1. We are known for having the most outrageous fans in hockey
Seriously, have you seen our fans at the Garden? There are signs, painted bodies, and screaming from fans of all ages. Beers in hand and friends beside us, we go absolutely insane when our team scores. We love our Bruins, like, really love them. We have multiple jerseys, shirts, hats, toys, and posters brandishing the logo of our favorite team. Bruins fans are a family. We always lookout for each other in the fan section and give a nod to those we see wearing Bruins gear. Have you seen the Stanley Cup of Chowder website? Because that sums up just how dedicated we are to our team.
2. Claude Julien
People always talk about Bill Belichick, why not Claude? Claude Julien has been the coach for the Bruins since 2007 and he has brought the team to the playoffs five times since then. Claude played in the NHL and even coached the Montreal Canadiens for a few seasons. He has won multiple awards for being an amazing coach, including an award for his 200th win as coach of an NHL team, and the Jack Adams Award for the being the best coach in the NHL in 2009. Claude has a glare like no other and is highly respected in the NHL. We love you, Claude!
3. We have a scrappy team
“Lucic Fight Club” is a tee-shirt you’ve probably seen multiple times. It’s no joke that Milan Lucic packs a punch on the ice, but so does the rest of the team. Shawn Thornton has been known for having a strong hook. Just ask Brooks Orpik of the Pittsburgh Penguins who got taken off the ice after a Thornton sucker-punch. In the 2013-2014 regular season, there were 46 noted fights for the Boston Bruins. In the 2011-2012 regular season, the year we won the Stanley Cup, there were 61 fights! The leader that season was Shawn Thornton with 20 fights, followed by Gregory Campbell with 10. That season almost every player got into at least one fight. You’d think people would’ve learned by now, don’t poke the bear.
4. Rene Rancourt
If you are lucky enough to be a firsthand witness of a Rene Rancourt rendition of the National Anthem, cherish it. Known for his loud, bellowing voice, he has been singing the National Anthem at Bruin’s home games for 35 years! His signature fist pump at the end of his singing has won the hearts of fans of many hockey teams.
5.) Zdeno Chara: The gorilla on hockey skates
The captain of our hockey team may or may not be King Kong. Standing at 6′ 9″ and weighing 255lbs. Chara is a force to be reckoned with on the ice. Chara is from Slovakia and has been a Bruin since 2006. He is the tallest player that has ever played in the NHL. He is also known for having one of the hardest slapshots in the world, with his highest velocity reaching 108 mph! He played in the 2010 Winter Olympics in which the United States came in second, with the Canadians taking Gold. All in all, Chara is one of the best and biggest hockey players the NHL has ever seen.
6. They’ll score…eventually
The Bruins are notorious for scoring goals when they’re down to the wire. The amount of times they’ve gone into the third period down a few goals and pulled a win in ridiculous. They aren’t really underdogs, though, because this happens so frequently. They know they can’t let their fans down, so they give it their all and always pull through. This is part of the reason watching Bruins games, at TD Garden or at home, is exhilarating. They keep us on our toes, but we all secretly know that Bergeron or Marchand will score and win that game.
7. 2011 Stanley Cup Finals
2011 was a great year for the Boston Bruins. They ended the regular season as the Northeast division champions, and then beat the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, and Tampa Bay Lightning to get to the Stanley Cup finals with the Vancouver Canucks. This series was absolutely brutal, bolstered by the rivalry between the Bruins and Canucks. There were many rough plays, but in the third game Nathan Horton of the Bruins was carried off the ice on a stretcher because of an illegal back-check by Aaron Rome of the Canucks. Horton was unable to play the rest of the series and that fueled the Bruins’ desire to win. It also fueled their desire to fight, with 143 total penalty minutes in that game alone. In Game 7, the Bruins beat the Canucks with a score of 4-0 with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron scoring two goals each. Boston celebrated for days and the city of Vancouver was nearly destroyed by unruly fans.
8. Tim Thomas
He may not be a Bruin anymore, but you can’t help but love this guy. Tim Thomas was a large part of the 2011 Stanley Cup win. During this season he had broken the NHL record for save percentage at .938 percentage! He has won the Vezina Trophy, an NHL award for the best goalie, multiple times. He has played in many NHL All-Star games and the Olympics. Thomas has also been remembered for starting a fight in February 2011 with the Montreal Canadiens goalie, Carey Price. Watching guys try to fight in full goalie equipment is hilarious.
9. Boston Bombing national anthem video
This is one of the most important moments in the Bruins’ history. On April 13, 2013 two bombs exploded during the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring over 250 more. This sent a shock through the hearts of millions. Many events were canceled since Boston was focused on handling the situation and trying to return to a state of normalcy. On April 17th, the Bruins had a home game versus the Buffalo Sabres, this being the first major sporting event since the bombings. Rene Rancourt began singing the National Anthem, but immediately the entire crowd began singing with him in a truly beautiful moment for Boston. Try to watch this video without choking up, I dare you.