with the Bruins drumming the Canucks goalies, scoring eight goals in game three, six in game four, and five more in game six.
June 15, 2011, started with Nathan Horton. Although he was not playing, he set the tone early by bringing some good luck from Boston. Come game time, Tim Thomas stood on his head, as he did on a nightly basis throughout the Bruins’ 2011 Stanley Cup run; this time, he stopped 37 shots to protect the shutout. Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand each scored twice to give the Bruins a 4-0 victory over the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks. The Bruins finally got over the hump, winning the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1972. This would be the seventh championship parade in Boston since 2001, but the first one for the Bruins. The duckboats were ready and waiting, and so were the fans, with over a million people joining the Bruins in the streets of Downtown Boston.
Final Thoughts
The recently retired crest has carried us through a generation of Boston Bruins hockey. I was fortunate to grow up watching the legends like Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, and Tuukka Rask. They will forever be associated with the eight-spoked B that the team wore for the last 18 seasons. Jack Edwards’ voice and iconic calls will forever be linked to the memories of Bruins fans. His love for the Bruins only added to some of these moments. With the rebrand complete, a new coach and an elite prospect in the system, the Bruins are ready to turn the page forward and start the next generation of Bruins hockey.
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