By The Boston Bruins have been one of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) most successful organizations. The Bruins were established in 1924 and are among one the six original teams and were also the first team that is American-based.
There are a plethora of great players produced over the years by the Bruins and this makes it difficult to choose only a few names from the list of many great players. Nonetheless, we have tried our best and compiled the list of the 7 best Bruins players you need to know.
1. Bobby Orr
Full name: Robert Gordon Orr
Born: March 20th, 1948 (age 74)
Position: Defence
Played for: Boston Bruins and Chicago Black Hawks
Playing career: 1966–1978
The Hall of Fame ice hockey player Bobby Orr is widely considered one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time. He spent 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) where he played 10 seasons with the Boston Bruins and 2 seasons with the Chicago Black Hawks. He is the sole defenceman to have received two Art Ross Trophies and also set a record for the highest number of points and assists in one season by a defenceman. He is an eight-time winner of Norris Trophies as the league’s best defenceman and a three-time winner of Hart Trophies as NHL’s MVP.
2. Ray Bourque
Full name: Raymond Jean Bourque
Born: December 28th, 1960 (age 62)
Position: Defence
Played for: Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche
Playing career: 1979–2001
Ray Bourque is a retired pro ice hockey player from Canada. He grabs records for the highest number of goals, assists, and points in a career by a defenceman in the National Hockey League (NHL). He is a five-time recipient of the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league’s finest defenceman. Bourque was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2017, was also included as one of the ‘100 Greatest NHL Players’ of all time.
3. Phil Esposito
Full name: Philip Anthony Esposito
Born: February 20th, 1942 (age 80)
Position: Centre
Played for: Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins, and New York Rangers
Playing career: 1963–1981
The Canadian former ice hockey player, Phil Esposito played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1963 to 1981 with the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins, and New York Rangers. He is a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Bruins. Widely acknowledged as one of the greatest of all time, Esposito was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984.
4. Patrice Bergeron
Full name: Patrice Bergeron-Cleary
Born: July 24th, 1985 (age 37)
Position: Centre
Current NHL team: Boston Bruins
Playing career: 2003–present
Patrice Bergeron is an active player for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is considered one of the best active players of the Bruins. Bergeron is widely recognized for his two-way capacities and has achieved 5 wins of the Frank J. Selke Trophy awarded yearly to the league’s forwards with the finest defensive abilities, and the highest number of wins of the trophy in the history of the league.
5. Johnny Bucyk
Full name: John Paul Bucyk
Born: May 12th, 1935 (age 87)
Position: Left Wing
Played for: Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins
Playing career: 1955–1978
Johnny Bucyk is a part of the Hockey Hall of Fame. He spent most of his playing career with the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Often referred to as “Chief”, he was included as one of the ‘100 Greatest NHL Players’ of all time in 2017.
6. Cam Neely
Full name: Cameron Michael Neely
Born: June 6th, 1965
Position: Right Wing
Played for: Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins
Playing career: 1983–1996
Often referred to as “Bam-Bam Cam”, Cam Neely is widely known for being one of the most prevalent power forwards of his era. The Canadian-born right winger spent his NHL career with the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins from 1983 to 1996. In 2005, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
7. Eddie Shore
Full name: Edward William Shore
Born: November 23rd, 1902
Died: March 16th, 1985 (aged 82)
Position: Defence
Played for: Regina Capitals, Edmonton Eskimos, Boston Bruins, and New York Americans
Playing career: 1924–1943
Eddie Shore was a Canadian pro ice hockey defenceman, primarily for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL), who was widely known for his prowess and defensive skills. Shore was mentioned as one of the ‘100 Greatest NHL Players’ in history in 2017.
