The conversation all offseason in Boston revolved around which of the two alternates, Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak, would step up to fill the void left by Brad Marchand.
The team even went as far as to hire Zdeno Chara to join the organization and hopefully teach one of the skaters what it takes to be a captain for the Boston Bruins. However, with puck drop just hours away, the team has officially announced that there will be no captain for the 2025-26 season.
According to team archives, this is the first time since 1972 that the Bruins have not named a team captain.
The Bruins won the cup in 1972.
Charlie McAvoy Speaks on Captain-less Season
Longtime Bruin Charlie McAvoy seems to be treating this announcement as co-captainship as opposed to the absence of a captain.
“Going into this year, we’re both going to have A’s… Me and Pasta are spending the time together, which I’ve found incredible, learning about him a little bit more, about him as a leader. Just what I’ll say on that front is I love that we’re going to be able to take this on together,” McAvoy said. “And regardless of letters, we know that this is our team, me and him.”
Fans Are Worried About A Lack Of Leadership
No matter how you spin it, not having someone in your locker room that you consider to be team captain worthy is not a good sign. Some theories suggest that the Bruins want Pasta to step up and take the C, rather than just giving it to him out of convenience. Others think the fact that he wasn’t a defacto captain says a lot about the player.
One things for certain, fans aren’t loving the optics.
Nothing comes easy in the NHL, and this user doesn’t think that the captain title should be any different.
I tend to agree more with this user, who says that this is the perfect way too commemorate a full rebuild. It is the start of the Marco Sturm era in Boston. Everything is different. This team is in a full blown rebuild. I think electing to make the team earn every single little thing is a good testament to the expectations that come with being a Boston Bruin.
The puck drops tonight in Washington at 7:30 EST.
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