David Pastrnak has been named captain of the Boston Bruins for the 2026-27 season. He is the 28th person in Bruins history to be named captain. The last person to wear the C was Brad Marchand before his trade to the Florida Panthers on March 7th, 2025.
The Bruins opted not to have a captain for the 2025-26 season, making them one of two NHL teams without a captain, the other being the San Jose Sharks. This was the first time since the 2001-02 season that the Bruins didn’t have an official captain. The Bruins instead had three alternate captains, those being Pastrnak, along with defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm. Despite this, the Bruins wound up making the playoffs with a 45-27-10 record before losing in six games in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the Buffalo Sabres.
“My biggest goal is to be the best version for the team and the Bruins organization,” Pastrnak said during a press conference on Sunday.
Pastrnak, the Bruins’ first-round pick in 2014, spent very little time with the Bruins AHL affiliate in Providence. He played 25 games in Providence in 2014-15, with another three games the following season, where he recorded 32 points during those games. However, he was primarily with Boston during his first two seasons. He recorded 53 points in 97 games over his first two seasons in the NHL.
His third season in 2016-17 saw Pastrnak break out with a 70-point season, scoring 34 goals and notching 36 assists. The only season he dipped below 70 points was during the shortened 2020-21 season, in which Pastrnak recorded 48 points in 48 games.
However, Pastrnak has turned into a superstar over the last four seasons. Not only did he hit 100 points for the first time in his NHL career in the 2022-23 season, but he also hasn’t been under 100 points since. This includes the 2025-26 season, where, although his 29 goals marked the lowest total for him since the 2020-21 season, he set a career high with 71 assists to reach 100 points. He currently ranks fifth in the NHL in points over the last four seasons, only behind Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon, and Leon Draisaitl.
The 2019-2020 Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner ranks fifth in Bruins history in goals (420), ninth in assists (513), and sixth in points (933) over his 12 seasons with the Bruins. He has grown into a complete offensive player, becoming the main playmaker for the Bruins offense, leading the NHL in primary assists per 60 minutes (1.61) in 2025-26.
General Manager Don Sweeney stated that he would be naming a captain for the upcoming season on September 16th, which begged the question: who was going to be captain? The two emerging candidates were Pastrnak and McAvoy.
The Bruins’ first-round playoff series last year against the Buffalo Sabres was a frustrating one all around. Not only did the Bruins lose in six games, but the Sabres were outplaying Boston nearly the entire series. Buffalo was winning more puck battles and generally seemed more determined than Boston in some cases. This was a feeling that was shared by Pastrnak when he unloaded an expletive-filled rant after their game four loss in TD Garden, a rant that was shown in full during the last episode of Behind The B for the 2025-26 season.
Another key event came during game six, which officially sealed Boston’s exit from the playoffs. McAvoy got slew-footed by Sabres defenseman Zach Benson. In response, McAvoy unloaded a two-handed chop to Benson. This earned him a six-game suspension, which he is serving for the first six contests of this season. This is the third suspension the NHL has handed him. McAvoy represents a more fiery and emotional approach to leading the team. Pastrnak, however, seems to be more calculated in his approach. This is evident in the kind of leader he aims to be. Although he’s not afraid to say what needs to be said, he aims for everyone to feel comfortable.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a rookie or a 10-year veteran, you’re always welcome here, and you have a voice in this room whether you have a letter on or not,” Pastrnak said.
Pastrnak seems very eager to take some of what he’s seen from those before him. He spoke very highly of Zdeno Chara and the work ethic and toughness he instilled in Boston during his 14-year span with the C. He spoke similarly about Patrice Bergeron and how well he could read a room and know what to say, as well as how to say it. However, Pastrnak’s style of leading the charge will be different from past captains. Pastrnak emphasized wanting an inclusive locker room during his opening press conference as captain. Bruins head coach Marco Sturm has praised the approach Pastrnak intends to keep.
“He is definitely not a Chara and not a Bergeron as a leader, but that is okay,” Sturm said. “I have said that in the past. He is a different kind of leader. Very, very positive. Always with a smile. Always has an ear open for everyone.”
In a locker room that’s loaded with young talent such as JJ Peterka, Fraser Minten, and James Hagens, this kind of leadership may work in the Bruins’ favor, as opposed to the stereotypical toughness that has been commonplace for the last two decades in Beantown.
David Pastrnak looks to be the leader who will try to guide the Bruins’ young core to future playoff success. Similarly to Bergeron and Marchand, he is the tenured veteran who has learned from those before him. However, he will look to do so with a different approach than the prior three Bruins captains. The Bruins’ top brass is looking to Pasta to lead the team his way, not become another version of what Chara, Bergeron, and Marchand were.
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