More Than a Feeling (Yeah, that was a dated reference)

BOSTON BRUINS


Since 1924, the Boston Bruins have had eighteen captains in their history, with some of them having two separate stints wearing the C.  Beginning in 1927, the Bruins had Lionel Hitchman wearing the C until 1931.    George Owen wore it for a season before giving way to Dit Clapper, who with the exception of the 1938-39 season (when Cooney Weiland wore the C), was captain of the Bruins from 1932 until 1946, meaning that he was captain during both the Great Depression and World War II.  The next ten years saw the team with only two captains, John Crawford (1946-50) and Milt Schmidt (1950-55).  Schmidt relinquished the captain duties before the 1954-55 season was completed to Ed Sandford, who gave way in the same season to Fernie Flaman.  He would go on to wear the C until 1961.  Don McKenney (1961-63) and Leo Boivin (1963-66) followed, and neither really made a mark on the team.  John Bucyk was named captain in 1966 and was relieved of the duties in 1967, when from that period until 1973, the Bruins went without a captain.  Eventually, Bucyk regained the captain duties in 1973 and was captain until 1977.  Wayne Cashman was named captain in 1977 and held the captain duties until 1983, when Terry O'Reilly (the same Terry O'Reilly who went into the stands at MSG after a fan took a teammate's stick and proceeded to beat him with his shoe) was named captain.  He held that role until 1985, when co-captains were named in Rick Middleton and Ray Bourque.  In 1988, Bourque held sole possession of the captain's C and held that role until 2000, when he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche so he could try to win a Stanley Cup (which he did in 2001).  Jason Allison replaced him for a year before the captaincy was vacant in the 2001-2002 season.  Joe Thornton was named captain in 2002, and was in that role until his trade to San Jose after the lockout in 2005.  That first season after the lockout, the Bruins went without a captain.  Currently, the Bruins are captained by Zdeno Chara, who has held the captaincy since his arrival in 2006.