Creativity, Poise Clinched David Krejci’s Spot On Bruins All-Centennial Team

In celebration of the Boston Bruins’ 100th season, NESN is dedicating an episode of the “Ultimate Bruins Show” to each member of the Bruins All-Centennial team. Tune in Thursday at 6 p.m. ET as we honor David Krejci.

For 16 seasons wearing the Spoked-B, David Krejci exhibited an incomparable blend of creativity, poise and perception on the ice, which propelled the dynamic forward as a selection to the Bruins All-Centennial Team comprised of the 20 most legendary players in franchise history. Learn more about Krejci’s selection on NESN’s “Ultimate Bruins Show” on Thursday at 6 p.m. ET.

Krejci hung up his skates following the Bruins’ historical 2022-23 campaign after playing his entire NHL 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 Black and Gold.

Skating in 1,032 games for the Bruins, Krejci is one of three players, joining Patrice Bergeron and Wayne Cashman, to play at least 1,000 games while playing their entire NHL career in Boston. Krejci never wanted to play for any other team in his career.

“I didn’t want to play anywhere else for an NHL team,” Krejci told NESN. “This is the team. They have the whole package. The city’s great.”

Knowing the players that donned the Spoked-B before him, Krejci knew the Bruins’ culture was something different.

“Every year, I got to know the history a little bit more,” Krejci said. “What’s cool about this team is all those greats, Bobby Orr, Ray Bourque … you got Cam (Neely), (Don Sweeney), (Zdeno Chara); they’re still part of this family.

“That’s cool that the guys are not done and they’re around. They hang out. They know your name, which for young players, and Bobby Orr or Ray Bourque comes down and knows your name … that’s pretty cool. That’s something I remember most.”

The retired center tallied at least 20 assists in every season from 2007-08 to 2022-23, including 53 helpers in 2018-19. As solid as his regular season numbers were, Krejci definitely excelled in the postseason.

In Boston’s 2011 run to the Stanley Cup, Krejci led all skaters with 23 points in 25 games. 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. The trio trails only Ray Bourque with 161 points in 180 games.

He joins Bergeron, Pastrnak, Marchand, Johnny Bucyk, Phil Esposito, Cashman, Milt Schmidt, Cam Neely, Rick Middleton, Terry O’Reilly and Bill Cowley to complete the 12 forwards named to the Bruins All-Centennial Team.