Love them or hate them, the Boston Bruins have a long history in the NHL. The team’s roster has seen epic players like Bobby Orr, as well notorious players like Brad Marchand. As the Bruins battled the St. Louis Blues in their first Stanley Cup appearance since 2013, they are back on the front page, so now seems like as good a time as any to take a look at a few fun facts about this franchise.
- The First American Team in the NHL
Back in 1924, hockey had little appeal to many Americans, and was primarily considered to be a Canadian sport. It seems hard to believe today, what with video games like NHL 2019, magazines like USA Hockey, and movies that have popularized the sport in the USA (heck, there’s even an Ice Hockey themed slot machine). Despite the fact that hockey wasn’t popular with the nation at the time, there was certainly interest in the game for New Englanders (many of whom had strong French Canadian heritage), and so the Bruins became the first US team to join the NHL.
The Bruin’s first game was played at a nearly sold-out Boston Arena, a multi-sports complex which still stands today. They won their first game, but went on to lose their next 12 games, and ended the season with a dismal .200 winning average.
- The First Black Player in the NHL
In 1958 the Bruins called African-Canadian Willie O’Ree up from the Quebec Aces, not knowing that he was effectively blind in his right eye due to being hit with a hockey puck two years earlier. O’Ree managed to keep his injury a secret and appeared in 48 games for the Bruins, accumulating four goals and ten assists before moving back down to the minors and largely finishing out his career playing for the Western Hockey League. He retired from hockey in 1979.
- Fourth Most Stanley Cup Wins
The Bruins may have been the US team with the longest history in the NHL, but they don’t have the most Stanley Cup wins. Naturally, the overall record goes to the Montreal Canadiens with a whopping 24 Stanley Cup wins. However, the winningest US team goes to the Detroit Red Wings, who joined the NHL only two years after the Bruins, and have had 11 Stanley Cup victories.
With six Stanley Cup wins, the Bruins are tied for fourth place with the Chicago Blackhawks, who were also founded in 1926 and thereby are also part of the “Original 6”.
- Best Single Season Winning Percentage
In the 1929-1930 NHL season, the Bruins ended with a winning percentage of 0.875, with a record of 38-5-1. Despite this still standing as the best single-season winning percentage in NHL history, the Bruins failed to win the Stanley Cup that season. In what was a best of three series at the time, the Montreal Canadiens won 4-3 in game one, and 3-0 in game two, allowing them to take the cup.
- Fifth Wealthiest Owner
Jeremy Jacobs has owned the Boston Bruins since 1975, and has had a contentious history with fans and players alike. For many years he was criticized for not investing enough in the team, and given that he’s only seen one Stanley Cup win during his 40+ years of ownership, there may be some validity to fan’s frustrations. Jacobs is the fifth wealthiest NHL team owner, and the 481st richest person in the world, with a net worth of $4.4 billion USD.
To keep up with everything Bruins, check out the Official Boston Bruins website. You’ll find game clips, reports, tickets, and much more!
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