face to face

Boston Bruins president Cam Neely has his number retired every time he plays the national anthem in his dressing room at TD Garden.

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“The American flag is near my banner, so I see it when they play the national anthem. I sometimes peek into it,” the Bruins legend explained during a recent chat.

“The interesting thing that not many people know is that my mother’s maiden name was Cameron and my middle name is my father’s name, Michael. I lost my parents, so seeing my banner (which reads Cameron M. Neely) brings back fond memories of them. »

Neely’s number 8, retired on January 12, 2004, is one of 12 numbers hanging from the ceiling of TD Garden.

The Bruins icon, president of the team since 2010, has been an admired player during his career in the black and yellow uniform, the very definition of a power forward. Now he is actively working on plans to celebrate the team’s centenary during the 2023-24 season.

The Bruins will be the third NHL team to celebrate a 100th anniversary, after the Montreal Canadiens (2009-10) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (2016-17). The New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks will be the next teams to celebrate their centennial in 2026.

“We had informal discussions about this three or four years ago, knowing that it was going to be a big moment and that we were going to be the first American team to celebrate its 100th anniversary,” Neely said. We started discussing the presentation.

“We were also inspired by what Montreal and Toronto have done. Our group spoke with Montreal and Toronto to determine the pros and cons of what they did. Would they have done some things differently? What decisions have paid off?

“And it’s very important to have the elders involved. It’s about 100 years of hockey. It is the lifeblood of a team, its former and current players. »

A 6-foot-1, 218-pound right winger, Neely was a big hit with the Bruins between 1986 and 1996. He had 590 points (344 goals, 246 assists) in 525 games following a trade with the Vancouver Canucks , with whom he had spent three seasons.

A native of Comox, B.C., Neely became the fifth player in Bruins history to score 50 goals when he scored 55, a club record for a right winger at the time, in 1989-90. He became the second Bruins player to reach 50 in consecutive seasons, when he scored 51 times in 1990-91.

Scoring 50 goals in 44 games in the 1993-94 season, Neely was the second-fastest (tied) to reach that milestone in NHL history. The feat speaks volumes about the talent and determination of Neely, who had missed most of the previous season due to knee and hip injuries.

These injuries ultimately forced the 1994 Bill Masterton Trophy winner into retirement in September 1996. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005.

Today, as the Bruins’ centennial season approaches, Neely thinks back to the 1,055 players who took to the ice for Boston – 944 forwards and defensemen, 111 goalies.

From this group, a 30-member committee will select and rank the Bruins’ 100 most legendary players before meeting in Boston on September 7 to select the Centennial All-Star Team – two goaltenders, six defensemen and 12 attackers.

The all-star team will be unveiled at the Bruins’ Centennial Gala on Oct. 12, an event held at TD Garden to benefit the team’s foundation.

Neely and several people from the organization are going in all directions to celebrate a century of hockey in Boston. The president discussed it with NHL.com.

When you look at the Bruins’ roster of more than 1,000 players since the team’s birth, what comes to mind when you think of the legends and franchise players the organization was built on?

“There are names that we forget, not only in the recent era, but also in the 1970s, 1960s, 1950s. Everyone remembers the champion teams (from 1970 and 1972) and their players, but there have been so many great players who have donned this jersey over the years. You read the names and you say to yourself: “Ah yes, I had forgotten that.” It’ll happen to everyone, you won’t remember all the names. It’s pretty amazing to see all the talented players who have come through this organization. »

You have a committee that works to select and rank the top 100 players. It’s hard to compare players across the ages, but it should fuel discussion among fans. Would you like to be part of the selection committee?

“(Laughs) Not really. I am delighted with the current members of the committee, everyone has a lot of experience in hockey. They probably watched more games than me. I’m certainly looking forward to seeing how it all turns out and hearing their opinions. It will be a good topic for discussion. »

The Bruins have won six championships, including three during your lifetime (1970, 1972, 2011) and the most recent while you were president. How much of a Bruins historian do you consider yourself to be? And do you learn more about the history of the team since you became president?

” Without a doubt. When I came to the Bruins from Vancouver in 1986, Johnny Bucyk was working for the team, Derek Sanderson was commentating games on TV, Bobby Orr was visiting us sometimes, Pie (Johnny) McKenzie was hanging out with the team… C That’s where I started to think, ‘My God, there’s history in this organization. These are players I watched on ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ growing up. rather special.” When I became president, I started to delve more into the history of the organization. You start researching third jerseys, Winter Classic and Stadium Series jerseys. You go back in time and learn that the team colors were initially brown and yellow before changing to black and yellow. You see the style changes. You begin to understand the story better simply by examining the jerseys. Then, you learn more about the players who wore these jerseys and the era in which they played. »

There will certainly be detailed planning in the celebration of the centenary, but some unexpected events will occur, such as the retirement of your captain Patrice Bergeron on July 25th. Do you plan to honor Patrice during the 2023-24 season?

“We will definitely come together to organize a celebration for him, which he fully deserves. I didn’t have time to digest the news. We knew Patrice’s intentions before the press conference (July 25), but I haven’t yet thought about the details of how we would honor him. »

Other than your own, do you have a favorite banner floating above the ice at TD Garden?

“Probably Espo’s (Phil Esposito’s number 7) because of the ceremony in his honor and what Ray did. (Legendary defenseman Raymond Bourque took off his number 7 jersey on December 3, 1987, in order to unveil his new number 77 jersey and cede the number 7 to Esposito forever. Bourque’s number 77 was retired on October 4, 2001 .) It was something special. I was in uniform for that game. When I look at Espo’s banner, it reminds me of when I was on the ice when Ray surprised everyone. »

If you absolutely needed a goal, which player in Bruins history would you send on the ice?

“It can’t be anyone other than Espo. He was a goal scoring machine. New England still talks about the teams Phil played on in the 1970s and his teammates. Phil was disappointed to learn he was traded to the New York Rangers (November 7, 1975 with defenseman Carol Vadnais for center Jean Ratelle and defensemen Brad Park and Joe Zanussi), but I believe the trade benefited both teams. I have a great relationship with Phil. I met him many years ago and went to a few charity events with Phil and Denis Leary (actor and big Bruins fan). Every time we played in Tampa, I made sure to hang out with Phil. He is an amazing human being with great stories to tell. »

The Bruins will celebrate different eras of the team on several nights this season against the other NHL Original teams. You will welcome legends of these five opponents as part of the celebrations. What is the expected number of guests that Terry O’Reilly will attempt to fight?

“(Laughs) He could fight anyone. He’s another iconic Bruins player because of what he’s done for the team. Terry would accept any challenge. »

Terry has taken 35 major penalties in the regular season against those five teams, including eight against Chicago, eight against Toronto and seven against Montreal. For a bonus point: who was the Habs player Terry fought against the most?

“(Pause) The first name that comes to mind is Chris Nilan, but has he played there long enough? »

He fought against Nilan only once. Can you believe the answer is Frank Mahovlich, twice?

« Frank Mahovlich?!? »

Main photo for the item: Boston Bruins President Cam Neely during the 2023 NHL Discover Winter Classic between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Bruins at Fenway Park on January 2, 2023. / Dave Sandford, Getty Images

2023-08-10 02:15:00


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