Zdeno Chara
Defenseman | Boston Bruins
The Bruins’ captain for a dozen years, Chara seems to defy Father Time with each passing year. But as the hulking defenseman approaches his mid-40s, it’s easy to lose sight of how freakin’ hard he can shoot the puck, with his slap shot topping out at nearly 109 miles per hour. Highlights aside, Chara oozes class and has carried the heavy burden of leading a Boston-based franchise for years.
Patrice Bergeron
Forward | Boston Bruin
Four Selke Trophies. Two All-Star appearances. Two Olympic golds. A Stanley Cup. And, even the cover of "NHL ’15."
Patrice Bergeron hasn’t always been the centerpiece of the Boston Bruins, but he’s earned credentials that command respect in the dressing room and, despite his Quebec roots, is a massively influential figure in the Hub of Hockey.
Bergeron has spent his entire professional career in a Bruins uniform, minus a 21-game stint with HC Lugano during the 2012-13 NHL lockout, playing his entire rookie campaign (2003-04) with Boston before the only American Hockey League action of his career in Providence the following year. He has played in 1,000 career NHL games (899 regular-season, 101 playoffs) entering 2017-18, including at least 79 in every 81-game NHL regular season since 2010.
He’s the ultimate team-first guy, as evidenced by his playing with a broken rib, torn muscles and a separated shoulder during the Bruins’ losing Stanley Cup Final run in 2013, and a sports hernia for the entire past season. He’s also one of the true gentlemen of the game and a rock in the community.
"I take a lot of pride in details and try to find ways to help my team in any way I can," Bergeron said in 2013. Obviously, every time I step on the ice, it’s about the team. I try to find a way to help them."
Team-first. But, he’s sure been productive as a Bruin, too. He reached the 20-goal mark for the eighth time in his NHL career last season and now sits just four points shy of seventh place on the Bruins’ all-time scoring list.
When Bergeron won his fourth Selke — tying Hall of Famer Bob Gainey for the most all-time — in June, fellow Bruins forward Brad Marchand took to Twitter, asking a rhetorical question that says it all: "So at what point do we change it from the Selke to the Bergy?" — Joshua Kummins
Charlie McAvoy
Defenseman | Boston Bruins
Generational defenseman don’t come around all the time, and early predictions are that McAvoy will be just that for the Black and Gold. After winning world juniors gold with Team USA, he burst onto the scene during the 2016-17 playoffs, quickly galvanizing the fan base and becoming their boy wonder. Mindful of that, it’s easy to forget how McAvoy was a two-year star at Boston University as recently as this past spring.
Brad Marchard
Forward | Boston Bruins
Due to his bulldog-like approach on the ice, you could call Marchand a lot of things, but there’s no denying how productive he is. After a stellar playoffs in Boston’s 2011 Stanley Cup triumph, he truly blossomed in 2016-17, banging home 85 points and entering conversations for the Hart Memorial Trophy. Opponents loathe to play against Marchand, and that alone speaks volumes to how valuable the winger is.
David Pasternak
Forward | Boston Bruins
Draft pick to time with the Providence Bruins to the big club up in Boston — it’s a natural progression which the B’s have struggled to perfect in recent years. That is until Pastrnak came around and has emerged into one of the NHL’s brightest young talents. Kids want to play like "Pasta" — his shot, his top-six ability, his power-play instincts — and idolize the Czech winger.
Tuukka Rask
Goalie | Boston Bruins
The ire of B’s fans or their savior when the going gets tough, Rask is as revered and despised of a goaltender that you’re going to find in the NHL. He has lapses at times, but Rask owns the all-time NHL career save percentage mark of .923, ahead of Dominik Hasek and another New Englander, Cory Schneider. And, during a Bruins game, it’s common to hear a "Tuuuuukkkkkk" ringing down from TD Garden’s rafters.
