Bruins Will Name a Captain Before Opening Night, Sweeney Says
Boston's general manager says the decision is made as the club opens a shortened training camp with every player healthy.
The Boston Bruins will name a captain before opening night, and general manager Don Sweeney says the decision is already made.
"We are going to announce a captain this year," Sweeney said Wednesday at TD Garden, a day before the Bruins' first on-ice training camp session at Warrior Ice Arena. "We will do that before opening night. So nobody has to ask who it is or whatnot. We've spent a lot of time; we understand the legacy of our organization and we want to do it the right way."
Charlie McAvoy, David Pastrnak and Hampus Lindholm served as alternate captains last season, with Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov occasionally wearing an "A." Sweeney said the club allowed that leadership group to develop organically.
"We know exactly what we are going to do," Sweeney said. "We are in a good place."
The compressed calendar is another challenge. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, training camp includes four exhibition games and the regular season expands to 84, leaving every club roughly one week less to prepare. Boston's final two preseason games are a road back-to-back.
"It's actually going to be interesting to see how it's going to work out," coach Marco Sturm said. "We all have something in mind that we would like to do. I don't know if it's going to happen that way."
Sweeney said every Bruins player is healthy and will be on the ice.
James Hagens enters camp with momentum. The 19-year-old, selected seventh overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, scored six goals in two games against Buffalo prospects at last week's showcase and will compete for a roster spot in his first full NHL training camp.
Matt Poitras also returns after agreeing Wednesday to a one-year, two-way extension with an $850,000 NHL cap hit. Sturm plans to use the 22-year-old in the middle.
