5 Scariest Players in Boston Bruins History
In the spirit of Halloween, let’s take a look at some of the scariest players to ever play for the Boston Bruins!
It’s Halloween! Most of you probably saw this by now, but the Boston Bruins had their annual trip to the Children’s Hospital to hang out with young fans. As always, the players dressed up in costumes to celebrate the holiday.
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This year’s theme was Toy Story, and it certainly did not disappoint. It’s awesome to see the players connect with the children and bring smiles to their faces.
But, as we all know, hockey isn’t always full of smiles. Sometimes, emotions get the best of us, and we let it spill out onto the ice. Then, it becomes more about fear than anything else.
And when it comes to fear in hockey, the Bruins pretty much stand alone.
Eddie Shore
The Bruins have had quite the group of elite defensemen don the black and gold. Eddie Shore started it all in 1926.
Shore was without a doubt the best defenseman of his era. In fact, he probably was the best player.
He made eight all-star teams with the Bruins, and he won the Hart Trophy as MVP four times. This remains a record to this day.
Shore also led the Bruins to two Stanley Cup championships. It’s no surprise he entered the Hall of Fame in 1947.
What stands out about Shore is how he intimidated his opponents on the ice. He was a fierce competitor who dominated the game physically. Go watch any highlight video of Shore to see a number bone-crushing hits.
He also had quite the mean streak. Shore led the league in penalty minutes his first two seasons, and he finished with 1099 in 551 career games.
In 1933, Shore had one of his most noteworthy moments when he hit Ace Bailey from behind. Bailey went into convulsions and eventually had to retire. The league suspended 16 games for the hit.
Although the hit was illegal, it did show how Shore was without a doubt one of the scariest men to ever play the game.
Terry O’Reilly
Terry O’Reilly spent 14 years in Boston, where he got the nickname the Tazmanian Devil. Watch any of his highlights to see why this nickname was so appropriate.
O’Reilly had a tough time staying out of the penalty box. He has the club record for most career penalty minutes with 2095. He accomplished this in only 891 games.
In the 1979-1980 season alone, O’Reilly had 265 penalty minutes. This was right in the middle of a stretch in which he had at least 200 penalty minutes in five straight seasons.
O’Reilly spent so much time in the box because of fighting. According to Hockey Fights, O’Reilly had 150 fights in his career. That’s an average of over 10 per year!
And these weren’t just any fights. O’Reilly’s fights tended to be exceptionally violent, as he threw punches without any regard for himself or his opponent. These definitely were different times for the NHL, and O’Reilly fit right in.
That said, O’Reilly used his hands for more than fighting. He scored at least 20 goals in four different seasons, and he finished with 606 points in 891 career games for the Bruins.
However, it was O’Reilly’s short-fuse that made him one of Boston’s scariest players.
Cam Neely
Full disclosure: I had a Cam Neely photo on my bedroom wall as a kid. It’s still there now. So, I might be a little biased here as I discuss Neely’s impact and presence on the ice.
Neely brought a unique element to the game, as he was the first true power forward. He wasn’t a speedy goal scorer, nor was he a big enforcer. He was both.
Neely had three seasons of at least 50 goals for the Bruins. In one of these seasons, he only played 49 games! Even in his last two seasons, when his bad knee hobbled him, Neely still scored 27 and 26 goals.
At the same time, as Neely beat his opponents on the scoresheet, he beat them up as well. He had 76 total fights in the NHL, each one more memorable than the last.
When Neely shot, he always shot to score. And when he punched, he always punched to knock his opponent out. He didn’t care for the clutching and grabbing we tend to see in modern-day fights. Neely preferred to throw haymakers.
Fighting was only a part of Neely’s intimation factor. He also never failed to finish a check against an opposing defenseman. In his prime, Neely would go into the corner, knock the defenseman off the puck, and eventually he’d score on that shift. Who does that nowadays?
Fans and media members always try to label bigger forwards who can score as the next Cam Neely. We saw it with Jarome Iginla in Calgary. But, there really hasn’t been anybody like him. And based on recent trends with the game, it doesn’t look like we’ll ever find the next Neely.
If you’re a defenseman, that’s probably a good thing.
Milan Lucic
One Bruins player who drew comparisons to Neely is Milan Lucic. For a time, Lucic reminded Bruins fans of Neely as he patrolled the ice.
Boston drafted Lucic in the second round of the 2007 NHL Draft, and he made an instant impact with the franchise. He made the team his first season, and he quickly became one of the most feared players in the league.
Why was he so feared? Think back to all Lucic’s fights. Nick Tarnasky. Mike Komisarek. Jarko Ruutu. He won them all. I can’t even remember a fight he hands-down lost.
Then there were all the other hits and alteractions. Remember when he ran over Ryan Miller? Lucic single-handedly took down the entire Sabres organization. Buffalo still hasn’t totally recovered!
Or when he stuck his fingers in Alex Burrows’ mouth to help change the tenor of that 2011 Stanley Cup Final? Lucic and his teammates broke the Canucks for good. The city of Vancouver, from where Lucic hails, will never be the same.
Lucic also used his size and strength to provide some offense for the Bruins. He reached the 30 goal plateau once for Boston, and he had four 20 goal seasons combined for Boston, Los Angeles, and Edmonton.
Lucic’s best days are behind him, but he still is an intimidating presence for the Flames. He doesn’t score or skate like he used to, but he’ll still fight and stand up for his teammates.
Given his past, no matter his level of play, Lucic will always strike fear in opponents on the ice.
Zdeno Chara
To be totally honest, when it comes to striking fear in opponents, Zdeno Chara stands alone. There are really two reasons why.
First, consider Chara’s size. At 6’9″, he’s the tallest player in NHL history. This gives him such a clear advantage over his opponents in reach and length. It’s the main reason why nobody can touch him, both figuratively and literally, in fights.
It also helps that Chara is probably the strongest player in the NHL. We’ve all seen him toss around smaller forwards on the ice, and we heard the stories of his pullup records.
Second, Chara combines his size and strength with shutdown defensive skills. Typically, players who are above 6’5″ become sideshows. They can’t really skate or score, and they’re lucky if they get eight minutes on the ice. Teams keep them around to intimidate and nothing else.
Chara, however, rose above and became one of the best shutdown defenseman of his generation. He’s matched up against top forwards for almost two decades, and he still comes out on top more often than not.
So, put yourself in the skates of a forward who lines up against Chara. Not only can he roll you physically; he also will limit your space and take away your chances. He’ll either punish you or suffocate you.
The crazy thing is, Chara is actually relatively tame compared to the other players on this list. He doesn’t fight or cross the line that often because he’s so valuable to his team.
Nonetheless, Shawn Thornton said it best when he described how Chara, if he ever wanted to, could absolutely destroy anybody in his path. That’s why Chara might be the scariest player in Bruins history.
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