Top Boston sports stories of 2022: Bruins edition
BOSTON -- The Boston Bruins will kick off the new year in style, hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins at Fenway Park for the Winter Classic. They'll be doing so as the best team in the NHL, as the 2022-23 season has gotten off to a dynamite start for the Bruins.
But before moving on to next year, let's take a look back at the biggest stories from this past year.
There have certainly been some ups and downs, all of which have brought the B's to where they are today.
Tuukka Returns, Then Retires
The Bruins had an odd plan in net for the 2021-22 season. They had rookie Jeremy Swayman under contract, and Tuukka Rask stated he hoped to return after undergoing hip surgery in the summer. But they also spent big on Linus Ullmark in free agency, creating a bit of a logjam for that Rask return.
Rask did return to the team in January, but it was short-lived. He won his first game back on Jan. 13, but he allowed five goals on seven shots against Carolina his second time out, lasting jut one period. He allowed seven more goals over his next two starts, and he suffered a lower-body injury.
That pain ended up being too much, thus short-circuiting Rask's career and leading to his retirement at age 34.
Rask retired with the most games played and most wins by a goaltender in Bruins franchise history. He also ranks second on the team's all-time list for goals-against average, behind Tiny Thompson, and he ranks second on the team's all-time save percentage list, just three one-thousandths of a point behind Tim Thomas.
Hampus Lindholm Injured, Charlie McAvoy Makes Rapid COVID Return
The Bruins made a huge addition at the deadline, acquiring Hampus Lindholm from the Ducks and then signing him to a massive extension. Lindholm's presence on the Boston blue line along with Charlie McAvoy gave the Bruins a serious one-two punch on the back end.
But in Game 2 of the Bruins' first round playoff series, Lindholm was on the receiving end of a heavy hit from Andrei Svechnikov, leaving him unable to even stand on his own. Though the Bruins didn't officially announce a concussion, Lindholm missed the next three games of the series.
The Bruins were also without McAvoy in Game 4 after he tested positive for COVID. He then made a dramatic return for Game 5, flying to Carolina on a private jet and showing up to the arena in time for the game. The Bruins lost that game, though.
B's Dominate At Home, Lose In 7 Games To Carolina
In their three home games against Carolina, the Bruins outscored the Hurricanes 14-6. In the four road games in Carolina, though, Boston was outscored 18-6, including a 3-2 loss in Game 7 to end their season.
It was certainly a disappointing way for the season to end, and it brought about a seismic shift in the organization.
Bruce Cassidy Fired, Jim Montgomery Hired
A few weeks after that playoff elimination, the Bruins brass of Cam Neely and Don Sweeney decided to fire head coach Bruce Cassidy.
The news registered as a shock in the region, as few believed that Cassidy's Bruins underperformed, given the level of talent on the roster. Nevertheless, the front office decided it was time for a new voice in the locker room.
So far, they've been proven very right in that assessment. At the end of June, the Bruins announced that Jim Montgomery had been hired as the new head coach. Though it's early in his tenure, Montgomery's said and done just about everything right since taking the reins.
Cassidy, meanwhile, landed on his feet quite nicely, as he was hired by the Vegas Golden Knights. Cassidy's team won in a shootout over the Bruins in the coach's return to Boston, and the Knights are tied for having the third-most points in the NHL entering New Year's weekend.
Patrice Bergeron Re-Signs
Though Patrice Bergeron is a relatively young man (he turned 37 in July), he's lived a long, long NHL life. Having played in nearly 1,400 NHL games, Bergeron spent some time last spring contemplating retirement.
Ultimately, though, the captain returned for his 19th NHL season. He did so on a deal that only cost the Bruins $2.5 million against the cap, with half of his $5 million salary tied to easily earned performance bonuses that won't hit the cap until next year. It's not ideal for cap purposes next season, but in the present, it shows an urgency for this team to win now.
Bergeron also reached a career milestone by registering his 1,000th point in late November, which led to all of his teammates hopping over the boards to celebrate with him mid-game in Tampa.
David Krejci Returns
The Bruins also welcomed back David Krejci, solidifying their top two center spots for the season.
An all-time contributor to the Boston Bruins, Krejci took a sabbatical in the 2021-22 season to play back at home in his native Czech Republic. But after a year in the homeland, Krejci was convinced to return to Boston. Like Bergeron, Krejci signed a deal that fit under Boston's cap for this season -- a $3 million deal, with $2 million tied to incentives.
Winter Classic/Reverse Retros
2022 also brought the return of the Winter Classic to Boston. In February, the NHL announced that the 2023 Winter Classic would be held at Fenway Park for the second time. The Bruins hosted the Winter Classic there in 2010, and they hosted the event at Gillette Stadium in 2016. The Bruins also played in the Winter Classic at Notre Dame Stadium in 2019, and they played at Lake Tahoe in an outdoor game in 2021, so they've been rather active in the NHL's outdoor games intiative.
This year's Winter Classic brought with it a return of the famed bear logo that was worn on the shoulders of Bruins jerseys from the '70s through the '90s.
The team also introduced the new reverse retro jerseys, featuring the polarizing "Pooh bear" logo from the '90s and early 2000s.
Bruins fans were given plenty of options for clothing while attending the Winter Classic at Fenway.
Still No David Pastrnak Extension
If there's one thing Bruins fans have been clamoring for all year, it's been a long-term extension for David Pastrnak. Alas, that's yet to materialize.
The 26-year-old is in the final season of his six-year, $40 million contract that he signed back in 2017. The next contract will cost a whole lot more than that, as Pastrnak has done nothing but earn himself more money by playing this season, as he's in the top five for goals scored and top 10 in points.
Pastrnak has done nothing to indicate he wants to leave, but if he does hit free agency at season's end, there's a chance that he leaves for a monster offer from elsewhere.
Zdeno Chara Retires As A Bruin
It says a lot about Zdeno Chara's remarkable commitment and athleticism that he had a real chance to play in the NHL for his age 45/46 season. But in the end, Chara decided it was time to retire to family life, ending his NHL career, which began all the way back in the 1997-98 season.
Though Chara played for four NHL teams, he spent most of his career with the Boston Bruins, playing in 1,023 regular-season games and 150 postseason games, all while wearing the captain's C on his jersey. The pinnacle of that career obviously came in June of 2011, when he hoisted the Stanley Cup higher than any player had ever lifted it before following the Bruins' Game 7 win over the Vancouver Canucks.
But before officially retiring, Chara returned to Boston to sign a one-day contract with the Bruins and retire in the place that became his home. In a sign of the respect that Chara always garnered, all of his former teammates showed up to commemorate the moment and give a proper farewell to the captain who had led the franchise for 14 years.
Mitchell Miller Fiasco
In the midst of a blazing start, the Bruins brought a ton of negative attention on themselves by signing a controversial young player to a contract.
On Friday, Nov. 4, the Bruins announced the signing of Mitchell Miller to an entry-level contract. On Sunday, Nov. 6, the team announced that it had cut ties with the player.
That was because Miller had a history of bullying a disabled classmate in middle school. Miller was convicted in a juvenile court in 2016 of assault, and a 2020 report from the Arizona Republic detailed parts of that case, which included the use of racial slurs directed at his classmate with developmental disabilities. While such behavior wouldn't necessarily prevent a player from ever playing professionally, the victim's mother spoke out to say that Miller had never apologized or shown remorse for his actions, and there had been little evidence that Miller had done much of anything to better himself in the three years that have passed since the Coyotes relinquished his draft rights.
As such, the Bruins responded to public pressure -- from fans, media, and seemingly from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who was certainly nonplussed to learn the news of the signing -- and decided to end their relationship with Miller after just two days.
Cam Neely spoke to the media and said the team didn't do enough digging on Miller, prompting an internal review of the organization's player-vetting process.
Best Team In The League
The Bruins were good last season, but they weren't great. They finished the regular season with 107 points, which ranked fourth in their division, sixth in their conference, and 10th in the NHL.
They re-signed David Kejci, traded Erik Haula for Pavel Zacha, and made a minor addition in A.J. Greer. Most expectations on the 2022-23 Bruins had them being ... roughly the same as they were last year.
Instead, the Bruins have been the best team in hockey through the first three months of the season.
The Bruins enter New Year's weekend with a 28-4-3 record, good for 59 points. It's the best mark in the NHL by a rather wide margin. Carolina ranks second with 52 points, while three teams have 50 points.
The reasons for that have been plentiful. Linus Ullmark has been the best goaltender in the league. Hampus Lindholm has been as good as the Bruins expected him to be. Jake DeBrusk is having his best season. David Krejci didn't have too much rust. Charlie McAvoy and Brad Marchand returned well ahead of schedule from their offseason surgeries. Pavel Zacha has fit in seamlessly. Nick Foligno is a completely different player from last year. The power play is buzzing. The penalty kill is exceptional. The vibes are strong. And of course, the best players -- Bergeron, Pastrnak, Marchand -- have been reliable as always.
Put it all together, and it's resulted in a tremendous run to start the year.
Ultimately, the season will be judged on what the Bruins do in the postseason. But for now, it's fair to say the Bruins could not have put themselves in a better position to make that playoff run when the time comes.