Bruins Awarded 2011 Stanley Cup Rings To Gorton And Bobrov

Boston Bruins ownership are not exactly the most revered when it comes to love and credit from the local media and Bruins fans but owner Jeremy Jacobs and his son Charlie have done some great things for the organization over the years. One of those good deeds appears to have flown under the radar and while it’s a year later, it’s never too late to give credit where it’s due.

In a wide-ranging and very informative piece by Arpon Basu and Marc Antoine Godin of The Athletic about how former Boston Bruins interim general manager and current Montreal Canadiens executive vice president Jeff Gorton has assembled his hockey operations department, they dropped this interesting nugget on Charlie Jacobs and the Bruins awarding Gorton and former Bruins and current Canadiens co-director of amateur scouting Nickolai Bobrov, 2011 Stanley Cup rings last summer:

‘Their contribution to the Bruins’ success was marked last year on the 10th anniversary of that Stanley Cup win when Boston CEO Charlie Jacobs sent Gorton and Bobrov a letter informing them that they would be awarded with Stanley Cup rings, even though neither of them was part of the organization at the time of the victory.’

As Basu pointed out, neither Jeff Gorton nor Bobrov were members of the 2010-11 Boston Bruins hockey operations staff but their hard work and scouting helped build the foundation of that Cup-winning team. Bobrov served as director of European scouting for the Boston Bruins from 2001-2006. During his tenure, the Bruins drafted current captain and five-time Selke Award winner Patrice Bergeron, center David Krejci, as well as wingers Brad Marchand and Milan Lucic. Bobrov also helped American-born goalie Tim Thomas back from Finland in 2002. That would be the same Tim Thomas who went on to win two Vezina Trophies and led the Boston Bruins to their first and only Stanley Cup since 1972, winning the 2011 Conn Smythe Trophy.

Now Bobrov, Gorton and former Bruins winger and current Montreal Canadiens director of player personnel and amateur scouting Martin Lapointe who both Bobrov and Gorton helped recruit to Boston in 2001, are rebuilding the Bruins’ oldest and fiercest rivals back into contenders.