
The Boston Bruins play their season-opener against the Washington Capitals on Oct. 8. With this, the Bruins are only 54 days away from getting their 2025-26 season started.
Due to this, let's take a look at each player in Bruins history who wore No. 54 for the team.
Jim Vesey became the first Bruin to wear No. 54 for the Original Six club during the 1991-92 season. He did not sport the number for very long, though, as he only played in four games with the Bruins. During them, he recorded zero points and one shot on goal.
This would be Vesey's final season at the NHL level, as he spent the entirety of the 1992-93 season down in the American Hockey League (AHL). From there, he spent the next two seasons in the AHL with the Phoenix Roadrunners before hanging up the skates after the 1994-95 season.
Andre Savage would be the next Bruin to sport No. 54, as he wore it during the 1998-99 season. In six games with Boston that campaign, he posted one goal and a plus-2 rating.
Savage's time with No. 54 was short, though, as he made the switch to No. 28 and wore it for the remainder of his time with the Bruins. In 50 games over three seasons with the Bruins from 1998-99 to 2000-01, Savage recorded eight goals, 13 assists, 21 points, and a minus-6 rating.
Following his time with the Bruins, Savage played in just 16 more NHL games with the Philadelphia Flyers, all during the 2002-03 season. From there, he spent time in the AHL, SHL, and DEL before hanging up the skates after the 2009-10 season.
Jeff Zehr was the next Bruin to sport No. 54, as he wore it during the 1999-00 season with the Original Six club. In four games that season with the Bruins, he recorded zero points, two penalty minutes, and a minus-1 rating.
This would end up being Zehr's only season with not only the Bruins but also the entire NHL in general. Following his time with the Bruins, Zehr spent the next four seasons in the ECHL with various different teams. From there, he also spent time in the UHL and IHL before retiring after the 2008-09 season.
The next player to wear No. 54 for the Bruins was forward Sergei Zinovjev. Like the other players discussed on this list so far, Zinovjev's time with sporting No. 54 for Boston was also very short. The 2000 third-round pick played in just 10 games for Boston during the 2003-04 season, where he recorded one assist and a plus-1 rating.
Following his short stay with the Bruins, Zinovjev spent the rest of his professional career playing in the KHL, where he had stops with Kazan Ak-Bars, HC Dynamo Moscow, and Salavat Yulaev Ufa. He retired after the 2013-14 season.
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Hannu Toivonen kicked off his NHL career wearing No. 33 for the Bruins during the 2005-06 season. He certainly showed promise during his first season with the Bruins, as he recorded a 9-5-4 record, a 2.63 goals-against average, and a .914 save percentage. However, after Boston signed Bruins legend Zdeno Chara during the 2006 NHL off-season, Toivunen switched his number to 54.
Toivonen certainly struggled in 2006-07 while rocking No. 54 for the Bruins, as he had a 3-9-1 record, a 4.23 goals-against average, and a .875 save percentage. This would be his final season in Boston, as he was traded to the St. Louis Blues during the 2007 NHL off-season in exchange for Carl Soderberg. After another rough season in 2007-08 with St. Louis, Toivonen never played at the NHL level again.
Out of all the Bruins who wore No. 54 in their franchise history, there is no question that Adam McQuaid is by far the most notable. The right-shot defenseman had an excellent tenure as a shutdown defenseman for the Bruins from 2009-10 to 2017-18. In 462 games with the Bruins over that span, the hard-hitting blueliner recorded 13 goals, 66 points, 652 penalty minutes, 870 hits, and a plus-60 rating. He also won the Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011.
McQuaid's tenure with the Bruins ended during the 2018 NHL off-season, as he was traded to the New York Rangers. He would later be traded by the Rangers to the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2018-19 campaign, which would be his last before he retired.
The most recent player to sport No. 54 for the Bruins was defenseman Jack Ahcan. The left-shot blueliner appeared in nine games over two seasons with the Bruins, where he posted one goal, 10 hits, and a minus-6 rating. His final appearance for Boston was during the 2021-22 season, but he spent the entirety of the 2022-23 season in the AHL with the Providence Bruins.
Ahcan's time with the Bruins organization ended during the 2023 NHL off-season, as he signed with the Colorado Avalanche. He is currently still with the Avs organization and played in two games for the Central Division club this past season, posting zero points and two penalty minutes.
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