The Boston Bruins celebrated the centennial anniversary of their first NHL game as an Original Six franchise and did so in the most appropriate way possible, with a game against their oldest and fiercest rival, the Montreal Canadiens.
The Bruins marked the occasion with a 30-minute pregame ceremony that featured several of the franchise’s biggest stars and a ceremonial puck drop that covered three generations of Bruins and Canadiens hockey.
The Bruins played their first-ever game on Dec, 1, 1924, and beat the Montreal Maroons by a 2-1 margin. They would then go on to lose the next 11 games on their way to a 6-24 season.
Over the next century the Bruins have been one of the NHL’s biggest franchises winning six Stanley Cups. The most recent of those championships took place during the 2010-11 season, ending a 39-year drought.
Along with the championships, the Bruins have also produced some of the league’s best all-time players including defensemen Bobby Orr (arguably one of the five best players ever) and Ray Bourque, as well as forwards Phil Esposito, Johnny Bucyk and Patrice Bergeron.