Hockey season is rapidly approaching, as the Boston Bruins are now only 51 days away from their season opener against the Washington Capitals.

Due to this, let's now take a look at each player who has worn No. 51 for the franchise. It is a bit of an unpopular number in Bruins history, as only six players have sported for it for the Original Six club in their history.

Brian Dobbin, RW (1991-92)

Brian Dobbin became the first Bruins player to wear No. 51 in franchise history during the 1991-92 season. However, he did not wear the number long for the Bruins, as he appeared in just seven games with the Original Six club that campaign. During them, he recorded one goal and 22 penalty minutes. 

Following the 1991-92 season, Dobbin's time with the Bruins came to an end. This would also be the final season he made an appearance at the NHL level, as he spent the rest of his playing career in multiple minor leagues before officially hanging up the skates after the 2004-05 season.

Jay Henderson, LW (1998-99 to 1999-00)

Jay Henderson would be the next Bruin to wear No. 51, starting during the 1998-99 season. In four games with the Bruins that campaign, the 1997 ninth-round pick recorded zero points, two penalty minutes, four shots, and a minus-1 rating. He then followed that up by posting one goal, four points, and a plus-1 rating in 16 games with the Bruins during the 1999-00 season.

During his final season with the Bruins in 2000-01, Henderson made the switch to No. 38. In 13 games with Boston that season, he had zero points and 26 penalty minutes. This would end up being his last season he played at the NHL level. He did end up having a long career across various other leagues, though, as he played his final professional season during the 2009-10 campaign.

Andrei Kovalenko, RW (2000-01)

Andrei Kovalenko took over No. 51 for the Bruins during the 2000-01 season. In 76 games with the Bruins that campaign, the 5-foot-10 forward recorded 16 goals, 21 assists, 37 points, and a minus-14 rating.

Following his lone campaign as a Bruin, Kovalenko spent the rest of his professional career playing in Russia. In 620 career NHL games over nine seasons, the former Bruins forward posted 173 goals, 206 assists, and 379 points.

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Nathan Robinson, C (2005-06)

The next player to rock No. 51 for the Bruins was forward Nathan Robinson. However, it was not for very long, as he played in just two games for the Bruins during the 2005-06 season. During them, he recorded zero points and one shot. This would end up being the last season that Robinson saw time at the NHL level.

After playing for the Bruins during the 2005-06 season, Robinson spent the rest of his professional career playing overseas across multiple different leagues before officially calling it a career after the 2018-19 season.

Ryan Spooner, C (2012-13 to 2017-18)

Out of all of the players who have worn No. 51 for the Bruins, forward Ryan Spooner did so the longest. The 33-year-old center sported the number throughout his entire six-year tenure with the Bruins, where he posted 41 goals, 101 assists, and 142 points in 253 games over that span.

Spooner certainly had some solid years for the Bruins, and this includes him posting 13 goals and setting career highs with 36 assists and 49 points in 80 games with Boston in 2015-16. He then followed that up by posting 11 goals and 39 points in 78 games with the Bruins during the 2016-17 season.

After recording nine goals and 25 points in 39 games for the Bruins during the 2017-18 season, Spooner was traded to the New York Rangers in the deal that brought former NHL star Rick Nash to Boston at the 2018 NHL trade deadline. Following the trade, Spooner ended the year with four goals and 16 points in 20 games with the Rangers.

After a hot start to his Rangers tenure in 2017-18, things fell apart for Spooner at the NHL level in 2018-19. In 52 games that season, split between the Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks, he had three goals, nine points, and a minus-12 rating. This would be his final season in the NHL, and he is now gearing up for his seventh straight in the KHL after recently signing with the Shanghai Dragons.

Matt Poitras, C/RW (2023-24 to Present)

No. 51 is currently in use for the Bruins, as promising forward Matt Poitras wears it. In 66 games with Boston over the last two seasons, the 2022 second-round pick has recorded six goals, 20 assists, and 26 points.

Overall, Poitras has shown promise early on in his NHL career, and the Bruins are certainly hoping that he will become a key part of their roster later down the road. He is one of the team's breakout candidates to watch in 2025-26, and it will be fascinating to see what kind of year he has from here.

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