I would swap out Wensink and Donato for Oliver & Williams for sure. Probably trade out Doak for Quaider also. If memory serves me he pinched in and kept the play alive in OT G7 against Montreal, allowing Lucic to pass to Horton. He also scored the only goal in the elimination G4 against Pittsburgh in '13.
Bruins Centennial Centennial Season
- Thread starter smithformeragent
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I would swap out Wensink and Donato for Oliver & Williams for sure. Probably trade out Doak for Quaider also. If memory serves me he pinched in and kept the play alive in OT G7 against Montreal, allowing Lucic to pass to Horton. He also scored the only goal in the elimination G4 against Pittsburgh in '13.
Looks like the 90s Era jersey to me with that striping on the bottom
smithformeragent
Moderator
smithformeragent
Moderator
Too be fair the most successful years on there, the league only had 6 teams so its understandable they'd win and compete for more Cups
Unfortunately, that was never the case, and the Bruins NEVER won the Cup in a six-team league. In 1929, there were ten teams, and in 1939 and 1941, there were seven.
The odds were never stacked more against the Bruins than in the O6 era (1942-1967). In the Original Six Era, Montreal (10), Toronto (9), and Detroit (5) won all the titles except for 1961 when the Blackhawks (1) somehow snuck in.
Back then, there was no draft, and each team had exclusive rights to any player who lived within 50 miles of the home rink. Needless to say, Toronto and Montreal benefited greatly from this. With a handful of exceptions, Montreal had a stranglehold on the province of Quebec, and Toronto had a vast network of scouts and talent-finders throughout the rest of Canada who signed promising young players to iron-clad contracts. Detroit’s proximity to southern Ontario helped them. The Red Wings found Gordie Howe in Saskatchewan, but the Bruins, Rangers, and Blackhawks struggled mightily to get great players in the O6 era.
Stan Fischler’s history of the Bruins in “Bobby Orr and the Big Bad Bruins” recalls that the Bruins were so desperate for a savior in the early 1960s, that all the scouts and managers formed what he called the “Bear Expeditionary Force” to find the next great Bruin. They looked all over Canada, and eventually got their man. But the only reason they did was because Bobby Orr was 12, and the Maple Leafs in their arrogance considered him too young to sign. The Leafs did not take into account how desperate the Bruins were and thus botched what should have been a layup in signing Orr who was a huge Maple Leafs fan.
Other great Bruins like Eddie Shore and the Kraut Line were from well outside the territories of other NHL teams. Though Shore was bought from a defunct league, had he been born in Ontario, he undoubtedly would have been a Leaf.
The Original Six was not the utopian hockey paradise some like to pretend it was. Unless you were a Habs or a Leafs fan, it sucked much more often than not. Especially when the best Boston, New York, and Chicago could hope for was the fourth playoff spot after Montreal, Toronto, and Detroit settled the order they would finish 1-2-3.
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smithformeragent
Moderator
They didn’t win, but I’ll always have a special feeling for those teams from 1999-2006 that never won anything, and yet I still watched whenever I could and went to as many games as possible.
It was a pretty lean fan base, but many of us stuck with the team during those darker times, and it made it that much sweeter when they did finally break through.
Love throwing the names from that era around.
It was a pretty lean fan base, but many of us stuck with the team during those darker times, and it made it that much sweeter when they did finally break through.
Love throwing the names from that era around.
A tough era to be a fan. I was very angry at the Jacobs family and watched very little hockey. You’re a better Bruins fan than I.
smithformeragent
Moderator
Nah, not necessarily true.
Part of it was that I grew up with the sport.
Patriots were probably my number 1 team in the 90s. I was a huge Bledsoe fan, but Bruins were a close 2nd.
There was a certain “counterculture” feeling when so much of the talk on sports radio was focused on Patriots and Sox. It felt like we had our own little “hipster” hockey community as those who followed “that other team/sport”.
However, the old guard of fans had every right to be angry and stay away. Ultimately those empty yellow seats sent a message to ownership that people are willing to go without the product.
In Manchester, we had a decent alternative in the Monarchs for hockey junkies who found themselves soured on the Boston Bruins.
It was a weird time.
That’s how it was for me and the Patriots when I was in high school (1989 - 1992 seasons). I was literally the only Patriots fan I knew. Not gonna lie, but I feel like that gives me “fan cred.”
I always felt that the Patriots tried but were just incompetent, but Bruins ownership didn’t give a shit. I honestly never thought I’d see the Bruins win the Stanley Cup.
smithformeragent
Moderator
I too, resigned myself to the belief that I’d never see a Bruins Cup.
I came into fandom just after the dark days for the Pats. I vaguely remember 1993 and remember lots of 94.
I rocked the shit out of my Patriots Starter jacket to school circa 1996-98.
Had hand me down home and away blank Bruins jerseys that I frequently wore to school until I got a job and was able to purchase my own Brian Rolston black home which I still have packed away in the basement.
Dennis Bonvie
Registered User
Jacques Laperriere was one of the best D men in the NHL his whole career.
Thats how it worked for me as a kid in middle school in the mid 2000s. Hockey was a huge Afterthought .
I was known as the "hockey kid" as I was the only Bruins fan in my entire middle school/ Jr High. Everyone else was all aboard the Sox/Pats wagon as this was the Era of them winning and breaking their own droughts. I was so ecstatic when I was somehow able to find Bruins notebooks and pencils and thought it was the coolest thing .
These days the Bruins struggled. It was during the 2004 choke to Montreal and the Dave Lewis Era where I just felt really sour on the team. Thankfully this was the Era of AHL dominating the New England market. I'd get free vouchers to Lowell Lock Monster games for doing so many book reports and that deepened my love for the game.
Bruins were such an after thought during these days that even at the Wives Carnival they were literally giving out free tickets to people coming in for upcoming games.
For me it's Kevin Miller and NcQuaid. I would agree with Guerin as well who I thought was a bigger part of this franchise then Jason Allison during an Ivy err flapping period.
smithformeragent
Moderator
smithformeragent
Moderator
It’d be great if NESN got on board with a retro themed broadcast for the anniversary.
Bring back the TV38 theme!
Bring back the TV38 theme!
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Dennis Bonvie
Registered User
Bill Guerin played all of two seasons for the Bruins. Allison played over 300 games for the B's.
BigBadBruins7708
Registered User
Miller is a lesser McQuaid. I love Quaider (have his jersey in alternate black) but he's not above Thornton.
And Guerin was only here for 2 seasons (under 150 games). Not nearly enough for this.
Si Hopkins
Registered User
You know it's just a matter of time until Savard is back in Boston in some capacity.
Si Hopkins
Registered User
I'm hoping someday AI makes this kind of thing possible. Like crystal clear live action. Fred Cusick in the booth kinda shit.
I really have a bad memory on Guerin and Allison. I actually thought Guerin was here longer. I sure do wish we had signed him instead of letting him go. I think he wanted to stay.
That would be pretty cool. Add Bobby Orr to a team sim those.
Fill the extended 2RW gap with Neely and sim that shit. Damn it will happen a d it will be fun. I hope I don't waste all my life in those types of Sims.
He was but interestingly enough Language 3 best offensive seasons in the NHL were
with Montreal including an 11G 34A 45P season his last year. Jacques best was 37 points in 1969-70.
Just a fan, like you. I'm sure Harry has his good traits, and he was an excellent coach. For a time, skin Flint that he was, he was also an excellent general manager. But, again, take a look at Chris Nilon's interview with Raymond Bourque on the raw knuckles podcast. Punch it in on YouTube. Ray is direct about his relationship with Sinden, and though he respects Harry as a hockey guy, it's clear he does not respect Sinden's priorities.Just more proof as if any were needed that Harry Sinden is a mean spirited, petty & vindictive son of a bitch. I'm sure @GordonHowe will back me up on this.
I mean really. A guy makes it big playing in the Olympics & the NHL and instead of being happy for him Sinden resents him.
Dennis Bonvie
Registered User
What he wanted was $9 mil a year.
Great comparison, original 06 point totals compared to points in the highest scoring era in NHL history.
