Chowder and Champions
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Boston Bruins Flashback: Trade that cost team multiple Stanley Cups

By Michael DeVito

1974; Goalie Ken Dryden #29 of the Montreal Canadiens defends the net during an NHL game circa 1974. (Photo by Melchior DiGiacomo/Getty Images)
1974; Goalie Ken Dryden #29 of the Montreal Canadiens defends the net during an NHL game circa 1974. (Photo by Melchior DiGiacomo/Getty Images) /
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Boston Bruins
Bobby Orr  Boston Bruins (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images) /

And then there are some major Boston Bruins trades to consider

Probably the greatest Bruins’ trade ever happened in 1967. This trade helped set the stage for two Stanley Cup victories. This was the trade in 1967 of Jack Norris, Pit Martin and Gilles Marotte to the Chicago Blackhawks for a certain Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge Sr. and Fred Stanfield.

Esposito was an All-Time great. Hodge was a goal-scoring wing and Stanfield was a really good second line center. All were excellent components of a run of great Bruins’ teams in the 1970s, the greatest run in the team’s history.

This was less a trade than “grand theft hockey”. The three Bruins along with a player named Bobby Orr helped lead the Bruins to two Stanley Cup victories. This was one of the all-time greatest trades in hockey if not sports history. Advantage Boston.

Conversely, a terrible trade was the trade of former first-round overall pick Joe Thornton for a bunch of no-names: Marco Sturm, Brad Stuart, and Wayne Primeau.

OUCH! Thornton, of course, has gone on to play for a total of 23 seasons, 15+ with the San Jose Sharks. Thornton has over 1500 points in his long career. Meanwhile, the players the Bruins received in return amounted to not very much. Not a good trade. Not good at all.

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