Hockey season is continuing to get closer, as the Boston Bruins are now only 48 days away from their season opener. Due to this, let's take a look at each player who wore No. 48 for the Bruins in franchise history.

Graeme Townshend, RW (1989-90 to 1990-91)

The first Bruins player to wear No. 48 in franchise history was forward Graeme Townshend. The 6-foot-2 winger sported No. 48 during the 1989-90 and 1990-91 seasons for the Bruins, where he posted two goals, seven points, and 19 penalty minutes in 22 games. Following his two-year stint with the Bruins, he played for the New York Islanders and then the Ottawa Senators.

Jozef Stumpel, C (1991-92)

Jozef Stumpel would be the next player to wear No. 48 for the Bruins, as he did in 1991-92. In four games with the Bruins that season, he had one goal and a plus-1 rating. He switched to No. 22 following this campaign, and then wore No. 16 during his second stint in Boston from 2001-02 to 2002-03.

Fred Knipscheer, C (1993-94 to 1994-95)

Fred Knipscheer would be the next Bruin to sport No. 48 for the team. He wore it during his two-year tenure with the Bruins from 1993-94 to 1994-95, where he posted six goals and nine points in 27 games. Following this, he only played one more NHL game with the St. Louis Blues in 1995-96.

Steve Staios, D (1995-96 to 1996-97)

Steve Staios wore No. 48 for the Bruins from 1995-96 to 1996-97. In 66 games with the Bruins over that span, he recorded three goals and 11 points. His time with the Bruins ended in 1996-97 when he was claimed off waivers by the Vancouver Canucks. From there, he put together a solid 16-year and 1000-game NHL career.

Randy Robitaille, C (1996-97)

Randy Robitaille wore No. 48 for one game for the Bruins during the 1996-97 season. From there, he wore No. 16 and then No. 21 for the Bruins during his three-year stay with the team. In nines games as a Bruin from 1996-97 to 1998-99, he had two assists.

Joe Hulbig, LW (1999-00 to 2000-01)

Joe Hulbig was the next Bruin to sport No. 48 for the club, wearing it during the 1999-00 and 2000-01 seasons. In 31 games with the Bruins over that span, he recorded two goals, four points, and 12 penalty minutes. Following the 2000-01 campaign, he did not play again at the NHL level.

Chris Kelleher, D (2001-02)

Chris Kelleher was the next Bruin to wear No. 48, and it was for a very short time. The 6-foot-1 defenseman played in just one game for Boston during the 2001-02 season, where he had 6:07 of ice time. This would be the Belmont, Massachusetts native's lone career NHL game.

Jay Leach, D (2005-06)

Jay Leach was the next player to sport No. 48 for the Bruins, but it was also for a small amount of time. Leach played in just two games for the Bruins during the 2005-06 season, where he had seven penalty minutes and a plus-1 rating. While his time as a player with the Bruins was short, he is currently an assistant coach for the team.

Matt Hunwick, D (2007-08 to 2010-11)

Matt Hunwick was the next Bruins player to sport No. 48, and he did for a decent amount of time. In 164 games over four seasons with the Bruins, the 2004 seventh-round pick recorded 13 goals, 32 assists, 45 points, and a plus-2 rating. He also set career highs with 21 assists and 27 points in 53 games for Boston in 2008-09.

Chris Bourque, LW (2012-13)

Chris Bourque, the son of Bruins legend Ray Bourque, wore No. 48 for the Bruins in 2012-13. In 18 games for Boston during that season, he posted one goal, three assists, and four points. This would be the last season where Bourque played at the NHL level.

Colin Miller, D (2015-16)

Colin Miller wore No. 48 for the Bruins during his rookie season with the club in 2015-16. In 42 games with the Bruins that season, the 6-foot-1 defenseman recorded three goals, 16 points, and 45 hits. He made the switch to No. 6 in his second and final season with Boston in 2016-17. Currently, Miller is still active and plays for the Winnipeg Jets.

Matt Grzelcyk, D (2016-17 to 2023-24)

Matt Grzelcyk is easily the player who has had the most success while wearing No. 48 for the Bruins so far. The Charlestown, Massachusetts native was a key part of the Bruins' blueline for eight seasons and even spent a good chunk of time playing on their top pairing with Charlie McAvoy. In 445 games with the Bruins, Grzelcyk recorded 25 goals, 135 points, and a plus-137 rating. After posting a career-high 40 points last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, he is currently an unrestricted free agent.

Jeffrey Viel, LW (2024-25 to Present)

No. 48 is currently being worn by Bruins tough guy Jeffrey Viel. While Viel spent most of this past season down in the AHL with Providence, he did get some time on Boston's roster, too. In five games with Boston in 2024-25, he recorded zero points, 12 hits, and 14 penalty minutes.

Bruins Breakout Forward Thrilled To Be Staying Put While the 2024-25 season was a complete disaster for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins">Boston Bruins</a>, Morgan Geekie undoubtedly was a bright spot for them. In 77 games with the Bruins on the year, the 27-year-old forward set new career highs with 33 goals, 24 assists, and 57 points. This included finishing the season on an 11-game point streak, where he posted nine goals and 19 points over that span. He also memorably had a five-point game against the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes">Carolina Hurricanes</a> on April 5.