Which Numbers Have Been Retired by the Boston Bruins?
On Thursday, the Boston Bruins announced that they will be retiring forward Patrice Bergeron’s No. 37 during the 2026-27 season.
A 2003 second-round draft pick by the Bruins, Bergeron played his entire professional career in Boston until his retirement in 2023. During his time with the Bruins, he totaled 427 goals and 613 assists for 1,040 points across 1,294 regular-season games.
His numbers were good enough to etch his name into the Bruins history books as the third all-time goals and points leader and the fourth all-time assists leader.
On top of his stats, Bergeron was a six-time Selke Trophy winner, which is the most by any forward that has played in the league, won the Stanley Cup in 2011, and was Bruins captain in his final two seasons with the organization.
Bergeron will become the 14th Bruins player to have his number go into the rafters at TD Garden.
Below is a look at every Bruins player that has had their jersey number retired for the organization.
Eddie Shore, No. 2
Defenseman Eddie Shore played for the Bruins from 1926-40. During his time with the Bruins, he skated in 541 regular-season games and tallied 103 goals and 176 assists for 279 points.
As for his accolades, he was a seven-time First All-Star Team member, a second All-Star Team Member, and played in three All-Star games. He also won the Hart Memorial Trophy four times, which is the most for a defenseman, won two Stanley Cups, and has his name in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Shore was captain for the 1935-36 season.
His number was retired by the Bruins in 1947.
Lionel Hitchman, No. 3
Defenseman Lionel Hitchman played for Boston from 1925-34. In his time with the Bruins, he played in 378 games and recorded 25 goals and 27 assists for 53 points.
He won two Stanley Cups with the organization and was captain for three seasons from 1928-31. His number was retired in 1934 and was the first Bruin to have his number retired.
Bobby Orr, No. 4
Defenseman Bobby Orr is known as one of the greatest hockey players of all time. As a Bruin from 1966-76, Orr totaled 264 goals and 624 assists for 888 points in 631 games.
He won two Stanley Cups with Boston and won the Conn Smythe Trophy during both titles. Additionally, Orr was a nine-time All-Star which included eight times as a First Teamer, played in seven All-Star games and won All-Star MVP in 1972, won the Norris Memorial Trophy eight consecutive seasons, and was the recipient of three Hart Trophies.
His number was retired in 1979.
Aubrey “Dit” Clapper, No. 5
Forward Aubrey Clapper spent his entire career with the Bruins. During his tenure, he saw time in 835 games and tallied 229 goals and 248 assists for 477 points from 1927-1947.
In his 20-year career, he was a six-time All-Star, three times on the First Team and three times on the Second Team, as well as played in a pair of All-Star games. He won three Stanley Cups with the Bruins and had two stints as team captain, the first in 1932-33 and the other from 1939-1944.
In his final game in 1947, his number was retired. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame the same year.
Phil Esposito, No. 7
Forward Phil Esposito played for the Bruins from 1967-76 after being traded by the Chicago Blackhawks. He appeared in 625 games for Boston and notched 459 goals and 553 assists for 1,012 points. He is in the Bruins history books with the second-most goals, the seventh-most assists, and the fourth-most points.
As for accolades, Esposito was an eight-time All-Star, won two Stanley Cups, was a five-time Art Ross Trophy winner as well as a two-time Hart Trophy winner, and won the Ted Lindsay Award twice as well as the Lester Patrick Trophy once
His number was retired in 1987.
Cam Neely, No. 8
After being traded from Vancouver to Boston in 1986, forward Cam Neely has made his mark in Bruins history far beyond his playing career.
As a player, he was with the Bruins from 1986-96 where he played in 525 games and tallied 344 goals and 246 assists for 590 points. He was a four-time All-Star as a Second Teamer and played in five All-Star games as well as won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 1993-94.
Post-playing career, he has been the Bruins president since 2010. His number was retired in 2004.
Johnny Bucyk, No. 9
Forward Johnny Bucyk played for the Bruins from 1957-1978. In that time frame, he saw time in 1,436 games, which is the second-most all time, and tallied 545 goals and 794 assists for 1,339 points.
His goals are the most all-time by a Bruin. He also holds the record for second-most assists and points.
He won two Stanley Cups with the organization as well as was awarded the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy twice and the Lester Patrick Trophy once. He was a two-time All-Star and had two stints as Bruins captain from 1966-67 and 1973-77.
His number was retired in 1980.
Milt Schmidt, No. 15
Forward Milt Schmidt played his entire NHL career with the Bruins from 1936-1955. He played in 776 games and tallied 229 goals and 346 assists for 575 points.
He won two Stanley Cups, one Hart Memorial Trophy, and one Lester Patrick Trophy. He also was a four-time All-Star and played in four All-Star games. After playing, he coached the Bruins from 1954-61 and 1962-66 as well as was the general manager from 1967-72.
His number was retired in 1955.
Rick Middleton, No. 16
Forward Rick Middleton was with the Bruins from 1976-1988 after being traded by the New York Rangers. He played in 881 games and tallied 402 goals and 496 assists for 898 points.
His statistics all rank within the Top 10 of Bruins with the highest being goals which is the sixth-most in organization history.
He won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for the 1981-82 season and made the Second All-Star Team in 1982.
His number was retired in 2018.
Willie O’Ree, No. 22
Forward Willie O’Ree played two seasons with the Bruins, the first in 1957-58 and the other in 1960-61.
In his career, he played in 45 total games and tallied four goals and 10 assists for 14 points.
Although his time in the NHL was short, he made history as the first black player to play in the league. He made his NHL debut against the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 18, 1958.
His number was retired in 2022.
Terry O’Reilly, No. 24
Forward Terry O’Reilly played for the Bruins from 1971-85 which was his entire NHL career. During that time, he appeared in 891 games and tallied 204 goals and 402 assists for 606 points.
He was Bruins captain from 1983-85. After his playing career, he was the head coach of the Bruins from 1986-89.
His number was retired in 2002.
Zdeno Chara, No. 33
The most recent Bruin to have his number retired, defenseman Zdeno Chara was one of a kind. He signed as a free agent to the Bruins in 2006 and was in Boston until 2020.
During his time with the Bruins, he played in 1,023 games and recorded 148 goals and 333 assists for 481 points. He was team captain every season he was with the Bruins and was the second-longest tenured captain.
He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 as well as the Norris Memorial Trophy in 2009 and Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award in 2011. He was a six-time All-Star and played in five All-Star games as a Bruin.
His number was retired on Jan. 15, 2026.
Ray Bourque, No. 77
As a Bruins 1979 first-round draft pick, defenseman Ray Bourque played for Boston from 1979-2000. He played in an organization-high 1,518 games and tallied 395 goals and 1,111 assists for 1,506 points. His assists and points are also the most in Bruins history.
While with the Bruins, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy, was a five-time Norris Memorial Trophy winner, and won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. He was also the Bruins captain from 1985-2000
His number was retired in 2001.
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Kim Rankin is a lead writer for Boston Bruins on SI and Boston College On SI. A 2020 graduate of the University of Alabama. she joined Alabama Crimson Tide On SI in February 2024 covering baseball, softball, football, men’s basketball, and more for BamaCentral, but has also contributed to Missouri Tigers On SI. She previously worked as the brand manager at Tide 100.9 FM in Tuscaloosa, Ala. She has covered a wide variety of events including SEC Championships, NCAA Regionals, and bowl games.