The History of the Bruins Captaincy | Boston Bruins (2024)

BostonBruins.com - For nearly 100 years, the captaincy of the Boston Bruins has served as one of hockey's most sacred titles.

Among the legendary figures that have held the honor include Hall of Famers Eddie Shore, 'Dit' Clapper, Milt Schmidt, Johnny Bucyk, and Ray Bourque. Esteemed Bruins like Zdeno Chara, Terry O'Reilly, Wayne Cashman, and Rick Middleton have also donned the 'C' for the Black & Gold.

It's an exclusive club that, with Brad Marchand now donning the 'C,' includes just 27 players over the course of a century.

Editor's note: This story was orIginally published in 2021 upon the appointment of Patrice Bergeron to the Bruins' captaincy. At the time, Bergeron was tabbed as the 20th captain in club history, but during the club's extensive research surrounding the Bruins' Centennial – as well as with assistance from several independent hockey historians, including Hockey Hall of Fame volunteer Jeff Miclash, and the NHL's Stats and Research Department – it was discovered that six other men have also been captain of the Black & Gold over the course of the franchise's 100-year history.

As such, the Bruins are now recognizing Marty Barry, Nels Stewart, Eddie Shore, Red Beattie, Bill Cowley, and Bobby Bauer as former captains of the club.

After playing without a captain during their inaugural season in 1924-25, the Bruins named newcomer Sprague Cleghorn the first captain in team history the following year. The blue liner - a 1956 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee - was sold to Boston after winning the Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens in 1924.

Cleghorn played three seasons with the Bruins and also served as an assistant coach in 1927-28, his final campaign with the club.

Hitchman took over the captaincy from the retiring Cleghorn - his defense partner and mentor - for the 1928-29 campaign and held the title for three seasons. During that time, the blue liner paired up with fellow legendary defenseman Eddie Shore to form one of the Bruins' best defense tandems of all time. In his second season as captain in 1928-29, the Toronto native led the Bruins to their first Stanley Cup championship.

Hitchman resigned the captaincy following the 1930-31 campaign but went on to play three more seasons with the Bruins. His No. 3 hangs in the TD Garden rafters.

Owen, a Newton High School graduate and the first player from Harvard to play in the NHL, served as captain during his penultimate season in Black & Gold, beginning the practice of the Bruins' captain serving for only one season – an approach that lasted for roughly six years. The blue liner played all five of his NHL seasons with Boston, before retiring in 1933. He lined up alongside Hitchman and Shore on the blue line and won the Stanley Cup with the team in 1929.

Owen was part of the first induction class of the U. S. Hockey Hall of Fame.

Part of the record-setting "Dynamite Line" with Ralph 'Cooney' Weiland and Dutch Gainor, Clapper was named captain in 1932.

After a nearly six-year break, Clapper took back the captaincy in 1939-40 following Weiland's retirement. It was also during that season that Clapper moved to defense, pairing up with Shore in a move that proved highly successful for the Bruins, who went on to win the Cup in 1941.

Clapper, who was captain until 1944, was the first player in NHL history to play 20 seasons. His No. 5 hangs in the TD Garden rafters.

The Bruins first superstar took the 'C' in his 10th of 14 seasons with the team. Shore helped lead Boston to the Stanley Cup in 1929 and 1939, won four Hart Trophies as the league MVP – which ranks third in NHL history behind Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe – and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1947.

Shore was named an NHL First-Team All-Star seven times and a Second-Team All-Star once. In 2017, he was named one of the NHL's top 100 players in history.

His No. 2 hangs from the TD Garden rafters.

Clapper's linemate served as captain for two seasons, including his final campaign with the Bruins in 1938-39 during which the Bruins won their second Stanley Cup. Weiland had two stints in Black & Gold, the first coming from 1928-32, helping Boston to the Stanley Cup in 1929 and setting a then league record with 73 points (43 goals, 30 assists) in 1930 in just 44 games.

The Ontario native transitioned to Boston's head coach after his retirement and led the team to its third Stanley Cup in 1941.

With Clapper shifting to player-coach for the 1944-45 campaign, following his second stint as Bruins captain, Cowley took over the position. Cowley spent the final 12 of his 13 NHL seasons with Boston and was twice the Hart Trophy winner as league MVP (1941 and 1943), while finishing second in the voting in 1944 and third during his season as captain in 1944-45.

Cowley, a five-time All-Star and four-time First-Team All-Star, recorded 537 points (190 goals, 347 assists) in 508 career games for the Bruins. He helped lead Boston to Stanley Cup championships in 1939 and 1941 and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1968.

A member of the iconic 'Kraut Line,' Bauer was captain of the Bruins for his final full season with the club and had a career year with highs in goals (30) and points (54) in 58 games. With his career interupted for four years by World War II, the Ontario native spent seven full seasons with Boston, as well as three other campaigns in which he played just one game, including 1951-52 when he returned for a celebration of linemates Milt Schmidt and Woody Dumart for one final skate.

Bauer was posthumously inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996.

'The Ultimate Bruin' took over the captaincy from Bauer for the 1947-48 season and went on to win the Hart Trophy as league MVP with 61 points (22 goals, 39 assists) in 62 games in 1950-51. Schmidt was captain for seven years and remains the only person in Bruins history to serve the club as player, captain, coach, and general manager.

The anchor of the iconic 'Kraut Line' with Woody Dumart and Bauer, Schmidt helped guide Boston to the Stanley Cup in 1939 and 1941 before the trio went off to serve in WWII.

Schmidt, elected to the Hall of Fame in 1961, retired midway through the 1954-55 season and took over for Lynn Patrick as head coach. He went on to coach the Bruins until 1966 - with a year-plus break from 1961-62 - before being promoted to general manager in 1967.

Schmidt, who also helped discover Bobby Orr, pulled off the legendary trade for Phil Esposito in 1967. The arrivals of both players led to Boston's Stanley Cup victories in 1970 and 1972. Schmidt's No. 15 hangs in the TD Garden rafters.

Sandford, in his last of eight seasons with Boston, was named captain upon Schmidt's retirement. The Toronto native made five consecutive All-Star appearances starting in 1951 and led all scorers with eight goals and 11 points during the 1953 playoffs.

He was traded to Detroit following the 1954-55 season. At 95 years old, Sandford - who for years served as an off-ice official during Bruins home games - is the team's oldest living former captain.

After a seven-year stint with the Bruins from 1944-51 to start his career, Flaman was re-acquired from Toronto in 1954. He was named captain the following season and held the title for the remainder of his NHL career, which lasted until 1961.

Flaman was named an NHL Second Team All-Star three times and played in five All-Star Games during his tenure as Bruins captain. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990.

McKenney ascended to the captaincy after a stellar run over his first seven seasons with the Bruins. The Ontario native led the team in scoring four times, including his rookie season in 1954-55, and was named to the NHL All-Star Game on six occasions.

McKenney won the Lady Byng Award as the NHL's most gentlemanly player in 1960.

He served as captain until midway through the 1962-63 season when he was traded to the New York Rangers.

Among the very best to ever don the Spoked-B, 'Chief' took over the captaincy in 1966, his 10th season in Boston. Bucyk held the official title for one season before the team decided to switch to alternate captains. The Edmonton native was still the B's leader and was the one presented with the Stanley Cup when the team won titles in 1970 and 1972.

Bucyk reclaimed the 'C' in 1973 and held the position for four more seasons. He retired in 1978 following his 21st season with the Bruins. Bucyk, elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981, is the club's all-time leading goal scorer with 545 and ranks second to Ray Bourque in assists (794) and points (1,339).

The 2023-24 season will be his 66th consecutive campaign with the Bruins, as he's gone on to serve the club as a broadcaster, director of road services, and ambassador following his playing career. His No. 9 hangs in the TD Garden rafters.

Cashman played all 17 of his NHL seasons with Boston, taking over as captain in 1977 - his 12th Bruins campaign. A member of the B's Stanley Cup championship teams in 1970 and 1972, he scored 20 or more goals eight times.

During his years as captain, Cashman helped lead the Bruins to the NHL semifinals three times and the Stanley Cup Final in 1978. He retired following the 1982-83 season.

Cashman ranks sixth in Bruins history in games played (1,027), seventh in assists (516), eighth in points (793), and 10th in goals (277).

Like Cashman, O'Reilly played his entire career in Boston, suiting up in the Spoked-B for 14 seasons. Following Cashman's retirement, he took over as captain for his final two campaigns.

Known as 'Taz' in an ode to the Tasmanian Devil, O'Reilly was beloved for his rugged, physical style of play. He is the club's all-time leader in penalty minutes with 2,095.

O'Reilly also ranks ninth in Bruins history in games played (891) and 10th in assists (402). His No. 24 hangs in the TD Garden rafters.

After O'Reilly's retirement, the Bruins opted for a co-captaincy, tapping Middleton and Bourque to take over the reins beginning with the 1985-86 campaign. They shared the role for three seasons until Middleton retired in 1988 following Boston's loss in the Stanley Cup Final.

Middleton, who wore the 'C' at home, spent 12 of his 14 NHL seasons in Boston. 'Nifty' is fourth in team history in goals (402), fifth in points (898), eighth in assists (496), and 10th in games played (881). He held the team record for shorthanded goals (25) until 2019 season when Brad Marchand surpassed him. Middleton's No. 16 hangs in the TD Garden rafters.

Bourque took sole possession of the captaincy for the 1988-89 season and held it until he was traded to Colorado on March 6, 2000. His 15-year run as captain is the longest in Bruins history.

The Hall of Fame defenseman played 21 seasons in Boston, winning five Norris Trophies as the league's top defenseman - the fourth-most in league history. He was named an NHL First-Team All-Star 12 times and a Second-Team All-Star six times. Bourque led the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final in 1988 and 1990.

He is the Bruins' all-time leader in games played (1,518), power-play goals (164), assists (1,111), and points (1,506), while ranking fiifth in goals (395).

Bourque's No. 77 hangs in the TD Garden rafters.

The Bruins went without a captain during the 2001-02 season before Thornton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 NHL Draft, took over the role on Oct. 8, 2002. He held the title until he was traded to the San Jose Sharks on Nov. 30, 2005.

Thornton posted a career-high 101 points, ranking third in the NHL in scoring, during his first season as captain in 2002-03.

Everything changed on July 1, 2006 when Chara was signed to a five-year, $37.5 million contract on the opening day of free agency. The 6-foot-9 blue liner was named captain three months later on Oct. 3, 2006, and served in that role for 14 seasons, the second-longest run in team history behind Bourque.

Chara helped set the tone for a revitalization of Bruins hockey through the 2010s as Boston reached three Stanley Cup Finals and is credited with creating a culture of respect and dedication within the Bruins dressing room. In 2011, Big Zee led the Bruins to their first Stanley Cup title in 39 years.

During his tenure in Boston, Chara won the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman in 2009 and was selected to five NHL All-Star games. He was twice named an NHL First-Team All-Star and three times selected an NHL Second-Team All-Star.

Chara ranks seventh in team history in games played at 1,023.

© Brian Babineau/Boston Bruins

Like Chara, Bergeron was instrumental in Boston's decade-plus run of success. Among his most legendary performances: a two-goal outing in Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final against Vancouver and his tying and overtime-winning goals in Boston's stunning comeback over Toronto in 2013.

There are many others, of course, across a remarkable 19-year run in Black & Gold that saw him capture a record-setting six Selke Trophies as the league's best defensive forward. Bergeron ranks third in Bruins history in games played (1,294), third in goals (427), fourth in assists (613), and third in points (1,040).

Marchand follows in the footsteps of his longtime linemate and friend as the 27th captain in the history of the Boston Bruins. The winger, who has been a full-time alternate captain for the past three seasons, has morphed into one of the NHL's best left wingers and has cracked the 30-goal plateau five times.

The 35-year-old, who helped Boston to the Stanley Cup in 2011, ranks eighth in Bruins history in games played (947), sixth in goals (372), ninth in assists (490), and seventh in points (862). He is a two-time First-Team All-Star and has twice played in the NHL All-Star Game.