The Boston Bruins have a long and storied history. The original six team has been able to produce some amazing forwards.
The Boston Bruins have returned from the All-Star break but let’s take a trip back in time. The Bruins have been able to foster some forwards that are some of the greatest in the league’s history.
Now most of them played before my time, but all Bruins fans grow up with knowledge of the team’s legends. You see it every time you enter the Garden and look up at the rafters.It is one of the most beautiful sights in sports. With being one of the oldest franchises in the league there has been a lot of amazing forwards to come out of this franchise.
All the way from the early stages of the franchise up until today the Bruins have had absolute legends on their roster.
Some of these players greatness even extend past the walls of TD Garden. So in no particular order let’s look at the top five forwards in Bruins history.
Johnny Bucyk
“Chief” is a Bruins legend. He played for the Bruins for over 20 years and amassed 545 goals and 794 assists. At the time of his retirement, he led the franchise in in those categories. Also at the time, Bucyk was the franchise leader in points and games played.
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“Chief” is known for his great scoring ability as well as being able to lay the lumber. His favorite method of inflicting violence was with the hip check. In an interview with Chris McDonnell in “For the Love of Hockey,” Bucyk talked about his hard-hitting style of play.
"“I played most of my career at 220 pounds, one of the heaviest players on the ice.I threw my weight around and always played a physical game. The other players respected me because they knew if they had their head down, I’d hit them pretty hard. I just tried to stay out of the penalty box.”"
Bucyk was captain of the team for five years and went on to win two Stanley Cups. He still serves a role with the team as the road services coordinator, taking care of the Bruins travel plans. Just like he was on the ice Bucyk is a jack-of-all-trades.
Terry O’Reilly
Another guy who was able to instill fear in opposing teams was Terry O’Reilly. He played his entire career with the Bruins scoring 204 goals and over 400 assists.
O’Reilly was known to get in a scrape or two as well with over 2000 penalty minutes in his 14-year career. O’Reilly also racked up over 200 penalty minutes in five straight seasons. He was very protective of his teammates and Ray Bourque even joked about the protective nature of O’Reilly when his number 24 was retired saying that O’Reilly’s banner “hangs next to mine protecting me again.”
He may not have been the fastest guy on the ice, but O’Reilly was there for his teammates and still able to tally some superb scoring stats.
Milt Schmidt
Few men have received the amount of praise from his organization than Milt Schmidt. Even though he played far before the Bruins legends of the 60’s and 70’s he is still known today as one of the team’s best players.
He helped to lead the Bruins to two Stanley Cups and scored 229 goals and 575 assists. Which was a record for the team at the time of his retirement. Even Bruins legend Bobby Orr says he is far and away the best.
"I would go with that, yes I would. I would go with you, Milty, being the greatest Bruin ever."
His legacy extends off the ice as he was a coach for the Boston Bruins, and as a GM helped sign Bobby Orr and acquire Phil Esposito.
Sadly Schmidt passed away at the age of 98 last year. I can remember a sadness hanging over Boston as Bruins fans realized a legend had passed. Even my young self realized what a pleasure it was to see him out at Bruins games. He truly is missed.
Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito was one of the best scorers in NHL history. He had over 700 goals and 800 assists in his 19-year career. In his 9 years with the Bruins, he scored 459 goals and 553 assists. Those stats were enough to put him among the top 3 franchise point leaders.
Esposito won the Hart trophy twice and owns the Bruins records for most points and goals in a season. His ability to get a shot off in a blink of an eye made him such an effective scorer. It also helps to have Bobby Orr as a teammate. “Espo” spoke about the chemistry between him and Orr
"“I had the ability to read Bobby Orr. I knew when he was going to break, where he was going to go and knew sooner or later, he was going to give me the puck or score, so I made sure I got myself into position.”"
With such a legendary career Esposito easily cracks the top five list.
Patrice Bergeron
Now we go back to my generation. Patrice Bergeron is still playing but deserves to be here. Bergeron is such an amazing player based on his talents on both offense and defense. That’s what connects him to the legends above. They have a great overall game. Bergeron has tallied 279 goals and 434 assist so far in his career. At the age of 32, he should continue to add to that total.
Bergeron is a four-time Selke award winner which speaks to his amazing defensive ability. He is the glue that holds together a dominant Bruins first line. When Bergeron retires he will surely be the last player to don the #37 for the black and gold. He will be remembered by Boston Bruins fans forever.
Honorable Mention: Willie O’Ree
Willie O’Ree is both a Bruins legend and an NHL legend. O’Ree broke the color barrier in hockey 60 years ago. He didn’t have a long career but his impact is still felt today. O’Ree even had to not tell the Bruins about being virtually blind in one eye just to get a shot in the NHL. He has been a great ambassador for the game.
It doesn’t end here for the Bruins. With such a talented young roster this debate may continue to get tougher. Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak may be talked about like these legends by the end of their careers. If they both stay with the Bruins they may be able to break some impressive records set by their predecessors.
Next: Boston Bruins Top 5 Wingers Of All Time
My controversial omission of Cam Neely has already sparked debate in my own house so let us know your top five forwards in the comment section.