As the Boston Bruins continue to celebrate 100 years of hockey, we felt it would be fun to dig through the team’s player registry, which, according to NHL.com, stands at 1,060 with 949 skaters and 111 goalies, to see who the best players from Massachusetts are. Only 76 players born in the state have ever dressed with the Bruins, which breaks down to 65 skaters and five goalies.
Statistically, 14 skaters collected more than 50 points with the team, which made sorting this list relatively easy from a production standpoint. However, some of the names on his list have deep connections to the Boston hockey scene, whether at the college or NHL level.
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Ultimately, this list is based on numbers and their contributions to the club during their time in the city. Unfortunately, some fan favorites didn’t make the cut, but these lists aim to get people talking and engage in some passionate hockey talk. So, here are the Top 10 best Bruins players from Massachusetts.
10. Bill Guerin (Worchester, MA)
Bill Guerin was a Stanley Cup champion and a veteran of 591 games by the time he made his Bruins debut on Nov. 11, 2000, after a trade from the Edmonton Oilers. Although he was 30 then, he had his best season that year in the NHL, collecting 85 points in 85 games between the two franchises.
During the 2001-02 season, his only full year in Boston, Guerin tallied another 66 points in 78 games before departing the franchise the following summer as a free agent. As of 2023, he still holds the team record for Massachusetts-born players (who played more than one game) with a 0.91 points-per-game average, scoring 129 points in 142 games. Interestingly, Guerin ranks ninth amongst Massachusetts skaters in penalty minutes, with 213.
9. Bobby Carpenter (Beverly, MA)
Bobby Carpenter is the first player in NHL history to jump from high school after being the third overall pick in the 1981 Entry Draft. After suiting up with three teams, he returned home and joined the Bruins on Jan. 23, 1989, in a trade from the Los Angeles Kings.
Although he was not part of the team that advanced to the 1988 Stanley Cup Final, Carpenter had ten points in 21 games during the 1990 run, ending in another Finals loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Overall, during four seasons with Boston, he tallied 134 points in 187 games, giving him the eighth most points by a Massachusetts-born skater. Additionally, he’s just one of six skaters from the state to score over 60 goals with the club, finishing his tenure with 63.
8. Matt Grzelcyk (Charlestown, MA)
Matt Grzelcyk is one of the few players in Bruins’ history to be born in Massachusetts, get drafted by the team, and eventually play for them. As a third-round pick (85th overall) in the 2012 Entry Draft, he’s playing in his eighth season (2023-24) with the club and is considered one of their veterans, making his NHL debut on Dec. 14, 2016.
Statistically, Grzelcyk already ranks fifth among Massachusetts-born players in games played (391) while sitting in tenth place in points (125) and is second in plus/minus (plus-126). Even though he’s set to become a free agent in the summer of 2024, there’s a chance he will remain in Boston and continue his quest to climb up this list.
7. Stephen Leach (Cambridge, MA)
Stephen Leach is another Massachusetts native, drafted by the Capitals, who ended up with the Bruins, just like Carpenter. Interestingly, the duo were teammates for several seasons in the early 1990s, connecting on just four goals together.
Among Massachusetts-born skaters who played with the Bruins, Leach ranks eighth in games played (293) but fourth in goals (76), seventh in assists (83), and fifth in points (159) and penalty minutes (501). However, he has the franchise record for the worst plus/minus rating (minus-31) for any local players who played for the franchise.
6. Charlie Coyle (Weymouth, MA)
The San Jose Sharks drafted Charlie Coyle in the first round (28th overall) of the 2010 Entry Draft before trading him to the Minnesota Wild, who dealt him to the Bruins on Feb. 20, 2019. Since then, he’s become one of the team’s leaders and top centers.
Ultimately, Coyle has been a good fit in Boston, who inked him a six-year extension in 2021. After just five seasons in black and gold, he’s worked his way into the top ten in games played (317), goals (58), assists (98), points (156), and plus/minus (plus-26). As the team’s second-line center in 2023-24, Coyle will play a pivotal role in the offensive attack as the Bruins hope to go on another deep playoff run.
5. Bob Sweeney (Concord, MA)
Bob Sweeney was a Bruins’ sixth-round pick (123rd overall) at the 1982 NHL Entry Draft, who debuted in 1987. Eventually, he would skate in 43 playoff games as Boston would lose in the 1988 and 1990 Stanley Cup Finals, collecting 16 points along the journey. Statistically, he played 382 games with the Bruins from 1987 to 1992, collecting 193 points thanks to 82 goals and 112 assists.
Although Sweeney, who is not related to current General Manager Don Sweeney, played with three other NHL teams, he’s been closely connected to the Bruins since retiring from professional hockey in 2001. Interestingly, for the past 16 years, Sweeney has been an executive member of the Boston Bruins Foundation, serving as their President since August 2018. Previously, he was Director of Development and Executive Director, beginning his career with the charity in May 2007.
4. Hal Gill (Concord, MA)
Hal Gill is one of the few Bruins’ late-round draft picks ever to make it to the NHL and just one of two skaters to suit up in a thousand games. Although it took him four seasons after being drafted in the eighth round (207th overall) at the 1993 NHL Entry to make his debut, he would go on to play eight seasons with Boston before bouncing around the league and retiring at 38 in 2014 with a Stanely Cup win on his resume.
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Even though he didn’t crack 100 points in Black and Gold, Gill played the second most games (626) with the franchise for any player born in Massachusetts. Furthermore, he ranks third with a plus-41 rating and 588 penalty minutes amongst his peers.
3. Ted Donato (Boston, MA)
Ted Donato came to Boston as a fifth-round pick (98th overall) from the 1987 NHL Entry Draft. After winning a National Championship at Harvard University, he made his NHL debut at 22, and during his nine seasons with the Bruins, he skated in 528 games and collected 266 points.
Surprisingly, Donato is the Bruins’ all-time leading scorer for players born in Massachusetts. Thanks to 119 goals (second place) and 147 assists (second), he edges out Steve Heinze for the top spot on the points list. Interestingly, his son Ryan Donato would go on to be drafted by Boston in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft (27 years later) and would play two seasons with the club.
2. Steve Heinze (Lawrence, MA)
Heinze played 694 games in the NHL, suiting up with the Bruins for the first nine seasons of his career after they drafted him in the third round (60th overall) at the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. Although he ranks fourth on the games-played list with 515 appearances, he didn’t disappoint on the score sheet, scoring 131 goals, which is the most for any skater born in the state.
Furthermore, with the fourth most assists (108), he collected 239 points in a Bruins uniform, coming within 27 points of the top spot held by Donato. Interestingly, out of the 32 Massachusetts-born players to score a game-winning goal for the franchise, Heinze ranks first with 23, the number he wore for eight seasons from 1992 to 2000. Additionally, he’s the only player to collect more than a thousand shots on goal, finishing his tenure with 1,104.
1. Mike Milbury (Boston, MA)
Mike Milbury spent his entire NHL career, 754 games, with the Bruins, who signed him as a free agent in November 1974. However, his time with the franchise will always be remembered for the “shoe incident” at Madison Square Garden in 1979, when, along with some teammates, he hopped over the glass and engaged with rowdy fans in the stands.
Statistically, Milbury is one of the most decorated Massachusetts-born players ever to wear the Spoked B, skating in the most games (754), collecting the most penalty minutes (1,552), and earning a plus-175 rating. Although most current fans recognize him as a TV analyst, he did coach the Bruins to the Presidents’ Trophy in 1989-90 and guided the team to the 1990 Stanley Cup Final, earning him Executive of the Year honors.
Honorable Mentions
Anyone who grew up in New England and loves the Bruins will be familiar with a handful of names that deserve to be on this list but didn’t make the cut. Whether it was Bob Miller, Shawn McEachern, Tim Sweeney, Shawn Bates, or Billy O’Dwyer, it isn’t easy to include everyone who made contributions on and off the ice in the Boston area.
