Boston Bruins

One of the first legendary teams in the NHL, the Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team has been in existence since 1924, making it the league's third-oldest team overall and the oldest in the United States. It is also an Original Six franchise, along with the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Early History

The Bruins have won six Stanley Cup championships, tied for fourth most all-time with the Blackhawks and second-most for any American NHL team (behind the Red Wings, who have 11). The first facility to host the Bruins was the Boston Arena (today's Matthews Arena)—the world's oldest indoor ice hockey facility still in use, built in 1909–10. Following their departure from the Boston Arena, the team played home games at the Boston Garden for 67 seasons, from 1928 to 1995, before moving to the TD Garden.

The Boston Bruins had an interesting history, as it was one of the first US teams to be accepted into the NHL. With the Montreal Maroons, the team was one of the NHL's first expansion teams and the first NHL team based in the United States. In 1924, at the convincing of Boston grocery magnate Charles Adams, the NHL expanded to the United States. Adams' first act was to hire Art Ross, a former star player and innovator, as general manager. Ross was the face of the franchise for the next thirty years, including four stints as coach. Ross came up with "Bruins," an Old English word for brown bears.

Championships and Playoffs

In their first-ever playoff run, the Bruins reached the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Ottawa Senators in the first Cup Final between exclusively NHL teams. In 1929, the Bruins defeated the New York Rangers to win their first Stanley Cup.

Notable Players and Records

Some of the greatest players ever to play in the NHL donned the Bruins jersey, like Bobby Orr. His picture of being tripped and flying through the air after scoring "The Goal" in overtime to win the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals is widely considered one of the most famous in hockey history.

The 1970–71 season was the high-water mark of the 1970s for Boston. While coach Harry Sinden temporarily retired, the Bruins set dozens of offensive scoring records: they had seven of the league's top ten scorers—a feat not achieved before or since—set the record for wins in a season, and had four 100-point scorers (Orr, Esposito, Bucyk, and Hodge), all named First Team All-Stars.

Under previous ownerships, the Bruins won the Stanley Cup five times. They reached the Final six more times, including wins in 2011 against the Vancouver Canucks, amid competition from teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Ownership and Facilities

Currently, the Boston Bruins are owned by Jeremy Jacobs, who bought them in 1975 for $10 million. After taking over, the Bruins have been competitive, making the playoffs for 29 straight seasons from 1967–68 to 1995–96 (20 under Jacobs), though winning only once in 2011 during his tenure.

Team Mascot

The team mascot is Blades the Bruin, an anthropomorphic bear. In January and February, Blades travels around the greater Boston area to raise money for the Bruins Foundation. For many recent TV and online ads, a different anthropomorphic ursine character known as "The Bear" appears in official Bruins video advertising.