On this day in 1924, the Boston Bruins became the first American team to join the NHL. While I am not an American, I am obviously pleased to celebrate this event, and can see the significance in the larger fabric of NHL history.The Bruins joined the league and played their first game against the Montreal Maroons, winning 2-1. The Bruins would then go on to a truly dismal 6-24 record, showing that it was tough being a Bruins fan, even in the ‘20s.
Interestingly, the arena that the Maroons played in stood directly across the street from my old house, on avenue Mont-Royal, au coin de St-Urbain. The space is now occupied by an enormous and crass grocery store, but if you are shopping for produce and look up, you can see two seats from the original Maroons arena. These seats serve as a small reminder of the historic legacy of hockey in this town, but also an ominous indication of the role that business has always played in the NHL.
Happy 84th Birthday, Bruins.
