Have the Bruins Rediscovered Their “Big Bad” Identity
The Boston Bruins were beloved in the 1970s, thanks to Bobby Orr and the “Big Bad Bruins.” Boston was a hockey town, with Orr revolutionizing defense and Phil Esposito being a scoring powerhouse. The Bruins were known for their tough, physical play, setting many offensive records and winning Stanley Cups in 1970 and 1972. They combined talent with physicality, a formula that also led to their 2011 Stanley Cup win.
In recent years, the Bruins have moved away from this identity, facing criticism and playoff defeats to more physical teams like the St. Louis Blues in 2019 and the Florida Panthers, who won the Stanley Cup in 2024. There seems to be a correlation between physicality and winning the Cup, and Bruins GM Don Sweeney aims to make the team hard to play against.
Sweeney, with influence from Team President Cam Neely, appears to have found the type of players he wants: big, physical, and intimidating. Recent drafts and free agency have focused on size, with the Bruins selecting players like 6’2 center Christopher Pelosi and 6’5 defenseman Kristian Kostadinski in 2023. The 2024 draft saw the addition of 6’7 center Dean Letourneau and others of similar stature. Free agency signings like 6’6 Nikita Zadorov and 6’3 Max Jones further emphasized this trend.
The Bruins’ 2024-25 roster will feature numerous players over six feet tall, with only a few exceptions. This new focus on size and physicality is intended to make the Bruins tougher and more competitive. Whether this strategy will lead to more wins and deeper playoff runs remains to be seen, but it promises to make for an exciting season.
