David Krejci Wants Charlie Coyle, Pavel Zacha To Pave Their Own Bruins’ Future

BOSTON — When the Bruins took the ice for the first time in their centennial season they did so without retired centerman Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci who both retired this past summer after lengthy NHL careers.

As members of the Bruins’ “Historic 100,” the Stanley Cup champions took part in the “Gold Carpet” event prior to puck drop at TD Garden on Wednesday night.

Krejci admitted that he had already started to miss the game when he saw the Bruins return to the ice for training camp but knew his body wouldn’t allow him to play a full NHL schedule.

The Czechnia native thought Brad Marchand was the perfect candidate to lead the Bruins into their centennial season as the new captain.

“He definitely deserves it,” Krejci said. “He earned it. I think he’s the oldest guy on the team. He knows exactly what it means to be a Bruin. There’s a lot of young guys coming in and new faces. I think he’s the right person.”

One question that remained at the beginning of the offseason was who was going to take over as the top two centers with Krejci and Bergeron enjoying their retirement.

The two likely candidates, who have officially earned their stripes are Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha. Krejci said it was important for them to play their game and not try and change just because they have great expectations.

“I would say, believe in yourself and never give up on yourself,” Krejci told NESN.com during the “Gold Carpet” event. “Confidence is a big thing in this league and they’re great players. They’re going to be in a position to succeed this year but they’re going to go through some hard times. So, just don’t get too hard on yourself, just believe in yourself.”

Coyle centered the top line with Marchand and Jake DeBrusk as his wings in the home opener against the Chicago Blackhawks while Zacha centered David Pastrnak and James van Riemsdyk. Pastrnak potted his first two goals of the season en route to the Bruins’ 3-1 win.