Bobby Orr is a demigod to Bruins fans, and his No. 4 hangs proudly in the TD Garden rafters. Due to his legacy and the overall popularity of throwback jerseys, many NHL fans know what a retro Bruins sweater looks like. It has a slightly different “B” on the chest and a slightly different black-and-gold color scheme.
The Bruins’ black and gold and spoked-B are common sights to fans now. But Boston’s uniforms have been through plenty of changes, as would be expected for a team that’s been around since 1924 — when the B’s were the only American team in the now-heavily American NHL.
The first Bruins team wore brown and yellow sweaters before changing to garish stripes for a few years. The concept of alternate jerseys was not introduced until 1940, when the team debuted all-gold sweaters. Since then, slight alterations have been made every few years to achieve the sharp look that Zdeno Chara and Tuukka Rask wear today.
