Chris Kelly still is learning from members of the Boston Bruins even though he's now the assistant coach.
Kelly wore the eight-spoked B jersey for six seasons and won a Stanley Cup in 2011. He amassed 101 points during his time with the Bruins, and now he'll bring his knowledge to the team in a different way.
The 40-year-old played alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Kelly also was David Pastrnak's for two seasons, so he's certainly familiar with the team. And even though he's now a coach, he still is learning from the players.
"We've continued to stay friends over the last 10 years," Kelly told reporters Monday over Zoom of Marchand and Bergeron. "Going into a coaching role with these guys still as players, I'm learning from them just as much as I hope I'm trying to teach them."
More than that, Kelly also is happy to be part of a culture that's so well-known throughout the NHL.
"You hear about the Bruins culture throughout the league and I think maybe when you’re in it, you maybe don't hear it as much, you kind of take it for granted," Kelly said. "But when you go to other places and other organizations, they talk about it and it's a thing throughout the league, how well the Bruins treat their players and the way the players treat each other. It's a culture thing, that competitiveness and there are top-end players bringing it each and every day."
The Bruins certainly have an interesting season ahead of them with David Krejci playing in the Czech Republic, Tuukka Rask's future unknown and a strong goalie tandem of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman.
The season begins at TD Garden on Oct. 16 against the Dallas Stars.
