BOSTON — The Bruins opened themselves up to plenty of second-guessing and questioning after their historic playoff collapse last spring. But give them credit, they didn't duck any of those questions Tuesday night as nearly 2,000 fans showed up for the annual State of the Bruins Town Hall Meeting at the Garden.
Open to season-ticket holders, the forum featured owner Jeremy Jacobs, principal Charlie Jacobs, president Cam Neely, general manager Peter Chiarelli, head coach Claude Julien and players Zdeno Chara, Mark Recchi and Patrice Bergeron fielding questions from the audience for a little over an hour.
Despite last year's postseason setback, the questions were generally positive, as the additions of scoring winger Nathan Horton and No. 2 overall draft pick Tyler Seguin have given the fans plenty of reason for optimism for the upcoming season.
"It was a good vehicle for them to voice their concerns," said Chiarelli after the event. "They want a winner and want us to improve, and that's what we strive for. It was a good entry into the year."
Chiarelli stated that the organizations' goal every year is to improve upon the previous season. Neely set the bar even higher, eliciting a loud ovation as he added an even loftier goal.
"Obviously as an organization, our goal, our ultimate goal, is to win the Stanley Cup," Neely told the crowd. "You guys are here for a reason, to watch us win a Stanley Cup and celebrate us winning a Stanley Cup."
In addition to striving for future celebrations, the Bruins also announced plans to honor a past legend, with a night planned to celebrate the many contributions Milt Schmidt has made to the Bruins in three-quarters of a century working with the club.
"On October 28, we're honoring Milt Schmidt for 75 years in one way, shape or form with this organization," said Neely. "That's going to be a great night for the organization, for Milt and his family. He's a great ambassador for the game and a great ambassador for the Bruins. That's going to be a fun night."
Schmidt has already had his No. 15 retired by the club, but Neely promised something special to mark this occasion honoring the Hall of Fame player, who also served as a coach and general manager of the Bruins.
"We've got something we hope will be very special for him and his family that night," said Neely, declining to reveal any specifics of the festivities.
Neely also didn't have specifics on his plans to honor the many other legends that have donned the Black and Gold over the years, but is working on plans to commemorate the past greats of the organization's rich history.
"Honoring certain players is something we want to do," said Neely. "Whether it's with a Bruins Hall of Fame or something else, that's something we'll look at. I want to get through this first year first. But there have been so many great players that have worn this jersey, so it would be a great way to honor them."
The Bruins could follow the lead of the Red Sox and Patriots by beginning a Bruins Hall of Fame, but Neely wasn't sure if that is the direction the Bruins will go.
"Other teams in the [Boston] market, other NHL teams have done it," said Neely. "It's just a matter of what's the right thing to do for us."
