The Boston Bruins are now 52 days away from their season opener against the Washington Capitals. Because of this, let's take a look at each player who has worn No. 52 for the Bruins. Overall, most of the players who sported this number had short tenures with the Bruins, but there are still some interesting names on this list.
Petr Prajsler, D (1991-92)
The first player to spot No. 52 for the Bruins was defenseman Petr Prajsler during the 1991-92 season. However, he was not a Bruin for too long, as he played in just three games that season, where he recorded zero points, three shots, and a minus-1 rating.
Prajsler spent most of the 1991-92 season down in the AHL with the Maine Mariners, where he had 12 goals, 45 points, and 88 penalty minutes in 61 games.
David Emma, C (1996-97)
The next Bruin to wear No. 52 was forward David Emma, who sported the number during the 1996-97 season with the Original Six club. However, like Prajsler, his time on Boston's NHL roster was short, as he played in just five games that campaign. During then, he recorded zero points, three shots, and a minus-1 rating.
Following the 1996-97 season, Emma spent the next three seasons with Klagenfurt AC in Austria. He later made a return to the NHL during the 2000-01 season with the Florida Panthers, posting zero points in six games.
Carl Corazzini, C (2003-04)
Carl Corazzini was the next Bruin to wear No. 52 for the Bruins, but only did so for a short period of time. In 12 games as a Bruin during the 2003-04 season, the Framingham, Massachusetts native recorded two goals and a plus-2 rating. He primarily played with the Providence Bruins that season, where he had 16 goals and 25 points in 62 games.
The only other NHL action Corazzini had during his career was in 2006-07 with the Chicago Blackhawks. During that campaign, he had one assist in seven games.
Nate Thompson, C (2006-07)
Nate Thompson is certainly a recognizable name for hockey fans, as he had a long NHL career as a solid bottom-six forward. However, his time in Boston was short, as he played in just four games for them during the 2006-07 season, posting zero points.
While Thompson did not have a long tenure with the Bruins, he undoubtedly had a nice career as a defensive forward. In 844 career NHL games over 15 seasons, he recorded 65 goals, 99 assists, 164 points, and 401 penalty minutes.
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Zach Hamill, C (2009-10 to 2011-12)
After the Bruins selected Zach Hamill with the eighth-overall pick of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, the expectation was that he would become a big part of their top six. Unfortunately, he was never able to cement himself as a full-time NHL player. In 20 games with the Bruins, all while wearing No. 52, he had zero goals, four assists, 13 hits, and a plus-5 rating.
Hamill's final season with the Bruins was during the 2011-12 campaign, and it was the last time he would appear in the NHL. From there, he spent several years in the AHL and overseas before hanging up the skates after the 2020-21 season.
Matt Lindblad, C (2013-14 to 2014-15)
Matt Lindblad would be the next Bruins player to wear No. 52, doing so during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. In four games with Boston, he recorded zero points and three shots.
Lindblad's final professional season was during the 2015-16 season with the Hartford Wolf Pack, the New York Rangers' AHL affiliate. In eight games with the AHL squad that season, he had one assist. Currently, he is a pro scout for the Bruins.
Matt Irwin, D (2015-16)
Matt Irwin was the next player to wear No. 52 for the Bruins, but his time with Boston was very short. In two games with the Bruins during the 2015-16 season, he had zero points and a minus-5 rating. He was placed on waivers early on in the season and spent the rest of the campaign with Providence.
While Irwin had a tough tenure with the Bruins, he was able to re-establish himself as an NHL defenseman the following season with the Nashville Predators. From there, he spent each of the next seven seasons at the NHL level with various teams.
Andrew Peeke, D (2023-24 to 2024-25)
Andrew Peeke wore No. 52 for the Bruins over the last two seasons but has made the switch to No. 26 for this upcoming campaign. The right-shot defenseman has appeared in 91 games for the Bruins over the last two seasons, where he has recorded one goal, 19 points, 149 hits, and 157 blocks.
Sean Kuraly (2016-17 to 2020-21, Present)
Sean Kuraly wore No. 52 during his five NHL seasons with the Bruins from 2016-17 to 2020-21. In 270 games over that span, the gritty forward recorded 24 goals, 44 assists, 68 points, and 525 hits.
With Peeke giving up No. 52, Kuraly will once again sport it during his second tenure with the club, starting this upcoming season.
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