The Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights will play on a Leap Day for the eleventh time in the team’s history tonight at TD Garden. It’s interesting to note that the team debuted in an NHL game on December 1st, 1924, a Leap Year.
There have been 25 Leap Years since the event’s founding, including 2024. Boston skated in only four Leap Day games after 1940, playing the majority of its games from 1940 to 1968. However, following a 20-year break between 2000 and 2020, this will be the second Leap Year game in a row.
We thought it would be fun to go into the record books to see how Boston has fared on this day throughout the past century in anticipation of tonight’s game between two of the greatest teams in the NHL this year.
1940s
Leap Day games for the Bruins were not scheduled for 1924, 1928, 1932, or 1936; instead, they were moved to the final day of February in 1940. They scored goals from Dit Clapper, Roy Conacher, Woody Dumart, and Milt Schmidt to secure their first victory (4-2) on Leap Day against the Montreal Canadiens at the Montreal Forum.
The Toronto Maple Leafs visited Boston Garden four years later, and the Bruins lost 7-3. Ted Kennedy scored two goals to lead Toronto’s assault, and Gus Bodnar, George Boothman, Bud Polie, and Babe Pratt each contributed two points. For Boston, Bill Cowley scored three goals and provided an assist, while Bep Guidolin scored the other lamplighter.
In 1948, Boston went to Chicago Stadium to play the Chicago Blackhawks, and the home team won 5-1 to end the decade. The Blackhawks secured the victory with three goals in the third period, led by two goals and an assist from Doug Bentley. Pete Babando scored the lone goal for the Bruins during a powerplay, with Grant Warwick and Clare Martin providing the assists.
The years 1950 and 1960
The Bruins didn’t skate in 1952 despite having a 1-2-0 record on Leap Days in the 1940s; they would eventually play the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in 1956. Boston’s most recent loss came after they trailed 1-0 and 3-1 in the third quarter. The home team triumphed 4-2, with three points from Bronco Horvath. Cal Gardner and Fleming Mackell led the Bruins’ offensive attack, while Real Chevrefils and Vic Stasiuk contributed assists.
With Massachusetts native John F. Kennedy taking office in January, the Bruins skipped their 1960 Leap Day game and didn’t play again until 1964. They defeated the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 at Boston Garden when Murrary Oliver scored the game-winning goal at 8:29 of the third period, assisted by Wayne Rivers and Johnny Bucyk. With assists from Forbes Kennedy and Jean-Guy Gendron, Ron Schock helped Boston tie the score in the second period after trailing 1-0. Terry Sawchuk, who dressed for Detroit in this game after playing for the Bruins on Leap Day in 1958, had 40 saves in the loss.
On a Leap Day four years later, the Maple Leafs and Bruins squared off again. Boston improved to 2-0 over their Canadian rivals that day with a 4-1 victory at Boston Garden. Derek Sanderson scored two goals for the home team, while Fred Stanfield provided two assists. John McKenzie and Bucyk also scored one each.
The years 1970–1990–2000
Boston skated in six Leap Years throughout the first 44 seasons, earning a 3-3-0 record. They didn’t play in 1972, but in 1976 they defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-3 at Boston Garden. Several players contributed to their offensive success, including Bobby Schmautz with two goals, Jean Ratelle with two assists, and Ken Hodge with a goal and an assist. The game that year would be the Bruins’ final Leap Day match for sixteen years and would also be the first time they had faced a team other than an Original Six opponent.
The Bruins skipped the 1980s Leap Year games and didn’t play any more until 1992, when they hosted the Washington Capitals at Boston Garden. On this specific day, the two teams fought to a 5-5 draw in one of their craziest games, with Boston coming back from a 5-2 hole with three goals in the third quarter. Ray Bourque (one goal and two assists) and Brent Ashton (two goals and an assist) were tied for three points. In all, sixteen players from the two teams scored throughout the match.
The Bruins’ perfect record (3-0-1) would come to an end at the FleetCenter eighteen years later in 2000 when they fell short against the Ottawa Senators, 5-3. Boston was behind 4-0 at the start of the second period after Marion Hossa, the visiting team’s offensive leader, scored two goals in as many minutes. Joe Thornton, Sergei Samsonov, and Cameron Mann scored goals to spark a comeback, but Ottawa added an empty net goal to complete the victory. Remarkably, this is the only Leap Day match in which Boston conceded an empty goal and changed goalies, with Robbie Tallas taking over for John Grahame after 32 minutes of action.
Lastly, Tuukka Rask recorded a 25-save shutout in the Bruins’ 4-0 victory over the New York Islanders at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in 2020, the team’s final Leap Day game. Four players that were in the starting lineup for the match this year—David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy, and Matt Grzelyck—scored goals for Boston. With three points, McAvoy was the top scorer, followed by Marchand and Torey Krug with two each. The Perfection Line’s Patrice Bergeron was plus-three in his lone game during a Leap Day.
An Historical Angle
Over their ten Leap Day games in history, the Bruins had a 5-4-1 record, which includes a 3-2-1 home record and a 2-2-0 road record. Twenty skaters participated in two Leap Day games out of the total 147 skaters who have worn a Spoked B jersey. Bucyk leads the chart with three appearances (1964, 1968, and 1976). In a Leap Day match for the Bruins, ten goalies have played, with only Hall of Famer Frank Brimsek making two appearances.
The Bruins have surprisingly scored 33 goals and given up 33 goals. In 1944, Bert Gardiner conceded the most points in a single game—seven—while Brimsek (1948) and Andy Moog (1992) each gave away five. Rask is the only player with a shutout in Leap Day games, while Brimsek and Gardiner are tied with seven goals against.
With a goal and four assists in two Leap Day games (1940 and 1944), Cowley is the Bruins’ all-time top scorer in Leap Day contests. With three points in a single game, he established the initial franchise record, which was later matched by McAvoy (2020), Ashton (1992), and Bourque (1992).
Lastly, Boston has never made it to the Finals or won the Stanley Cup when playing in a leap year. The team also missed the playoffs in 1944, 1956, 1964, and 2000. Their losses in the Wales Conference Final in 1992 and the Semi-Finals in 1940, 1948, and 1976 rank among their best Leap Year performances.
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