Bruins Fans Where Were You Nine Years Ago Tonight?

Where were you when the Boston Bruins won their first Stanley Cup in 39 years on June 15, 2011?

Nine years ago tonight, two cities on opposite sides of North America would embark on the culmination of a two-week rollercoaster ride as the Vancouver Canucks hosted the Bruins at Rogers Arena in Vancouver for Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. Bruins goalie Tim Thomas would cap off his Conn Smythe performance with a 37-save shutout, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand would each light the lamp twice with Marchand’s second goal an empty-netter to seal the deal for a 4-0 win.

“Get the Duck Boats ready!” was the famous call from above by then 98.5 The Sports Hub Bruins play-by-play man Dave Goucher as the Bruins poured on to the ice and piled onto Tim Thomas.

Thomas would collect the 2011 Conn Smythe Trophy after going 16-9 with a 1.98 GAA and .940 save percentage and then captain Zdeno Chara would take the Stanley Cup from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and hoist Lord Stanley higher than it’s ever been and still been.

Then 43-year-old veteran Mark Recchi announced his retirement after winning his third Stanley Cup. 

Meanwhile, outside Rogers Arena, the city was going up in flames as riots ensued that actually forced the Bruins to bolt out of dodge a lot sooner than planned and finish their celebration on the team bus, and then they’re charter flight back to Boston. 

Back in Boston, while boisterous and loud, Bruins fans celebrated rather peacefully at City Hall Plaza where many of them watched outdoors, outside TD Garden and over in Kenmore Square by Fenway Park.

The Bruins held a virtual reunion last month to watch Game 7 and reminisce and as Dennis Seidenberg told me, it was actually the first time more than ten members of that 2011 team were together at once since the Cup banner raising in October 2011.

Monday morning I was on Sportsnet 650 Radio in Vancouver and recounted my night nine years ago and how my former colleague at ESPNBoston landed a 30-pack of Budlight for him, Steve Levey and Barry Melrose, then of ESPN and me to indulge in as we waited it out at Rogers Arena deep into the night thanks to the riots. That 30-pack cost ESPN $350 but for us looking back on that two-month sojourn covering the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs, it was worth eevery cent. 

Of course, I ended up at what became my spot in Vancouver during the series, the now closed down Winking Judge Pub and Joe picked me up with my luggage at 7 AM to bolt down to Seattle for a 10:15 flight, but that’s a story for my book someday!

So where were you nine years ago tonight? Tell us below!