2011 Bruins Alumni Reunite To Benefit Military Members

BRIGHTON, Mass. —  Members of the 2011 Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins rarely see each other in person nowadays. 

Most of them are long retired. All are spread out across the globe, living out the latest chapter of their lives. 

None, though, had an issue with returning to the Boston area and lacing up their skates one more time to benefit a good cause. 

Several members of that championship team reunited on Saturday night at Warrior Ice Arena for a charity game organized by former Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller. 

The game honored U.S. Navy SEAL Nathan Hardy from Durham, NH, who was killed in the line of duty while serving in Iraq in 2008. Proceeds benefitted the Warrior For Life Fund, as well as other charities that help military members and their families, including Fisher House of Boston and Operation Hat Trick

“There are only a few guys that I would do this for, and Millsy is one of them,” former Bruins forward Shawn Thornton said. “It’s a great cause. I respect the military so much for what they’ve done for us and the sacrifice they put on the line.” 

15 members of the 2011 team participated in the game. 

Patrice Bergeron skated with David Krejci and Mark Recchi. Thornton slotted right back in on the Merlot Line with Gregory Campbell and Daniel Paille, while Zdeno Chara, Johnny Boychuk, Dennis Seidenberg, Andrew Ference, and Adam McQuaid helped comprise the back end. 

Following the Bruins win over the Philadelphia Flyers at TD Garden earlier in the day, assistant coach Chris Kelly made the short drive over to Warrior to play in the game. So did current team captain Brad Marchand, who coached from behind the bench alongside 2011 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Tim Thomas. Rather than stopping pucks, former goalie Tuukka Rask was shooting them as he played forward. 

The alumni team also featured other Bruins from yesteryear, including Miller, Tim Schaller, PJ Stock, Mark Mowers, Bryan Smolinski, and Andrew Alberts, as they faced off against the Warrior For Life All-Stars, a team made up of active-duty and retired U.S. Navy SEALs. 

Winning by a final of 9-5, the alums’s connection looked as strong as it did during their playing days. 

“That’s why we all got here so dang early, just to be back in the locker room with the boys,” said Miller. “There are some new faces added to the alumni and some new guys that I didn’t have a chance to play with who were right before me, but it’s like you never left.”

The 2011 team’s bond with the city also remains as tight as it was 13 years ago. Fans filled the Bruins’ practice rink to the rafters and cheered just as loudly as they did during the Cup Final series against Vancouver.

“I don’t think anyone’s ever doubted the Bruins fan base,” Thornton said. “It’s definitely a passionate group. Being able to get a bunch of guys from that 2011 team back together, I think it’s probably pretty special, and people want to see it, or maybe they’re just here to watch me trip and fall in my first time on the ice in a long time.”

If anything, the passage of time has only made the legend of the 2011 squad grow that much more. Enduring four grueling series and winning three Game Sevens en route to winning the franchise’s first championship in 39 years transformed the players into folk heroes overnight.

“We weren’t just the Bruins,” Boychuk said. “It was the fans as well. We weren’t just the team. It was the whole city. The players, the fans, everybody was part of the same team.”

However, as much as the Bruins alumni are considered heroes in Boston, they have heroes of their own. 

After retiring in 2021, Miller became a board member of the Warrior For Life Fund in 2023, working to support active-duty soldiers, veterans, and their families through sport and community as they navigate the challenges of combat deployments and life after service. 

“A lot of people look up to athletes,” said Miller. “As an athlete, I look up to them. I can speak for a lot of guys in the room that it’s the same. For what they do, for us, our country, our family, they’re a microcosm and bigger picture, the military as a whole. This is where we can really get grassroots if you will. We get to be on the ice with the guys and get to share cold beer afterward, and have some good laughs. It’s just been really awesome, and we enjoy the heck out of it.” 

It was clear how much joy the game brought to everyone involved. For the alumni, the fans, and most of all, the SEALs. 

“I know what it meant to me to be on the ice, and I can only imagine what it means to those guys to quiet the mind for two hours,” Miller said. “There’s so much going on at home, whether they’re deployed or not. This has directly saved lives. Hockey is directly saving lives for these guys. It means a lot, and to be a part of that is special.”