The Boston Bruins are now 46 days away from their season opener against the Washington Capitals. Due to this, let's take a look at each player who has worn No. 46 for the Bruins. While one big-name player undoubtedly stands out when it comes to Bruins players who have worn No. 46, there have been multiple others who have sported it for the Original Six club, too.
Ted Donato, LW (1991-92)
Ted Donato became the first Bruins player to wear No. 46 in franchise history during the 1991-92 season. In 10 games during his rookie year with the Bruins that campaign, he recorded one goal, three points, and a minus-1 rating. This would be the end of his time wearing No. 46 for the Bruins, as he switched to No. 21 and wore it from 1992-93 to 1998-99. When Donato returned to the Bruins during his final NHL season in 2003-04, he wore No. 40.
Kyle McLaren, D (1995-96)
Kyle McLaren would be the next Bruin to wear No. 46 for the Original Six club. Like Donato, McLaren did so only during his rookie season in 1995-96, where he posted five goals, 17 points, 73 penalty minutes, and a plus-16 rating. Following his rookie season, McLaren changed to No. 18 and sported the number for the remainder of his seven-year tenure with the Bruins. In 417 career games with the Bruins, the hard-nosed defenseman recorded 34 goals, 90 assists, 124 points, and 370 penalty minutes.
Barry Richter, D (1996-97)
Barry Richter would be the next Bruins player to wear No. 46, as he sported the number for the 1996-97 season. In 50 games with the Bruins during that season, the 6-foot-2 defenseman posted five goals, 13 assists, and 18 points. This would be Richter's only season as a member of the Bruins. Following this, he played for the New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens at the NHL level.
47 Days Until Opening Night: Bruins' History Of No. 47
The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins">Boston Bruins</a> are now 47 days away from their regular-season opener against the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals">Washington Capitals</a>. Due to this, let's continue our history series by looking at each Bruins player who has worn No. 47 for the club.
Sean Pronger, C (1999-00)
The next Bruins player to wear No. 46 for the franchise was forward Sean Pronger. However, his time wearing the number was very short, as he only played for the Bruins during the 1999-00 season. In 11 games with the Bruins during that campaign, he recorded one assist, 13 penalty minutes, and a minus-4 rating. His time with the Bruins ended when he was traded to the Islanders on Dec. 5, 2000, in exchange for future considerations.
Tony Tuzzolino, RW (2001-02)
Tony Tuzzolino would be the next Bruins player to sport No. 46, as he wore the number during the 2001-02 season. However, his time with Boston was incredibly short, as he played in just two games for the NHL club that season, where he posted zero points, one shot, and a minus-1 rating. Following this season, he never played again at the NHL level and instead played in multiple other leagues before hanging up the skates after the 2009-10 season.
Jonathan Girard, D (2002-03)
During the first four seasons of his NHL career, defenseman Jonathan Girard wore No. 55 for the Bruins. However, during his final season with the club, the right-shot blueliner wore No. 46 and put together the best season of his NHL career in the process. In 73 games that season, the 1998 second-round pick recorded career highs with six goals, 16 assists, 22 points, and a plus-4 rating.
Unfortunately, this would end up being Girard's final season at the NHL level. During the 2003 NHL off-season, Girard suffered multiple serious injuries after getting into a car accident. This forced him to miss the entirety of the 2003-04 season, and he did not play during the 2004-05 NHL lockout. Girard made a comeback attempt during the 2005-06 season but officially retired after playing one game in the AHL with the Providence Bruins that campaign.
David Krejci, C (2006-07 to 2020-21, 2022-23)
David Krejci is easily the player who had the most success out of all players who wore No. 46 for the Bruins. The 2004 second-round pick put together a spectacular tenure with the Bruins and was one of the best players during his entire time with the club.
In 1,032 career games over 16 seasons and two stints with the Bruins, Krejci recorded 231 goals, 555 assists, 786 points, and a plus-166 rating. He was also a clutch playoff performer, as he recorded 43 goals, 85 assists, and 128 points in 160 post-season games. This included leading the NHL in playoff points in both 2011 and 2013. With this, he undoubtedly played a major role in the Bruins' Stanley Cup championship in 2011.
Given all of the success Krejci had during his NHL career with Boston, it is fair to wonder if he could end up being the last Bruin to wear No. 46. There certainly is an argument to be had about the Bruins potentially retiring his number. However, other Bruins legends, like Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara, would need to have their numbers retired first.
Bruins Made Right Call Re-Signing Key Defender
The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins">Boston Bruins</a> have made several moves this off-season. Among the most notable was re-signing defenseman Henri Jokiharju to a three-year, $9 million contract. The 26-year-old was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1, but the Bruins got him signed before he had the chance to hit the market.