Mike Milbury

Michael James Milbury (born June 17, 1952) is an American former NHL defenseman and current broadcaster. He spent all twelve of his playing seasons with the Boston Bruins, helping them reach the Stanley Cup Final in 1977 and 1978. He entered the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006. After playing, Milbury worked as an assistant general manager and head coach for Boston, and later as general manager and head coach for the New York Islanders. From 2007 to 2021, he served as a color commentator and analyst for NHL broadcasts on NBC.

Milbury played college hockey at Colgate University from 1972 to 1974, wearing number 7 as a defenseman. In his junior year, he tied for the team lead in assists with 19. As a senior captain, he posted his best season with 30 points (4 goals, 26 assists) and led the squad in penalty minutes both years—68 in 1973 and 85 in 1974. Over 76 college games, he totaled 6 goals, 55 assists, 61 points, and 203 penalty minutes.

After college, he played five games for the Boston Braves in 1974 before signing with the Bruins as a free agent on November 5, 1974. He then spent two seasons with the Rochester Americans of the AHL, leading the team in penalty minutes both years (246 in 1975, 199 in 1976) and finishing fourth and third in the league, respectively. Promoted to the Bruins late in the 1975–76 season, he appeared in 11 of 12 playoff games. The following year, he played for the United States in the inaugural 1976 Canada Cup, recording a goal and three assists in five games.

In his first three full NHL seasons, Milbury’s aggressive style fit well with Don Cherry’s overachieving Bruins, a team known for tough players like Terry O’Reilly, John Wensink, and Stan Jonathan. Boston reached consecutive Stanley Cup Finals in 1977 and 1978, losing both times to the Montreal Canadiens (in four and six games). A hard-nosed, stay-at-home defenseman, Milbury had his best statistical season in 1977–78 with 8 goals and 38 points. Over twelve seasons, he made the playoffs eleven times, exceeding 200 penalty minutes in 1981 (222) and 1983 (216), and surpassing 100 in six other seasons. He also served as the Bruins’ NHL Players’ Association representative and spoke out on controversial issues, including the role of Alan Eagleson. In 2023, he was named one of the top 100 Bruins players of all time.

Milbury gained notoriety for an incident on December 23, 1979, after a 4–3 Bruins win over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. During an on-ice brawl, a Rangers fan cut Stan Jonathan’s face with a rolled-up program and grabbed his stick. Terry O’Reilly climbed over the Plexiglas into the stands, followed by Peter McNab and other teammates. Milbury, who had reached the visitors’ locker room, ran back to join the fray. He caught the fan, removed one of his shoes, and slapped him hard once with the sole before being restrained. NHL president John Ziegler suspended O’Reilly for eight games, McNab and Milbury for six, and fined each $500. The incident led to higher glass panels enclosing rinks.

After retiring as a player, Milbury became head coach of the Bruins’ AHL affiliate in Maine on July 16, 1987. In his first season, the Mariners won the division title, and Milbury was named AHL Coach of the Year and The Hockey News’ Minor Pro Coach of the Year. He was promoted to head coach (replacing Terry O’Reilly) and assistant general manager of the Bruins for the 1989–90 season, leading the team to the Presidents’ Trophy and a Stanley Cup Final appearance. He was named Executive of the Year by The Sporting News and coach of the year by The Hockey News.

The following season, he guided the Bruins to another 100-point season and division title. He coached the Wales Conference team at the 1991 All-Star Game, where he sparked controversy by selecting enforcer Chris Nilan and checker Brian Skrudland over players like Kirk Muller and Guy Lafleur. Both Nilan and Skrudland missed the game due to injury. As a result, the league’s board of governors changed the policy so future All-Star teams would be chosen by committee. After the 1991 playoffs, Milbury stepped down as head coach, saying he wanted to try something different and move into full-time management.

On March 30, 1994, Boston College announced Milbury as head coach of its hockey team, replacing Steve Cedorchuk. He left abruptly before coaching a game, citing “philosophical differences” with the school’s athletic department.