For the first time in over two decades, the Boston Bruins are skating into a season without a captain. The “C” that once sat on the jerseys of Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, and most recently Brad Marchand, will be left unworn. Instead, the responsibility will be shared, and the spotlight falls on David Pastrňák and Charlie McAvoy.
Will Shared Leadership Be Enough to Reset the Culture?
Pastrňák, fresh off another standout year, wasted little time setting the tone. After a season that left the Bruins at the bottom of the Atlantic and out of the playoffs, he made it clear that the standard hasn’t changed. The message was blunt: what happened last year won’t happen again.
The collapse forced change. Jim Montgomery lost his job behind the bench, core veterans were shipped out, and Marchand’s trade brought an end to one of the most recognizable eras of leadership in Boston hockey. The page has turned, whether the team was ready or not.
At captain’s practice this week, Pastrňák pushed back at the idea that the team needs one voice to lead.
“The expectation is always the same here,” he said [via NHL.com]. “You play for (an) Original Six; they are very high and they will always be here. So, whoever is going to dress up in October, it’s going to be a competitive team and that’s the one message we’re going to have.”
For him, it isn’t about who wears a letter, it’s about holding the line.
“We won’t accept what happened last year,” he added.
Pastrňák and McAvoy Step Into the Spotlight
That’s a heavy responsibility with so many familiar names gone. Bergeron retired, Marchand is out, and even Chara’s presence in years past feels distant now. The locker room belongs to Pastrňák and McAvoy, and while both have worn an “A,” it’s different when you’re the ones everyone looks at.
Last year showed how quickly the floor can give way. Injuries piled up, the lineup never clicked, and the Bruins fell out of the race long before spring.
Pastrňák still found a way to shine, putting up 106 points and leading the league in scoring down the stretch, but his numbers were one of the few bright spots in a lost season.
McAvoy admitted the shift feels big, but not overwhelming. He sees opportunity where others see a gap. “We’re not seeing it as more of a daunting task,” he said. “It’s something that we’re just honored to be trusted with that.” That optimism matters for a team that suddenly has to grow into a new identity.
New head coach Marco Sturm will be steering that process. He’s inherited a younger group, supported by players like Nikita Zadorov, who said being overlooked is just fuel. “It puts an extra chip on our shoulders,” he explained, echoing the same us-against-the-world theme.
For Pastrňák, the offseason started early and ended early. His decision to return to Boston well before camp was intentional, a way to show that the reset begins with him. Scoring goals will always be his trademark, but he knows it won’t be enough this time. The Bruins need belief spread across the lineup.
The front office already views Pastrňák and McAvoy as the pillars of whatever comes next. The rest of the roster may look different, but the mission remains the same: find a way back to the playoffs.
