Brian Boyle

Lore & Background

Boyle grew up in Hingham, Massachusetts, and attended St. Sebastian's School in Needham before playing four seasons at Boston College. He was drafted 26th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in 2003 and made his NHL debut on February 2, 2008, scoring his first goal that same night against Martin Brodeur. Over his career, he played for eight teams, including the Florida Panthers, whom he joined as a free agent on October 21, 2019, signing a one-year, $940,000 contract after going unsigned over the summer.

Boyle's career was marked by significant personal challenges. In 2017, he was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia, a treatable form of blood and bone marrow cancer. He returned to play for the New Jersey Devils that season, scoring his first goal since diagnosis on November 9, 2017, and later won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2018. He also played in his 700th NHL game on October 25, 2018, and recorded his first career hat trick on Hockey Fights Cancer night in 2018.

Boyle retired from professional hockey on March 22, 2023, and joined NHL Network as an analyst. He is the seventh of 13 children, and his younger brother Timothy was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in 2012. Boyle married in 2014 and has two children.

Reader's Guide

Brian Boyle's NHL career spanned 15 seasons and eight teams, with his tenure at the Florida Panthers being a late-career addition after he went unsigned over the summer. He signed a one-year, $940,000 contract with the Panthers on October 21, 2019, joining the team as a free agent. Boyle was known for his size, penalty-killing abilities, and faceoff skills, which made him a valuable depth center. His playoff experience was highly coveted, as he had played the most playoff games of any player since 2011.

Boyle's most notable achievement off the ice was his battle with chronic myelogenous leukemia, diagnosed in September 2017. He returned to play for the New Jersey Devils that season, scoring his first goal since diagnosis on November 9, 2017, and was named a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which he won on June 20, 2018. He later announced his leukemia was in full molecular remission in October 2018. Boyle retired on March 22, 2023, and became an analyst for NHL Network.