The Boston Bruins made history in 1924 as the NHL's first American franchise, and more than a century later, they remain one of the league's most storied Original Six teams. Along the way, they've produced legends like Bobby Orr and Ray Bourque, and they've lifted the Stanley Cup six times.
| Founded | 1924 |
| Arena | TD Garden, Boston (17,565 capacity) |
| Conference / Division | Eastern Conference, Atlantic Division |
| Team colors | Black, gold and white |
| Stanley Cups | 6 (1929, 1939, 1941, 1970, 1972, 2011) |
| Head coach | Marco Sturm |
| Captain | Vacant (leadership shared by David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy) |
| General manager | Don Sweeney |
In 1924, the NHL expanded into the United States for the first time, and grocery magnate Charles Adams brought the league's first American franchise to Boston. That milestone earned the Bruins a permanent spot among the NHL's Original Six, alongside the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs.
General manager Art Ross settled on the name "Bruins," an old English word for brown bear pulled from medieval folk tales, since it captured exactly the untamed, powerful image Adams wanted. Ironically, the team's colors actually came first: Adams chose brown and yellow to match his grocery chain, First National Stores, and the Bruins wore that scheme until they finally switched to today's black and gold in the 1934-35 season.
After a rocky start, the Bruins improved quickly, and the 1927 collapse of the rival Western Hockey League let them sign several new stars. Boston then lost the 1927-28 Stanley Cup Final, but bounced back to win its first championship the very next season.
Sprague Cleghorn became the very first captain in franchise history, serving from 1925 to 1928. Decades later, Zdeno Chara set the record for the longest tenure, wearing the "C" for 14 years between 2006 and 2020. Brad Marchand then captained the team from 2023 until the Bruins traded him in 2025, and the franchise hasn't named a successor since — leaving David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy to lead the room instead.
A century of "Bruins hockey": From the NHL's very first American franchise to six Stanley Cup banners, few teams carry as much history — or inspire as much fear in opponents — as the Boston Bruins.
The Bruins have retired 12 jersey numbers, honoring some of the greatest players in franchise history:
Interestingly, the Bruins remain the only Original Six team that hasn't retired the No. 1 jersey. Ray Bourque leads the franchise in career points, while Johnny Bucyk holds the record for most career goals.
Boston finished the 2025-26 season 45-27-10 before falling in the first round to the Buffalo Sabres. Even without a named captain, David Pastrnak continued to lead the way offensively, and the team now heads into the new season still searching for its next great leader on the ice.
