Crowd favorite, Blades the Bruin, was born in 2000 and stands "beary tall," according to the Bruins website. Big fans flock to get pictures with this smiling mascot at every home game, while the littlest fans spend home game time searching the arena for this lovable mammal. But was the Bruins' face always this identifiable? Time to reflect upon this beloved icon's origin.
The Art Ross Connection
In 1924, newly hired Boston coach Art Ross was reportedly tasked with coming up with "a nickname that would portray an untamed animal displaying speed, agility and cunning." At this same time, Bruins founder Charles Adams had a chain of grocery stores which were brown and gold in color, and wanted the new team representation to reflect this color scheme. Both men collectively combined their thoughts, and thus, the 'Boston Bruins' were coined. The bear perfectly embodied the intimidating, fierce animal, while the color pattern matched Adams' established grocery stores.
The Johnny Bucyk Lore
Team lore has it that Blades was an incidental finding. One day when "Chief" Johnny Bucyk was playing pond hockey with neighborhood children years ago, he had drawn an unexpected observer. Unbeknownst to Chief, a little bear cub had been watching, and became captivated by the entertaining sport. Eager to learn more, the cub crawled into Bucyk's truck and rode back with him to the old Boston Garden. Bucyk fed him concession stand snacks to keep him alive, and soon realized his new friend was becoming fully immersed in watching the team play ice hockey. Realizing the bear wasn't going anywhere, Bucyk invited this cute cub to be part of the team.
Naming a legend
2009 appears, and 9-year-old Jillian Dempsey entered a newspaper contest to give this new addition a name. Winning the contest, the moniker of Blades was born. Ms. Dempsey later grew up to become the long-time captain of the Boston Pride women's hockey team. This sneakiest member of the team has been known to repeatedly run off with fans' various food items around the TD Garden arena, still to this day, along with pulling other shenanigans on fans and players alike. Blades grew up to be a light-hearted, friendly, jovial spirit who continues to be adored by all of Spoked-B Nation!
Blades the Bruin Bear
Regardless of the actual origin of this cherished creature, he continues to remain a permanent fixture of the team. The image of Blades can be routinely found on hats, shirts, socks, chains, and even as little stuffies at the ProShop. Blades himself is commonly known as the only bear who does not hibernate, spending what little free time he has at Bruins events and fundraising for the Boston Bruins Foundation. On game days, he eagerly greets fans and has even been known to sign an autograph or two.
Fun fact: Blades is actually right-pawed! On September 29, be sure to locate this Boston staple at the home opener for the 2026-27 season. Beware of your concession snacks, and remember to not poke the bear!
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