The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making them the third-oldest active team in the NHL.
The Bruins have won numerous team honors. The team has captured the O'Brien Cup as championship runner-ups in 1938 and 1950. They have achieved 18 Prince of Wales TrophiesâÂÂseven as American Division champions, three as regular season champions, three as East Division champions, and five as Eastern Conference champions. They have won the Stanley Cup six times: in 1929, 1939, 1941, 1970, 1972, and 2011. They have won four Presidents' Trophies as regular season champions in four seasonsâÂÂ1989âÂÂ90, 2013âÂÂ14, 2019âÂÂ20, and 2022âÂÂ23.
The Bruins have also won many individual awards. Legendary defenseman Bobby Orr is the team's most decorated player, with eight James Norris Memorial Trophy wins, three Hart Memorial Trophy wins, two Conn Smythe Trophy wins, two Art Ross Trophy wins, a Calder Memorial Trophy win, and a Ted Lindsay Award, for a total of 17.
Thirteen players have had their numbers retired by the Bruins. Lionel Hitchman's number 3 was the first in 1934. Eddie Shore's number 2 and Dit Clapper's number were retired in 1947. Bobby Orr's number 4 was retired in 1979, followed by Milt Schmidt's number 15 and Johnny Bucyk's number 9 in 1980. Phil Esposito's number 7 was retired in 1987. Ray Bourque's 77 was retired in 2001, Terry O'Reilly's 24 was retired in 2002, and Cam Neely's number 8 was retired in 2004. Rick Middleton's number 16 was retired in 2018, Willie O'Ree's number 22 was retired in 2022, and Zdeno Chara's number 33 in 2026. 58 players have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame following play with the Bruins. Players like Bourque, Esposito, and Orr have been inducted as players, while O'Ree and Charles Adams, first owner of the Bruins, have been inducted as builders.
Internally, the Bruins have five team awards. The Eddie Shore award is given to the player "demonstrating exceptional hustle and determination." The Elizabeth C. Dufresne Trophy is a given to the player who is "most outstanding in home games." The John P. Bucyk Award, is given for "charitable and community endeavors." The Seventh Player Award is given to the player who "performed beyond expectations." The Three Stars Award is given to the players with the most three stars of the game honors. They are all given out annually following the end of the season.
The NHL First and Second Team All-Stars are the top players at each position as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.
The NHL All-Rookie Team (first named in 1983) consists of the top rookies at each position as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.
The National Hockey League All-Star Game is a mid-season exhibition game held annually between many of the top players of each season. Sixty-four All-Star Games have been held since 1947, with at least one player chosen to represent the Bruins in each year. The All-Star game has not been held in various years: 1979 and 1987 due to the 1979 Challenge Cup and Rendez-vous '87 series between the NHL and the Soviet national team, respectively, 1995, 2005, and 2013 as a result of labor stoppages, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2026 because of the Winter Olympic Games, 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and 2025 when it was replaced by the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. Boston has hosted two of the games. The 24th took place at the Boston Garden and 46th took place at TD Garden, then known as the FleetCenter.
Prior to the institution of the National Hockey League All-Star Game the league held three different benefit games featuring teams of all-stars. The first was the Ace Bailey Benefit Game, held in 1934, after a violent collision with Boston's Eddie Shore left Ace Bailey of the Toronto Maple Leafs hospitalized and unable to continue his playing career. In 1937 the Howie Morenz Memorial Game was held to raise money for the family of Howie Morenz of the Montreal Canadiens who died from complications after being admitted to the hospital for a broken leg. The Babe Siebert Memorial Game was held in 1939 to raise funds for the family of the Canadiens' Babe Siebert who drowned shortly after he retired from playing.
The following is a list of Boston Bruins who have been enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Two members of the Boston Bruins organization have been honored with the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award. The award is presented by the Hockey Hall of Fame to members of the radio and television industry who make outstanding contributions to their profession and the game of ice hockey during their broadcasting career.
The Lester Patrick Trophy has been presented by the National Hockey League and USA Hockey since 1966 to honor a recipient's contribution to ice hockey in the United States. This list includes all personnel who have ever been employed by the Boston Bruins in any capacity and have also received the Lester Patrick Trophy.
The Boston Bruins have retired thirteen of their jersey numbers, beginning with Lionel Hitchman's #3, the first jersey in NHL history (and the second in North American sports history) to be retired. Also out of circulation is the number 99 which was retired league-wide for Wayne Gretzky on February 6, 2000. Gretzky did not play for the Bruins during his 20-year NHL career and no Bruins player had ever worn the number 99 prior to its retirement.
The Eddie Shore Award, named for Bruins great Eddie Shore, is an annual award established in 1942 given to the player "demonstrating exceptional hustle and determination" throughout the season as determined by the "Gallery Gods", an informal fan organization originally composed of season ticket holders in the old second balcony of Boston Garden
The Elizabeth C. Dufresne Trophy is an annual award given to the player who is "most outstanding in home games" as voted by the Boston chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. Along with other team awards, the Dufresne Trophy is traditionally presented at the last home game of each regular season. The most frequently honored player is Ray Bourque, who won the Dufresne Trophy seven times. Brad Marchand, Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr each won it five times, while Milt Schmidt, Rick Middleton, & David Pastrà Âák won it four times each.
The John P. Bucyk Award, named for Bruins great Johnny Bucyk, is an annual award given for "Charitable and Community Endeavors."
The Seventh Player Award is an annual award given to the player who "performed beyond expectations" as voted by Bruins fans. It was originally established by the team's television broadcasters, WSBK-TV, and awarded by them for many years.
The Bruins Three Stars Awards are annual awards given to the top three performers at home during the regular season.
The Bruins All-Centennial Team was created as a part of the Bruins centennial celebrations in 2024 as a list of "the most legendary players in franchise history", as was voted upon by an independent committee of journalists and media members, historians and members of the hockey community.