There are different ways that a player can help an NHL team throughout a season. One of those players was former forward Brian Rolston. Selected in the first round, 11th overall, by the New Jersey Devils in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft, Rolston carved out a nice career for himself.
Aside from playing for the Devils and Bruins, Rolston also played for the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, and New York Islanders. However, what stood out in his 17 years in the NHL was what he accomplished with the Black and Gold in the 2001-02 season that will never be broken again in franchise history, despite the season going to 84 games in 2026-27.
Brian Rolston's Bruins franchise record for shorthanded goals will never be broken
Look, some records are meant to be broken and some, well, not so much. Rolston's single-season Boston record for shorthanded goals of nine in 2001-02 is one that will be unlikely to be broken. In the season, Rolston had 27 goals and 32 assists for 59 points as a steady contributor. However, whenever the Bruins were killing a penalty, he was a weapon.
Why is this a record that is unlikely to be broken? Well, for starters, the shorthanded goal is becoming a bit of a thing of the past. Sure, they still happen, but despite a lot of teams going with four forwards on the power play, the opportunities are just few and far between. It's not like it used to be even 20 years ago.
However, the Bruins' all-time franchise leader in shorthanded goals is Brad Marchand, who was traded away at the 2025 trade deadline to the Florida Panthers for a first-round draft pick. He scored 36 from 2009-25 while donning the Spoked-B. If Marchand isn't going to come close to hitting Rolston's single-season record, then who might do it?
For more context, the 2025-26 Boston Bruins had two shorthanded goals as a team over 82 games. TWO. Again, despite the league moving to an 84-game schedule, it is very unlikely that anyone comes close to nine in a single season, let alone over a whole tenure with the Bruins.
Behind Rolston, Jerry Toppazzini had eight shorthanded strikes in 1957-58, while Don Marcotte (1970-71), Ed Westfall (1970-71), Derek Sanderson (1971-72), and Gregg Spehhard (1974-75) each had seven in a single season. Imagine watching the 1970-71 Boston Bruins kill penalties? What a fun season overall that must have been to see on a nightly basis. However, Rolston's mark of nine doesn't seem like it will come close to being touched, ever.
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