Why David Krejci’s No. 46 Should Join Bruins Legends In Rafters

There are 12 retired Boston Bruins numbers high above the ice at TD Garden.

Eddie Shore, Lionel Hitchman, Bobby Orr, Aubrey Clapper, Phil Esposito, Cam Neely, Johnny Bucyk, Milt Schmidt, Rick Middleton, Willie O’Ree, Terry O’Reilly and Ray Bourque have all received the highest honor from the franchise as their numbers hang proudly in the rafters along with the six championship banners.

When Patrice Bergeron announced his retirement on July 25, Bruins president Cam Neely said it was a “no-brainer” for the captain’s No. 37 to be raised after his illustrious career.

Now that David Krejci made his decision to hang up his skates, should the Bruins consider having his No. 46 join Bergeron’s as one of the next numbers to be honored?

“I just wanted to play the best I could represent myself, my family, City of Boston and Bruins organization, the best I could,” Krejci told reporters following his retirement announcement, as seen on NESN. “And I think for the most part, I’ve done that.”

Krejci may be a dark horse choice, but the 16-year veteran played his entire career in a Bruins sweater. He amassed 231 goals and 555 assists for 786 points, which ranks him fifth in assists and ninth in points all-time for the Bruins.

The retired center tallied at least 20 assists in every season from 2007-08 to 2022-23, including 53 helpers in 2018-19.

Even if his regular season numbers don’t jump off the page for some, no one can deny why he earned the nickname “Playoff Krejci.”

Imagine the Bruins winning in 2010 instead of losing Krejci to a broken wrist in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia Flyers? Up until the injury, Krejci recorded eight points in nine games for Boston.

In Boston’s 2011 run to the Stanley Cup, Krejci led the league with 23 points in 25 games. Many consider Tim Thomas the reason the Bruins won the Cup that year, but again, no denying what Krejci meant to the Black and Gold. Especially in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning when he fed Nathan Horton for the lead late in the third period of a scoreless game — arguably the most memorable playoff moment of his career.

Krejci again led the league in the 2013 playoffs with 26 points and although the Bruins fell to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games, he was a key factor in Boston’s run that year. The argument can be made that he was an intricate part of all three of Boston’s finals appearances in 2011, 2013 and 2019.

Krejci has 128 playoff points in 160 postseason games tied with Bergeron (170 games) and Brad Marchand (148 games) for second all-time in Bruins history. He trails only Bourque with 161 points in 180 games.

The Czech Republic native is one of three Bruins players, joining Bergeron and Wayne Cashman, to play at least 1,000 games while playing their entire NHL career in Boston.

“I don’t think it’s sunk in what an accomplishment that actually is,” Krejci said. “I’ll realize that later. … But I do take pride in playing 1,000 games for the Bruins organization for this many years.

“The Bruins kept believing in me.”

Bourque, Sweeney, Bucyk and Chara each recorded more than 1,000 NHL games but played for more franchises than just Boston. Ironically, though, all four of them played more than two-thirds of their games for the Bruins.

Krejci has only one Cup on his long resume, but looking at the numbers that are already retired, that’s one more than O’Reilly, Middleton and Neely. Championships should not be the only criteria for why a jersey is retired.