It's hard to believe, but we are now into 2026. The last 12 months have been frustrating for the Boston Bruins and their fans. They missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the spring, they traded some franchise foundation pieces at the trade deadline, and they hired yet another coach under Don Sweeney's leadership.
As we look ahead to what a lot of fans hope is a better 2026, here are seven storylines that defined the 2025 calendar year for the Boston Bruins.
February 15: Charlie McAvoy's 4 Nations injury
The Bruins struggled into the 4 Nations Faceoff Break back in February, but things took a turn for the worse when defenseman Charlie McAvoy suffered what turned into a season-ending injury playing for Team USA against Team Canada. Boston was upset with how the injury was handled by the Minnesota Wild's medical staff, but it was certainly a blow to lose McAvoy after losing Hampus Lindholm in November of 2024.
March 5: Trent Frederic traded to Oilers
The writing was on the wall about Sweeney selling at the trade deadline, and he started two days before the deadline by sending Trent Frederic to the Edmonton Oilers in a three-team deal. It wasn't surprising that Sweeney moved on from him, and it was time to cut ties with him. Both the player and the team needed a fresh start.
March 7: Bruins trade Marchand, Coyle & Carlo
What a shakeup the Bruins had at the trade deadline. Brad Marchand was traded to the Florida Panthers and went on to win the Cup. The Bruins got a first-round pick out of it. Brandon Carlo was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and that deal is looking better by the day.
Boston received a first-round pick in the 2026 Draft, Top 5 protected, and prospect Fraser Minten was part of the deal. The Black and Gold could end up with two first-round picks in June's draft. Charlie Coyle was traded to the Colorado Avalanche for Casey Mittlestadt and prospect Will Zellers, who is turning into one of Boston's top prospects.
June 10: Bruins hire Marco Sturm as head coach
After the Bruins moved on from interim coach Joe Sacco, who took over for Jim Montgomery in November of 2024, Sweeney hired former Bruins forward Marco Sturm as his next head coach. So far, it's been an up-and-down 2025-26 season, but there is still a long way to go. This was a hire that wasn't surprising when all was said and done.
June 28: Bruins draft James Hagens
Talk about striking gold in the draft. Something you could rarely say about the Bruins under Sweeney. Boston got the seventh pick in the NHL Draft Lottery in May and then had James Hagens, once projected to be the No. 1 overall pick, fall to them at No. 7. That couldn't have gone better for the Bruins if we're being honest.
October 8: Bruins stun Capitals in season opener
The Bruins opened the 2025-26 season with a hard-fought, 3-1, win over the Washington Capitals. It was a perfect example of the system that Sturm is putting in, and they frustrated the Capitals all night long for the win.
October: 21: Brad Marchand returns to Boston
You knew this day was coming. Marchand made his long-awaited return to Boston as a visitor. He re-signed with the Panthers over the summer and has been a huge part of the season for Florida as one of their best players despite a ton of injuries. He drew a penalty on his first shift that led to a Panthers goal in what was a bizarre Bruins loss when the Panthers won the game late in regulation with a goal that deflected into the Black and Gold net off an unlucky bounce.