The Boston Bruins have more retired numbers than many National Hockey League (NHL) teams because the legacy behind the ‘Spoked B’ of the Bruins logo is so integral to NHL lore. No ice hockey team from the United States has a more star-studded history. There’s a rather crowded “dressing room” up in the rafters of TD Garden, where 12 retired sweaters mark Hall of Famers and household names who played for the Bruins.

It’s hardly a surprise that the century-old Boston Bruins organization plans to welcome a 13th player’s uniform into its pantheon of retired numbers in the near future.

Lionel Hitchman, No. 3 (1925-34)

Eddie Shore and Lionel Hitchman were the “Ray Bourque and Don Sweeney” of a bygone era. Beantown’s great defense pairing of the 1920s and 1930s led Boston to a championship in 1929. Hitchman was no second fiddle to Shore; his No. 3 was the first that the team ever retired.

Eddie Shore, No. 2 (1926-40)

Fans know “Eddie Shore!” as a punchline from Slap Shot. They’ve also heard that he became a legendary, stingy minor league CEO in old age.  But the icon had an unparalleled career as a Spokes defenseman, winning four Hart Trophies, a feat no NHL blue liner has equaled.

Aubrey Victor ‘Dit’ Clapper, No. 5 (1927-47)

Aubrey Victor “Dit” Clapper was a groundbreaking skater who made the All-Star Game as a forward and as a defenseman. He is the only player to win Stanley Cup titles with Boston.  Clapper’s 20-year stint with the Boston Bruins ranks as the second-longest of anyone with a retired uniform.

Milt Schmidt, No. 15 (1936-55)

The centerman who was Eddie Shore-esque in his versatility, Milt Schmidt of the Bruins, led famous scoring lines and devilish checking lines in a career with Boston that rivaled Clapper’s in longevity. Schmidt tallied 575 points in the NHL with only three seasons of 40-plus penalty minutes.

Willie O’Ree, No. 22 (1958-61)

Bruins like Bobby Orr changed the game, but No. 22 Willie O’Ree changed the NHL in a far more significant way. O’Ree broke the color barrier as the first African American skater in a previously segregated league in 1958, a Bruins tale that parallels Jackie Robinson’s story with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Phil Esposito, No. 7 (1967-75)

Centerman Phil Esposito was Orr’s partner-in-crime in the glory years of the early 1970s, pumping in goals from the slot once Orr had distracted opponents along the boards. Esposito led the NHL in goalscoring in six seasons and entered the Pro Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984.

Bobby Orr, No. 4 (1966-76)

Orr is more than just the most outstanding defenseman in history. Orr changed the NHL, utilizing a daring offensive style to lead the league in points, stealing the Art Ross Trophy from the league’s forwards twice. Orr led the Bruins in snapping a 29-year drought with a Stanley Cup championship in 1970, going on to lift Lord Stanley’s grail again with Boston in 1972. Orr also won the Hart Trophy three times.

Johnny Bucyk, No. 9 (1957-78)

Johnny Bucyk was the “Kevin McHale” of Boston’s championship teams in the 1970s, finishing his career as the Bruins’ all-time leading scorer with 545 tallies, but without the superstardom of Orr and Esposito. The “Chief” won two Lady Byng awards despite his bruising physique.  

Terry O’Reilly, No. 24 (1971-85)

Terry O’Reilly’s retired number shows that Boston’s ownership knows the value of hard work. The right winger combined his reliable scoring touch with an attitude, not to mention a bruising 6-foot-1 frame. O’Reilly captained Boston from 1983 to 1985 and played in two All-Star Games.

Rick Middleton, No. 16 (1976-88)

The fantastic forward Rick Middleton set NHL records with clutch performances in the postseason. Middleton’s 19 points in one Stanley Cup playoff best-of-seven against Detroit in the spring of 1983 set the league’s reigning record for individual offense in a playoff series. 

Cam Neely, No. 8 (1986-96)

Cam Neely is considered a prototype of modern power forwards. These days, he’s also considered an important CEO. The Boston Bruins team president has been in the chair since 2010. But before that, he scored 344 goals for the Black and Gold over a span of 10 seasons.  

Ray Bourque, No. 77 (1979-2000)

Ray Bourque is the most decorated NHL defenseman of modern times. Bourque accumulated 12 All-Star Game appearances, five Norris Trophy awards, and finally, a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche. The skater with the longest Boston career of any B’s star with a retired number, Bourque finished his career with an immense 395 goals for the Bruins and appeared for Team Canada 30 times.

Future Bruins Retired Numbers: Zdeno Chára Stands Next to be Honored

Did we mention that Beantown appreciates hard work? Zdeno Chára is next in line to grace TD Garden’s rafters with a retired “No. 33” sweater, having spanned a record 14 seasons as the Bruins’ captain from 2006 to 2020. Known as the tallest man to ever skate in the NHL at 6-foot-9, Chára intimidated opposing forwards while scoring a superlative 680 points in a 22-year National Hockey League career.

Chára’s number will be in the TD Garden rafters as of Jan. 15, 2026, as the Seattle Kraken visit for a regular-season game.