Bruins Stanley Cup Champs Join Alumni For Warrior For Life Fund Matchup

The Boston Bruins Alumni Association has assembled a stacked lineup for their marquee matchup with the Warrior For Life Fund at Warrior Ice Arena on Dec. 7.

The Bruins Alumni lineup includes 2011 Stanley Cup champions Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Mark Recchi, Dennis Seidenberg, Johnny Boychuk, Shawn Thornton, Gregory Campbell, Adam McQuaid, Tuukka Rask, Andrew Ference and Tim Thomas, along with retired NHL players who sported the Spoked-B during their career — Kevan Miller, Andrew Alberts, PJ Stock, Mark Mowers, Bryan Smolinski and Tim Schaller.

When Bruins Alumni president Frank Simonetti started putting together the roster with Miller’s help, he knew this was a game he wouldn’t be playing in.

“Two years ago, we had (Ray) Bourque, Adam McQuaid, Kevan Miller, Andrew Alberts and Zdeno Chara as defensemen, and I was on the ice with them,” Simonetti told NESN.com. “I look at that photo, and I say to myself, ‘Who doesn’t belong here?’ Like that old Sesame Street, one of these things doesn’t belong together so that went through my head.

“I want more people to enjoy this. I don’t have to be on the ice to enjoy it. And I’m happy to be part of the group that pulls it together.”

Alberts wasn’t playing for the Bruins when the Original Six franchise won the Cup in 2011. He was a member of the team Boston beat — the Vancouver Canucks.

“I was joking around with Frank. I’m like, ‘Frankie, what are you trying to do here?” Alberts explained to NESN.com. “He’s like, ‘It’s a 2011 reunion.’ And, I’m like, ‘I know, but I was on the wrong end of that.”

The game will feature a handful of debuts for the Bruins Alumni, including Recchi.

Recchi participated in the Bruins Foundation golf tournament before the 2024-25 campaign got underway and told Simonetti he would “love to play.”

“I knew they were going to try and get as many of the 2011 guys together to come in and play,” Recchi told NESN.com. “I thought it would be really fun because we haven’t had a chance to all get together too often.”

Since announcing his retirement from the NHL in 2016, Ference has appeared in a few alumni games for the Edmonton Oilers and will make his debut with the Bruins Alumni in the Dec. 7 matchup, not only as a member of the Black and Gold but also as a face of the NHL Foundation.

“It’s awesome. I can’t wait, and this one is pretty neat,” Ference told NESN.com. “This is a big deal to partner with Warrior For Life. When I was playing in Boston, one of my best friends down there was an Army Ranger. So, just knowing what the service guys go through … I was definitely exposed to some of the realities of what they deal with. So, this is a cool one. This is a good one to step in on.”

As for the Warrior For Life roster, Captain Ryan Croley may not be stacking his lineup with retired NHL players but with a group of active duty and retired Navy SEALs.

“I’m going to be in the lineup on the fourth line, grinding it out,” Croley told NESN.com. “I’m 54 years old, and I can still play. But for the game, the actual game, I’m bringing the best lineup can. Especially, in this situation, right? But, look at the line we’re playing against. I’m going to stack the very best team that I can against them.”