Legendary Enforcer Unmistakable Choice For 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 Rick Middleton.

As part of the Big Bad Bruins in the 70s, legendary enforcer Terry O’Reilly was feared by Boston’s opponents but loved by his teammates and the fans during the 14 years he donned the Spoked-B.

Known for his physical presence, Boston’s all-time penalty minutes leader (2,095), O’Reilly, nicknamed “Taz” was a warrior on the ice for the Bruins and one of the reasons he was selected to the Bruins All-Centennial Team comprised of the 20 most legendary players in franchise history. Learn more about O’Reilly’s selection on NESN’s “Ultimate Bruins Show” on Thursday night at 6 p.m. ET.

Not only did O’Reilly notch more than 200 penalty minutes in five straight seasons from 1977-1982, but he also became an offensive threat. Highlighted by the 1977-78 season, O’Reilly recorded 90 points (29 goals, 61 assists) while serving 211 penalties in minutes.

“I was very happy with the way things were going,” O’Reilly told NESN. “I was playing a balanced game. It was a physical game, but I was contributing in the scoring department and the physical part of it, and that’s the way I wanted to play hockey. I didn’t want to just be one.”

Along with his 90-point season, O’Reilly reached the 20-goal mark two other times in his career (1975-76, 1978-79) and ranks tenth in all-time Bruins history with 402 assists. O’Reilly is part of an NHL record, still held by the Bruins today, as one of the 11 players to record 20 or more goals in the 1977-78 season.

Drafted 14th overall by the Bruins in 1971, O’Reilly reflected on what it was like to be selected by an Original Six franchise.

“I was listening to the draft on the radio,” O’Reilly recalled. “They didn’t make a big deal or televise (back then). They didn’t fly the draft picks to where they were holding it. They didn’t have sweaters made up for them.

“But I was sitting at the table with my mother, listening to it on the radio. ‘Boston Bruins select Terry O’Reilly 14th in the first round,’ and she goes into the other room and comes back out with an atlas and opens it up to see where Boston is. […] I negotiated a contract with them, bought a car, drove to Boston and stayed. Been here for 50 years, over 50 years.”

His No. 24 was retired by the Bruins on Oct. 24, 2002. Former teammate Ray Bourque spoke during the on-ice ceremony calling O’Reilly “the ultimate Bruin” before telling the crowd that the banner hangs “next to mine, protecting me again. That’s awesome.”

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