In just over three weeks, the Boston Bruins will usher in a new era with a new look and new Captain.
Last Saturday, the Bruins debuted three new commemorative jerseys for the Centennial season with a runway show event. The home and away jerseys draw most of their inspiration from the 70s and 80s era sweaters most prominently worn by Bruins legends like Orr, Bourque and Neely.
The third jersey is a callback to their 1948-49 uniform, and bears a striking resemblance to the 2010 Winter Classic sweater.
A few additional quirks for the new jerseys include alternate colored Spoked B’s for the home and away and the six arm stripes for the club’s six Stanley Cup Championships.
The second major announcement over the past week was for the Bruins to name the 27th Captain in team history: Brad Marchand
Marchand was the obvious choice for the role, owing to his tenure and standing with the team. He has played his whole NHL career in Boston and had been an alternate captain for the past three years. While Marchand still holds a checkered reputation among many hockey fans, he’s gradually shed his antics and grown as a leader over time.
His appointment also continues a direct lineage of captains, as he, Bergeron and Chara all played together for several years. His appointed alternate captains, McAvoy and Pastrnak, are primed to continue this line in the future as well.
Marchand currently has two years left on an 8-year deal he signed back in 2016, and has an outside shot becoming the fifth Bruin to score 1,000 points with the team. As of the end of the 2022-23 season, Marchand has 862 points in 947 career games. Over the course of his contract he’s averaged nearly 82 points a season, and even accounting for a drop off he could reach the 1k mark before he elects to retire.
Photo: @NHLBruins / Twitter
