The 1975-76 Playoffs vs NY Islanders

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.

In Their Own Story

The Boston Garden hummed with anticipation on a cold April night in 1976. Fans clad in black and gold packed the stands, hoping for another deep playoff run. On ice, the Bruins skated with determination, their sticks chopping at the boards as they battled the Philadelphia Flyers. The air was thick with tension, every save by Gerry Cheevers felt like a heartbeat, and every goal sparked roars that echoed through the rafters. Though the dream of facing New York would come later, this season was about survival, pride, and keeping the legacy alive.

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 1928–29 season was the first played at Boston Garden and featured the NHL debut of goaltender Tiny Thompson, who assisted the Bruins in winning their first Stanley Cup.
• In 1929–30, the Bruins posted the best-ever regular season winning percentage in the NHL (.875), a record which still stands.
• The 'Kraut line' of center Milt Schmidt, right winger Bobby Bauer and left winger Woody Dumart played for the Bruins in the late 1930s and early 1940s.
• On January 18, 1958, Willie O'Ree became the first-ever black NHL player when he stepped onto the ice for the Bruins.