Being the first American team to join the NHL in 1924, the Boston Bruins have had nearly 100 years to establish their success as a franchise. The Bruins have hosted the likes of hockey legends such as defenseman Bobby Orr, goalie Tuukka Rask and forward Patrice Bergeron.
The hockey culture in Boston is long-standing, and New Englanders are passionate about their Bruins. With such a long history, how many Stanley Cups have the Boston Bruins won?
The Boston Bruins have won 6 Stanley Cups in their nearly millennium-long history. Their first Cup came in 1929, with two more added in 1939 and 1941. They won two more in 1970 and 1972, winning their most recent in 2011.
Stanley Cup Finals 1929: Boston Bruins vs New York Rangers
Not having to wait long to find success in the NHL, the Bruins were able to capture their first Stanley Cup just 5 years after their inception into the league. Because the early Cup Finals had different rules, the Bruins were able to defeat the Rangers in just 2 games. Goalkeeper Tiny Thompson managed a shutout in the first game and allowed just one goal in the second.
Boston was led by winger Harry Oliver, who had 1 goal and 1 assist in the series. Centers Dutch Gainor and Bill Carson both added a goal, with Boston’s final of 4 total goals coming from defenseman/winger Dit Clapper.
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Stanley Cup Finals 1939: Boston Bruins vs Toronto Maple Leafs
After winning their first Cup quite quickly, Boston fans had to wait another 10 years to celebrate their team winning another one. This time, the Bruins faced the Maple Leafs in a best-of-7 series. Boston center Bill Cowley led the playoffs in assists (11) and points (14), giving them the benefit of having an efficient offense.
In the Finals, Cowley tied for the team lead in points with 7, all of which were assists, a team high. Leftwinger Roy Conacher also had 7 points (5 G, 2 A) in the series. Young netminder Frank Brimsek held it down in goal for the Bruins, allowing 6 goals in 5 games and notching a shutout in Game 4.
Stanley Cup Finals 1941: Boston Bruins vs Detroit Red Wings
The Bruins did not have to wait long to claim another Stanley Cup, as they found themselves in the Finals against the Red Wings just two years later. Boston was able to make quick work of Detroit, sweeping them in 4 games. Boston center/defenseman Milt Schmidt led the playoffs in points with 11, while rightwinger Eddie Wiseman led the playoffs in goals with 6.
Schmidt led the team in the finals with 7 points (3 G, 4 A), and Wiseman added 3 goals. Conacher also contributed 1 goal and 3 assists for Boston. Brimsek returned in goal for the Bruins, allowing 6 goals in 4 games.
Stanley Cup Finals 1970: Boston Bruins vs St. Louis Blues
Boston went nearly 30 years before winning another Stanley Cup. This time, they were led by defenseman Bobby Orr, who won the Conn Smythe with 9 goals and 11 assists in the playoffs. His teammate, center Phil Esposito, led the playoffs in goals (13), assists (14) and points (27). The Bruins were able to capture their fourth Cup by sweeping the St. Louis Blues.
Boston scored a staggering 20 goals in 4 games, led by leftwinger John Bucyk with 6. Esposito added 2 while Orr had 1 goal. Esposito led the team in the finals with 6 assists. Gerry Cheevers was the netminder for Boston and only allowed 7 goals on a .930 save percentage in the series.
Stanley Cup Finals 1972: Boston Bruins vs New York Rangers
The Bruins were able to find their way back to another Cup just two years later. With Orr and Esposito at the helm again, Boston defeated the Rangers 4-2 in the Cup Finals. Orr earned himself another Conn Smythe, as he tied with Esposito for the playoff points total at 24. Orr also led the playoffs with 19 assists.
Boston had a trio of proficient scorers, with Esposito, Bucyk and rightwinger Ken Hodge all tallying a playoff leading 9 goals. In the Cup Finals, Orr, Hodge and Esposito tied for a team leading 8 points each. Esposito had 8 assists in the series, while Orr split his goals and assists at 4 apiece. Hodge added 5 goals and notched 3 assists.
The Bruins had two netminders play 3 games each with Cheevers returning and splitting time with Eddie Johnston. Cheevers allowed 10 goals on 101 shots against, while Johnston allowed 6 goals on 77 shots against.
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Stanley Cup Finals 2011: Boston Bruins vs Vancouver Canucks
Boston yet again had to wait for decades before returning to Stanley Cup glory. This time around, they were matched up against a Vancouver Canucks team led by the Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik. Boston goalie Tim Thomas came away from the playoffs with the Conn Smythe trophy, going 16-9 throughout the playoffs and allowing a 1.98 goals allowed average.
Boston center David Krejci led the playoffs in points (23) and goals (12). The series went to 7 games, allowing the Bruins to win in epic fashion with a 4-0 shoutout in Game 7. The Bruins were able to render the Sedin twins mostly ineffective, with the two combining for just 2 goals in the series.
Boston leftwinger Brad Marchand led the team with 5 goals. Wingers Mark Recchi and Michael Ryder both added 3 goals each. Recchi, Krejci and defenseman Zdeno Chara tied for the team lead in assists with 4 each. Tim Thomas played all 7 games, allowing 8 goals on 246 shots against for an impressive .967 save percentage.
See Related Stanley Cup Champion Articles:
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- How Many Stanley Cups Have The Edmonton Oilers Won?
- How Many Stanley Cups Have The New Jersey Devils Won?
- How Many Stanley Cups Have The New York Rangers Won?
Jamie is the founder of Hockey Response and he is the chief writer/ lead editor. Jamie has been playing hockey for over 20 years. He was the defenseman of the year in NL and has played Jr A level hockey. Jamie has coached several kids hockey camps and he was the assistant coach of the Western Kings.