Mike Milbury

Lore & Background

Milbury gained notoriety for a December 23, 1979 incident after a Bruins victory over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. During an on-ice fray, a Rangers fan cut Stan Jonathan's face with a rolled-up program and grabbed his stick. Teammates went into the stands; Milbury, who had reached the visitors locker room, raced back, caught the spectator, removed one of his shoes, and slapped him hard once with the sole side before being restrained. NHL president John Ziegler suspended Milbury for six games and fined him $500. This incident led to higher glass panels enclosing rinks in hockey arenas.

In Their Own Story

The Coliseum was shaking. Third period, two minutes left, the puck in the Islanders' zone. A Boston winger, fast and hungry, carried it through the neutral zone and into the slot, eyes locked on the net. He saw the opening. He saw the blue line. He did not see Milbury.

Milbury was not in a position to make a play. He was not in a position to make a save. He was in a position to make a statement. He crossed his skates, dropped his shoulder, and met the winger at full speed in the blue line. The sound was a dull, heavy crack that carried through the frozen air and into the stands. The winger went down. The puck went wide. The Coliseum erupted.

Milbury did not celebrate. He did not raise his stick. He simply turned, skated back to his own blue line, and waited for the next shift. That was the job. That was always the job.

Reader's Guide

Milbury was a three-year letterman at Colgate University from 1972 to 1974, playing as a defenseman wearing number 7. He signed with the Boston Bruins as a free agent on November 5, 1974, and played all twelve NHL seasons for the Bruins. He helped the Bruins reach the Stanley Cup Final in 1977 and 1978, losing both times to the Montreal Canadiens. After his playing career, he became head coach of the Bruins' AHL affiliate in Maine on July 16, 1987, and was promoted to head coach and assistant general manager of the Boston Bruins in the 1989–90 season. He was hired as the New York Islanders' coach in 1995 and within three months became general manager as well, turning coaching duties over to Rick Bowness in January 1997. He stepped down as Islanders GM in June 2006.

Did You Know?

• Milbury was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006.
• He served as a television color commentator and analyst for the NHL on NBC from 2007 to 2021.
• In 2023, he was named one of the top 100 Bruins players of all time.
• Milbury was named AHL Coach of the Year and The Hockey News' Minor Pro Coach of the Year in his first season with the Maine Mariners.