The defending Northeast Division Champion Boston Bruins did not rest easy after being eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes in last season’s NHL Playoffs and a substantial shakeup ensued due mostly to salary cap issues. Gone were leading goal scorer Phil Kessel, P.J. Axelsson, Stephane Yelle, Shane Hnidy, Steve Montador and goalie Manny Fernandez. The team then acquired defenseman Derek Morris, forward Steve Begin and goaltender Manny Fernandez was replaced with rookie Tuukka Rask. Eleven free agents were signed to the club, most notably former NY Ranger Derek Morris, former Dallas Star Steve Begin and former Army Black Knight Zach McKelvie. The team then made sure to hold on to their younger talent, resigning a number of players most notably Marc Savard (7-yr $28 million), Milan Lucic (3-yr $12.25 million) and David Krejci (3-yr $11.25 million). The draft provided the opportunity for the franchise to select Canadians Jordan Caron with the 25th overall pick and Ryan Button with the 86th overall selection. The team is currently situated in 7th place in the NHL Eastern Division.

The Boston Bruins became the first American team to enter the NHL back in 1924. It was an inauspicious beginning for American participation in professional hockey as the Bruins were not a great team, finishing the season at 6-24 in the bottom of the league. Things got better in Year 2, as the Bruins got hot late in the season to stave off a cellar spot by winning 17 games, capturing 4th place but giving American hockey fans some hope that they could compete.

The 1925-26 NHL hockey season provided a breakout year for the Bruins as they posted a 21-20-3 record, their first winning season, to capture second place in the American Division and advance to the playoffs for the first time. The Bruins shocked the league by reaching the Stanley Cup Finals but fell just short of glory, losing in the Finals to the Ottawa Senators in 4 games. After a disappointing playoff loss to the New York Rangers in 1928 though, the Bruins were a more experienced team and the loss set in motion one of the best years in Bruins history, the 1928-29 season and the Bruins' first Stanley Cup.

The Bruins hit the ice hard in the 1928-29 season by posting a 26-13-5 record and making the playoffs where the swept the Montreal Canadiens in 3 games. In the first Stanley Cup Finals featuring only American teams, the Bruins got their revenge on the New York Rangers by winning the Stanley Cup in a sweep.

Since that historic first win in 1929, the Bruins have been one of the more consistent franchises in the NHL, winning the Stanley Cup four times between 1939 and 1972. Boston is a perennial playoff team, appearing in the postseason more than 60 times in their history and playing in 17 Stanley Cup Finals between 1929 and 2004. During that time the team captured 24 division championships and appeared in the conference finals 13 times since 1968. In their 1990 Stanley Cup Finals run, the Bruins had the best defense in the league, won the President’s Trophy, and featured Ray Bourque, winner of the Norris Trophy.