Boston Bruins: What are our past players up to now? (Part One)

With a rich history stretching back to 1924, the Boston Bruins have had hundreds and hundreds of players pass through its ranks, some good and some not-so-good.

As we continue to mourn the end of the 2019 season, let’s take a trip down memory lane and check in on some past players to see how they’re doing. It’s more or less simple to pick out a couple of bygone stars that once donned the Black and Gold, simply because the Boston Bruins have been lucky enough to have so many suit up for them.

Stars like Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito and Ray Bourque made legends of themselves skating at the old Boston Garden and have the hardware to prove it. And it’s pretty hard to forget that Joe Thornton and Tyler Seguin started their careers in the best sports city in the world (especially when we play the ‘what if’ game).

Arguably the most interesting past players, however, aren’t in those two categories. Everyone remembers their time in Boston, whether it was marked by success or scandal. I’ve always found that the journeymen and grinders have more interesting stories to tell – because Boston is one of many steps on their NHL paths.

For this alumni update, I wanted to dig deep in the historical coffers of Boston Bruins history to bring you all three of the most fascinating past players of the last decade. We’ll be looking at a retired player, a two-time Cup winner and an iconic journeyman.

Bobby Robins

October 8, 2014 may not seem like a significant date at first glance. But to Bobby Robins, it was magic, filled with potential. This was his NHL debut.

The Boston Bruins called him up to the main squad just in time for him to make the opening night roster. After eight years of bouncing around professional hockey with stints in Binghamton, Rochester, Northern Ireland, Bakersfield and Providence, he’d finally made it big.

After the game, a 2-1 win over the Flyers, Robins spoke to the press about how meaningful the chance was for him:

“After nine years, to have that happen, it was a dream come true. To play here at the Garden after playing for four years at UMass Lowell and always watching the Bruins over the last bunch of years, it was a very special feeling. I’ll never forget it.” – reported by Zack Cox, NESN

Unfortunately, he also suffered a severe concussion in that game, and after two more games in Boston and two in Providence, he hung up his skates for good in 2015 after experiencing post-concussion syndrome.

He refused to let the tragedy of the situation affect him. Instead, the former English major started a blog on his personal website and threw himself into spending time with his family.

In December, Robins guested on the Sports Spectrum podcast sharing his life and faith story. He continues to stay active in hockey by coaching within the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Phil Kessel

This one still hurts for a lot of Boston Bruins fans. One can’t help but wonder how differently things could have turned out had the Bruins held onto Phil Kessel, who became a prolific goal-scorer for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Kessel was the 5th overall draft pick in 2006, and in three seasons with the Boston Bruins amassed 126 points in 222 games. He became the first rookie in NHL history to win the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy after he underwent surgery for testicular cancer and returned to the Bruins lineup in short order, missing only 11 regular season games.

He was traded in 2009 to the Maple Leafs for draft picks which eventually became Tyler Seguin, Dougie Hamilton and Jared Knight.

Hindsight is a funny thing.

During his tenure in Toronto, Kessel racked up four 30-goal seasons and was nominated to the All-Star Game three times. After toil and trouble erupted in Toronto, trade rumors about Kessel swirled and he was the subject of a bizarre Toronto Sun article that chronicled his reported affection for hot dogs.

Kessel had the last laugh, helping Pittsburgh win two straight Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. After four seasons with the Penguins he was traded to the Arizona Coyotes for Alex Galchenyuk and Pierre-Olivier Joseph.

All this trade drama makes it hard to remember that just ten years ago he was skating in the Black and Gold. It’s unclear how Kessel’s third fresh start will fare for him, but if Arizona doesn’t cut it for him, I hear Boston has good hot dog stands.

All roads lead to the Hub, Phil!