Jim Rutherford 1978 Vezina Trophy

Lore & Background

The Bruins are one of the 'Original Six' NHL teams, along with the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. They have won six Stanley Cup championships, tied for fourth-most of any team with the Blackhawks (trailing the Canadiens, Maple Leafs, and Red Wings, with 24, 13, and 11, respectively), and tied for second-most for an NHL team based in the United States. The Bruins have also won the Presidents' Trophy four times, with their most recent win in 2022–23 amassing 135 points—the most in one season in NHL history.

Reader's Guide

The first facility to host the Bruins was the Boston Arena (later known as Matthews Arena), the world's oldest (built 1909–10) indoor ice hockey facility at the time of its closure in December 2025 and subsequent demolition in 2026. Following the Bruins' departure from the Boston Arena, the team played its home games at the Boston Garden for 67 seasons, beginning in 1928 and concluding in 1995, when they moved to TD Garden.

Did You Know?

• The Bruins won the first ever NHL game played in the United States on December 1, 1924, hosting the Montreal Maroons at Boston Arena.
• The 1977-78 Vezina Trophy was won by Ken Dryden of the Montreal Canadiens, not Jim Rutherford.
• Jim Rutherford never won the Vezina Trophy and was not a Bruin in 1977-78; he played for the Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings that season.