When you look up at the TD Garden rafters, you’ll see plenty of Boston Bruins championship banners. You’ll also see numbers that have been retired by the team — one of the highest honors a player can receive.
The numbers of players like Cam Neely, Bobby Orr and Ray Bourque hang above the Bruins’ ice, and come Nov. 29, Rick Middleton will join the elite group when his No. 16 is retired. Middleton tallied 898 points in 12 seasons with the B’s and will be the 11th player to have his number retired by the team.
The Bruins currently are stacked with both veteran and rookie talent, which got us wondering: Who on the roster has a shot at getting their number retired when they hang up the skates?
Here’s what we came up with:
Zdeno Chara
The 41-year-old has been with the B’s since the 2006-07 season, and while he isn’t putting up 40-plus point campaigns as he has in years past, the defenseman continues to be an integral part to the team. Chara played in 73 regular season games for Boston during the 2017-18 campaign and tallied 24 points (seven goals, 17 assists).
The captain is a veteran role model for both young stars like Charlie McAvoy as well as veterans such as Torey Krug, and head coach Bruce Cassidy believes he could play four or five more years. Age clearly isn’t bringing Chara down, as his recent Instagram posts have shown.
He also helped lead the club to its first Stanley Cup in 39 years in 2011. He boasts six All-Star appearances and has been named a James Norris Memorial Trophy finalist for the NHL’s best defenseman six times, winning the award in 2009.
Patrice Bergeron
This one seems like a no-brainer. The first-line center is entering his 15th season with the Bruins and has spent his entire career in Boston. The alternate captain is a face-off master, winning 58.4 percent of them in his career thus far. Bergeron has logged at least 20 goals in nine seasons and has five consecutive years of notching at least 30 assists and 50 points.
His toughness is unmatched — he’s battled through injuries such as a separated shoulder and punctured lung — and he’s been a true leader in Boston.
Like Chara, Bergeron was a big part of the 2011 Stanley Cup squad, collecting an impressive 20 points in 23 playoff games. He also has four Frank J. Selke awards (the league’s best defensive forward) to add to his impressive résumé.
Brad Marchand
It certainly would be a rare feat for both Marchand and Bergeron to not only retire as Bruins but also have their numbers retired by the team. While both scenarios are years off, Marchand has steadily built a compelling case, starting with his first full season in 2010-11. He made his mark in those Stanley Cup playoffs when he notched 19 points in 25 playoff games en route to a title.
Since then, Marchand has put up tremendous numbers. There’s only been one season when the 30-year-old didn’t tally at least 20 goals. He finished each of the previous two campaigns with 85 points and added a 4-13-17 line in the 2017-18 playoffs against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Marchand makes his presence known on the ice despite his small size. He constantly battles for pucks, drives to the net and is a nuisance for other teams to defend due to his speed.
David Krejci
Krejci may be the dark horse here, but the veteran winger has put up impressive numbers each time the B’s reached the playoffs and is consistent with his assists each season. Krejci is entering his 13th season with the Black and Gold and has been adamant about staying put and wanting to retire as a Bruin.
The center has tallied at least 20 assists since the 2007-08 season, including 51 helpers in 2008-09. He’s battled hip injuries over the years, but always shines in the playoffs. During the 2010-11 Cup run, Krejci slashed 12-11-23 in 25 games before hoisting Lord Stanley in Game 7. And while the B’s got bounced in the second round of last season’s Stanley Cup playoffs, Krejci proved his worth with 10 points in 12 games.
Krejci already ranks ninth in team history in assists and 13th in points, and likely will move into the top 10 in points once the 2018-19 campaign comes to an end.
