BOSTON — Two seasons removed from breaking the NHL record for wins (65) and points (135), the Boston Bruins were last in the Atlantic Division (76 points) with their lowest standings points percentage (.463) in 18 seasons.
Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs expressed his gratitude to the Black and Gold faithful in the Original Six franchise’s end-of-season media availability Wednesday at TD Garden.
“I’m obviously quite biased, but I happen to think that Boston has the most passionate and loyal fans in all of the National Hockey League,” he said. “We owe you a better team, and we aim to deliver a better team.
“I share your disappointment and frankly embarrassment on how poorly things played out over the course of this season. … We embrace your criticism because it’s well deserved and I want you to know it fuels myself and it fuels (Cam Neely and Don Sweeney) to do better, which we will.”
Despite the disappointing season, Jacobs reiterated his faith in Neely and Sweeney’s ability to return the Bruins to contention.
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“I know we’ve got the right people in the right seats on the bus to bring this franchise back to glory,” Jacobs said. “Now, let me be clear, the results from last season are absolutely unacceptable, and accountability has never been higher.
“However, I need to tell you that when deciding what is best for the long-term success of this franchise, we have to be pragmatic and use data-driven decisions. Cam and Don, in their respective roles as president and general manager, have proven that they can take a franchise that has missed the playoffs and build one for sustained success. It is my opinion that we can do it again and this time get over the hump and become a Stanley Cup champion.”
The Bruins don’t feel they are too far off from returning to the postseason, even with the roster they entered the 2024-25 campaign with.
“We’ve spoken at great length about this: The team that we currently have, (if) healthy and with the additions we intend to make this summer, I anticipate that we’ll have a playoff team and play meaningful hockey at this time of year in 2026,” Jacobs said.
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Jacobs added that the Bruins are tied for the best winning percentage in the league since Sweeney was hired as the GM in 2015.
“We’ve made the postseason eight years in a row prior to this spring, and we’ve made a lot of historic achievements along this journey,” he said. “… But today is a time to look forward, to hold ourselves to a higher standard, and I believe strongly that we can bring a Stanley Cup back here to Boston.”
Sweeney’s first task in getting the franchise back to winning its seventh Stanley Cup championship is to find a new head coach to lead the team.
Featured image via Bob DeChiara/Imagn Images
