Boston Bruins History

In 1923, at the convincing of Boston grocery tycoon Charles Adams, the National Hockey League decided to expand to the United States. Adams had fallen in love with hockey while watching the 1924 Stanley Cup Finals between the NHL champion Montreal Canadiens and the WCHL champion Calgary Tigers. He persuaded the NHL to grant him a franchise for Boston, which occurred on November 1, 1924. With the Montreal Maroons, the team was one of the NHL's first expansion teams.
Ask a Boston hockey fan who was the greatest to ever lace up skates and the answer will always be 'number 4' Bobby Orr. Carrying on in the tradition of Shore, Orr redefined the position of defenseman with his lightening speed and his offensive artistry. He was the leader of the star studded "Big Bad Bruins" of the late 60's and early 70's. It was the golden era of Boston hockey with the Bruins the kings of the city, winning two Stanley Cups.
Adams' first act was to hire Art Ross, a former star player and innovator, as general manager. Ross was the face of the franchise for the next thirty years, including four separate stints as coach.
The line of great defensemen continued when 18 year-old Ray Bourque joined the Bruins in 1979. The Montreal native went on to have a brilliant 21 year career rewriting a number of league and team records. At the start of the 2001 season, his number 77 was raised to the rafters of the TD Banknorth Garden (formerly the Fleet Center) to become eighth Bruins to join the exalted group. If not for Bourques' generosity, the number 7 he had worn since joining the team would have been raised that night. However on a December night at the old Garden in 1987, Bourque made a token of generosity that became one of the greatest moments in Garden history. On the night Phil Esposito was honored with the retirement of his 7, Bourque relinquished the number 7 he was sharing with the former great, and took 77 in its place.
Adams directed Ross to come up with a nickname that would portray an untamed animal displaying speed, agility, and cunning. Ross came up with "Bruins", an Old English word used for brown bears in classic folk-tales. The team's bearlike nickname also went along with the team's original uniform colors of brown and yellow, which came from Adams' grocery chain, First National Stores.[1]
The 2002 opener was another special night at The Garden. The number 24 worn by Terry O'Reilly was raised to the rafters. Of all the legends whose numbers have been retired, O'Reilly may have had the least talent, but no one ever played the game harder or with more pride than he. He is all time team leader in penalty minutes, but he is also near the top in team scoring. He was the team captain, and after his playing days he coached the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1988. To the hockey fans of New England he was and still is the ultimate Bruin.
In 1940 Shore was traded to the struggling New York Americans for his final NHL season. In 1941 the Bruins won their third Stanley Cup after losing only eight games and finishing first in the regular season. It was their last Stanley Cup for 29 years.
Since retiring, Neely has dedicated himself to giving back to the community and the world. While he was playing, both of his parents succumbed to cancer. Knowing the hardships, and the pain that families suffer,the Neely family created the Cam Neely Foundation for Cancer Cure, 1995. The foundation helps the families of cancer patients with accommodations and support during their love ones' treatments in Boston. In the words of Bruins President Harry Sinden, "Cam's contributions to Boston have gone far beyond what he accomplished on the ice."
[edit] World War II and the "Original Six" Era
World War II affected the Bruins more than most teams; Brimsek and the "Krauts" all enlisted after the 1940–41 Cup win, and lost the most productive years of their careers at war. Cowley, assisted by veteran player Clapper and Busher Jackson, was the team's remaining star. Even though the NHL had by 1943 been reduced to the six teams that would in the modern era be called the "Original Six", talent was depleted enough that freak seasons could take place, as in 1944, when Bruin Herb Cain would set the then-NHL record for points in a season with 82. But the Bruins did not make the playoffs that season, and Cain was out of the NHL two seasons later.
From their days in the beloved old Boston Garden to their present home at the TD Banknorth Garden, the Bruins have been a major part of Boston sports lore. Through the good times and bad, their hard core following forever bleeds black and gold.

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The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts

they are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL)

The team has been in existence since 1924, entering the league as the first United States-based expansion franchise

The Boston Bruins entered the National Hockey League in 1924. They were the leagues'first expansion team

The season after that, 1929–30, the Bruins posted the best-ever regular season winning percentage in the NHL (an astonishing .875, winning 38 out of 44 games