The Cam Neely and the Bad Boys of Boston
The Big Bad Bruins of the 1970s under Don Cherry.
The 'Bad Boys of Boston' era is associated with the 1970s Boston Bruins under head coach Don Cherry, who remade the team with enforcers and grinders known as the 'lunch-pail gang' and 'the Big Bad Bruins.'
Quick Facts
- Notable incident
- Neely's arrival in 1986 sparked the 'Bad Boys of Boston' era, defined by physical play and scoring
Lore & Background
Don Cherry coached the Boston Bruins from the 1974–75 season through the 1978–79 season. He quickly developed a reputation for encouraging physical play, molding the Bruins' style after his dog Blue, a feisty bullterrier. Under Cherry, the Bruins captured the Adams division title four straight seasons from 1975–76 through 1978–79, and made the Stanley Cup finals twice, in 1977 and 1978, losing both times to the Montreal Canadiens.
Did You Know?
- Cherry won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year for the 1975 season.
- In the 1977–78 season, Cherry coached the Bruins to an NHL record of 11 players with 20 goals or more on a single team.
More in Club History & Eras
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