Number 4 Bobby Orr is giving President Trump a key assist, calling him the “kind of teammate I want” for four more years. In endorsing Trump, the Bruins legend said the president has been forced to lead “under extremely difficult conditions over the past several years.” That includes more than just the coronavirus pandemic, the Hall of Famer said in an ad. Orr joins other famous athletes, from former NFL quarterback Brett Favre to all-time great golfer Jack Nicklaus, who are backing Trump. “No leader anywhere signed up with the idea that dealing with a worldwide pandemic would be a part of the ..read more

Travis Roy’s hockey career came to a devastating end only 11 seconds into his first shift for Boston University, but the Maine native would leave an indelible mark on the world for the way he faced his daunting obstacles and strove to make the world a better place, especially for those in similar predicaments. The hockey community mourned the loss of the philanthropist and inspirational speaker Roy, who died Thursday at the age of 45, 25 years after he was left a quadriplegic after crashing into the end boards at Walter Brown Arena in the Terriers’ season opener on Oct. 20, 1995 against North ..read more

There was a point while serving as interim coach of the Dallas Stars when Rick Bowness knew he didn’t want someone else to come in and take over the team. And that was even before they went to the Stanley Cup Final. The Stars are still Bowness’ team. Dallas officially removed the interim tag Thursday and gave the 65-year-old Bowness a two-year contract, making him the franchise’s 24th head coach, and ninth since moving to Dallas in 1993. The move came a month after the season ended, with no certainty about when the next one will begin amid the pandemic. “From January, I really started to enjoy ..read more

The Bruins still have some work to do with RFA Jake DeBrusk unsigned and the status of captain Zdeno Chara remains up in the air. There are some intriguing UFAs available and there is little doubt that GM Don Sweeney is monitoring the trade market. But it’s quite possible that there will be no more major acquisitions before the upcoming season. So in this to-infinity-and-beyond offseason, now seems as good a time as any to check in with Jack Adams Award-winning coach Bruce Cassidy and get his take on his roster. Cassidy — it should come as little surprise to anyone who has listened to his glas ..read more

Bask in your teams’ former glory for a few more days, Boston sports fans. The reign is nearly over. As soon as Tuesday, either Los Angeles or Tampa will become the first city since Boston to hold titles in both MLB and another major sports league. The Lakers are NBA champions, the Lightning hold the Stanley Cup and either the Rays or Dodgers will hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy early this week. How’s this for a double-dose of sting: either the best Red Sox player in a decade, Mookie Betts, or the best Patriots player of all-time, Tom Brady, will be living in the new Title Town as Boston’s glor ..read more

Zach Senyshyn may be running out of chances to make his mark in Boston, but the Bruins on Wednesday gave him another chance to do so. The B’s inked the 2015 first-round pick (15th overall and the third of three consecutive first-rounders) to a one-year, two-way extension worth an NHL cap hit of $700,000. “I definitely feel really good about my development over my last three years on my entry level contract,” said the 23-year-old right wing. “I felt I got better each year. I feel like I’m really, really close to cracking that team. I really appreciate the Bruins giving me this contract and givi ..read more

The Bruins tied up another loose end on Tuesday, inking utility forward Karson Kuhlman to a two-year deal. For Kuhlman, who was a restricted free agent, it is a hybrid deal. The first year is two-way and the second year is a one-way deal, with an average annual NHL value of $725,000. With that structure (he’s 11 games shy of the 60-game threshold to be waiver eligible), and the fact that the B’s are now pretty crowded at right wing, it’s a good bet that Kuhlman could spend much of the year in Providence. But his goal is to be in Boston. After showing flashes that he could be something more tha ..read more

The Bruins sent the message to Matt Grzelcyk that he is a key part of the club’s present when the two sides consummated the deal that will pay the defenseman $14.75 million over four years. Now the Charlestown native has to live up to it. And with the left side of the B’s defense in flux — the level of which has yet to be fully determined — he’ll get ample opportunity to do that. While captain Zdeno Chara’s status is still very much up in the air, what we do know for sure is that someone will have to step into the hole left by the departure of Torey Krug. That may not all fall on Grzelcyk’s sh ..read more

The Bruins took care one of their remaining pieces of business on Saturday by inking defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to a four-year extension, thus avoiding the arbitration hearing that was scheduled for Tuesday. The left-shot defenseman’s deal will have an average annual value of $3,687,000, leaving the B’s with approximately $6.6 million to sign restricted free agents Jake DeBrusk, Karson Kuhlman and Zach Senyshyn and unrestricted free agent Zdeno Chara. Barring a trade, there would appear to be little left over to do any more free agent shopping. In a year-by-year money breakdown, Grzelcyk will ea ..read more

The Bruins belatedly released their injury list from the playoffs on Tuesday — and it’s a doozy. The B’s announced that they may very well be starting the 2020-21 season without two thirds of their potent top line. On Sept. 16, David Pastrnak underwent right hip arthroscopy and labral repair, performed at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York by Dr. Bryan Kelley. According to the release, Pastrnak is targeted for a return in February. He battled through the injury through the playoffs. In the first game of the series against Carolina, Pastrnak showed discomfort when he leaped in the air ..read more