Boston Bruins
“I think everybody, every kid, should have gifts and should be happy this time of year. So that we can do something to give it back to some kids, I think it’s very special.”
The Boston Bruins traded in their helmets, shoulder pads, and sticks for Santa hats, reindeer antlers, and candy canes on Monday afternoon.
Monday marked the latest iteration of the Bruins’ annual holiday toy delivery event across several local hospitals — with multiple players making stops at Boston Children’s Hospital, Franciscan Children’s, Mass General Brigham for Children, Shriners Children’s and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital to deliver gifts to children ahead of the holidays.
“Any time you can bring it back to the community, it’s great,” Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov said at Mass General Brigham. “Obviously it’s for a good cause. There’s a lot of sick kids who’re going to spend their holidays [here], we just want to make it a happy day for them and bring some presents.
“This tradition has been in this organization for such a long time, and it’s always nice to follow the guys who started it.”
Heather Peach, who has worked at Mass General Brigham for Children for almost 29 years as a Child Life Specialist in the Department of Pediatric Medical Services, has seen countless Bruins make the rounds at the hospital over the decades since this holiday tradition was first started.
“I think it’s an amazing experience,” Peach, who coordinates with the Bruins during their holiday gift purchases and visits, said. “I think not only for the patients and the families, but also for the staff as well. I can only imagine being in the hospital is just a very difficult experience … I think that when you have such a difficult day, having an opportunity to really have your day brightened by something so special is just amazing.
“And I think that for us as staff members too, to see someone who’s having a difficult day, or just to have something to brighten their spirit, is just amazing.”
The Bruins have been delivering gifts to local hospitals since the days when Ray Bourque still donned the spoked-B on the ice, with other franchise stalwarts like Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and others carrying the mantle in what has been a team-wide initiative over the years.
“It’s been going on for a long time,” Morgan Geekie noted. “And I think that’s kind of just a testament to the culture that’s been brought here, and how important the community is to us as we are to them. So we’re super excited. It’s always an honor to come and share this time with the kids.”
While Monday marked the day where the Bruins presented their gifts, the entire process starts weeks earlier.
“We are asked by the Bruins to give a wish list,” Peach explained. “So we put together the needs of our patients and families — whether it is like arts and crafts, whether it’s LEGOs, whatever the items might be. And the Bruins take that wish list and go shopping at Target.”
The Bruins set out on their holiday shopping venture weeks earlier — checking off their respective wishlists at 7 a.m. before a local Target near Warrior Ice Arena opened its doors for the day.
There is some room for interpretation with a few of those holiday wishlists, putting the onus on the Bruins themselves to seek out some unique gift ideas — and quickly navigate the labyrinth of different toy aisles sprinkled across Target.
It’s a task far easier said than done, especially for some of the younger players on Boston’s roster.
“I mean, I’ve got three kids, so it’s a little bit easier for me personally,” Zadorov said of the gift shopping. “But the single guys were maybe struggling a little bit — taking them a little while. I was out of there pretty quick.”
“I’m kind of reevaluating my strategy,” Sean Kuraly added of his approach to shopping. “I think I went a little too heavy too early at the top of the list, and then when you get to the bottom of the list, you kind of get close to the budget. I definitely skew more towards things I think I would have liked as a kid, a lot of LEGOs. It’s a fun time to try and give back and make someone else’s Christmas a little bit better.”
In total, the Bruins secured a hefty assortment of toys and other gifts — supported by over $20,000 donated by the Bruins players and the Boston Bruins Foundation.
Ranging from Bluey to Barbie, Drake Maye jerseys to dinosaur action figures, the Bruins covered a wide range with their final haul.
“For all the guys, this means a lot,” Hampus Lindholm said. “There’s a lot of us who have kids, and the ones that haven’t have been kids. And Christmas is such a special time, too. This is my favorite holiday.
“And I think everybody, every kid, should have gifts and should be happy this time of year. So that we can do something to give it back to some kids, I think it’s very special.”
During the team’s hospital visits on Monday, Zadorov, Geekie, Marat Khusnutdinov, Alex Steeves, Jonathan Aspirot, and Victor Soderstrom made stops across several floors to visit pediatric patients — giving away gifts, signing autographs, and posing for photos.
For Zadorov, who also spent Thanksgiving morning delivering pies to those in need at Boston’s St. Francis House and Pine Street Inn, the opportunity to brighten up someone’s day during the holidays stands as a point of pride for himself and his teammates.
“It’s a big city. Everybody’s family here,” Zadorov said. “The fans are stepping in, they’re cheering for us. So it’s nice to give something back to the people here. We all live in the same place. We all try to make it a good community here.”
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