Saturday marks the 34th anniversary of the trade that brought Cam Neely to Boston.
On June 6, 1986, the Bruins acquired the forward from the Vancouver Canucks, along with a first-round pick (used to select Glen Wesley), in exchange for Barry Pederson. Then-Canucks head coach Tom Watt said at the time he was not impressed with Neely’s defense.
Wonder if the Canucks have any regrets about it now.
June 6 also marks Neely’s birthday, so he celebrated his 21st by getting traded to the team for which he now serves as president. Neely never won a Stanley Cup as a player, losing in the Final twice. But he lifted Lord Stanley as a front office executive in 2011. The Bruins have reached the Stanley Cup Final three times with Neely as president.
Neely, who turned 55 on Saturday, amassed 344 goals while with the B’s, including 50 in 49 games during the 1993-94 season. It was one of three 50-goal seasons Neely posted with Boston.
On this day in in 1986 – his 21st birthday – Cam Neely was acquired via trade from the Vancouver Canucks.
Neely, now the #NHLBruins president, ranks sixth in team history with 344 goals in just 525 games. pic.twitter.com/kZ4nz4tLvi
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) June 6, 2020
Neely knots the score at two. @NHLBruins | #BruinsEncore pic.twitter.com/fwlbVBPlAn
— NESN (@NESN) June 2, 2020
This guy's something else. @NHLBruins | #BruinsEncore pic.twitter.com/ekCaZJwvpc
— NESN (@NESN) June 5, 2020
No. 300 for No. 8. @NHLBruins | #BruinsEncore pic.twitter.com/AiGs3ynnQk
— NESN (@NESN) June 4, 2020
Neely, a hard-nosed player in addition to a gifted goal scorer, certainly had quite a career with the Bruins.