Boston Bruins

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, 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. The first facility to host the Bruins was the Boston Arena (later known as Matthews Arena), the world's oldest 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.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the arena is thick with tension, the ice glistening under the harsh floodlights as the Capitals prepare for another battle against Boston. The crowd's roar builds to a crescendo, echoing off the rafters, a mix of anticipation and anxiety. As the puck drops, the skates carve deep grooves into the surface, sticks clacking together in a rhythmic symphony of aggression. Every check along the boards feels heavier, every save more critical, as two proud franchises fight for supremacy on the frozen stage.

Reader's Guide

The Bruins were founded in 1924 as one of the NHL's first expansion teams and the first NHL team based in the United States. Owner Charles Adams hired Art Ross as general manager, who came up with the 'Bruins' nickname. The team's original uniform colors were brown and yellow, from Adams' grocery chain, First National Stores. On December 1, 1924, the Bruins won the first ever NHL game played in the United States, hosting the Montreal Maroons at Boston Arena. The Bruins improved in their second season to a winning 17–15–4 record. In their third season, Ross purchased several western stars, including defenseman Eddie Shore. 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 defeating the New York Rangers to win their first Stanley Cup. In 1929–30, the Bruins posted the best-ever regular season winning percentage in the NHL (.875) because of a 38–5–1 record, but lost to the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final. In 1939, the team captured its second Stanley Cup. In 1941, the Bruins won their third Stanley Cup after losing only eight games and finishing first in the regular season. During the Original Six era (1942–1967), the Bruins had appearances in the 1953, 1957, and 1958 Stanley Cup Finals. In 1970, a 29-year Stanley Cup drought ended as the Bruins defeated the St. Louis Blues in four games in the 1970 Stanley Cup Final.

Did You Know?

• The Bruins are the oldest active NHL team in the United States, founded in 1924.
• The Bruins' first home arena, Boston Arena, was the world's oldest indoor ice hockey facility at the time of its closure in December 2025.
• Bruins goaltender Tiny Thompson helped the team win its first Stanley Cup in the 1928–29 season.
• In 1929–30, the Bruins posted the best-ever regular season winning percentage in NHL history at .875.
• The Bruins' 2022–23 Presidents' Trophy win set the NHL record for most points in a season with 135.