Boston Bruins
Is Stephon Gilmore A Future Boston Bruins Banner Captain?
Could the Boston Bruins have found another Stanley Cup Playoffs Banner captain?
The NHL may be back in COVID purgatory but didn’t stop New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore from repping his favorite NHL team, the Boston Bruins on Thursday. Gilmore, a South Carolina native, was sporting a Boston Bruins toque in a Zoom media call and explained how he became a fan of the Bruins and the NHL.Â
“I’m a Bruins fan. I didn’t watch much hockey growing up, so when I came here, I got an opportunity to watch those guys and it’s an exciting game,” Gilmore told reporters. “So I guess I’m a Bruins fan.”
Stephon Gilmore: Boston Bruins fan.
His favorite part of hockey? “The fights,” he says. pic.twitter.com/r0qogb7ETV
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 22, 2020
Going to hockey games wasn’t really a thing for Gilmore and the residents of his native Rock Hill, South Carolina, or when he played college football for the GameCocks at the University of South Carolina. When Gilmore became an NFLer in 2012 with the Buffalo Bills and even more since his arrival in Boston in 2016, he realized just how much a part hockey is of the local sports culture and life.Â
“Yeah, in the south, you don’t grow up like OK, I’m going to the hockey game,” Gilmore explained. “I feel like up north, it’s bigger and you’re around it more because it’s more cold and things like that, so I came up here and watched a couple games and I enjoyed it.”
For those thinking the NHL doesn’t need fighting anymore, you may want to reconsider because it’s still drawing in new fans.Â
“I like the fights, to be honest. The fights are pretty cool,” Gilmore said. “I like those guys competing and getting very competitive on the ice.”
Whenever the next Stanley Cup playoffs begin, it appears the Boston Bruins have a new banner captain. There’s no guarantee he’ll be spiking like Gronk but looks like Gilmore is ready.Â