Bruins
After 16 seasons with Boston, David Krejci introduced his retirement from the NHL on Monday morning.
After 16 seasons in a black-and-gold sweater, David Krejci introduced his retirement from the NHL on Monday morning.
A major architect of the Bruins’ newest championship rivalry chapter alongside names like Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, and Brad Marchand, Krejci logged all 1,032 video games of his video games within the NHL with the Bruins.
He finishes his profession with 555 profession assists — fifth all-time in Bruins franchise historical past — to associate with 786 factors (ninth in Bruins historical past).
Over his 16 seasons in Boston, Krejci had his justifiable share of memorable moments on the ice.
Listed below are 10 that stand out within the wake of the star heart’s retirement:
Bruins choose Krejci in third spherical of 2004 NHL Draft
Only a yr after the Bruins discovered a steal of a franchise heart in Patrice Bergeron in the course of the second spherical of the 2003 NHL Draft, Boston discovered one other top-six stalwart a spherical later in Krejci.
Boston chosen Krejci with the 63rd total choose within the 2004 NHL Draft, with the Bruins intrigued by the poised pivot’s playmaking capabilities in opposition to U-20 competitors in his native Czechia.
Krejci instantly rewarded Boston by elevating his profile over in North America, posting 144 factors over 117 video games with the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques earlier than incomes a spot with the Windfall Bruins in the course of the 2006-07 season.
Krejci spent 94 video games down within the AHL ranks earlier than sticking within the NHL for good. He made his debut with Boston again on Jan. 30, 2007.
As noted by Kirk Luedeke, solely three gamers drafted forward of Krejci within the 2004 NHL Draft have posted extra regular-season factors than Krejci: Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Blake Wheeler.
Krejci scores his first purpose … in a means
Krejci’s first purpose in a Bruins sweater truly got here throughout a shootout, with the rookie heart beating Cam Ward within the third spherical to present Boston a 3-2 victory on Feb. 19, 2008. Although it was the primary time that Krejci lit the lamp, it additionally technically didn’t rely as a purpose, provided that shootout objectives aren’t formally tallied.
However Krejci didn’t have to attend lengthy to search out twine past the shootout, as he knocked a puck previous Ottawa goalie Martin Gerber every week afterward Feb. 26 for his first purpose as a Bruin.
Krejci emerges as a top-six heart
In simply his second full season within the NHL, Krejci took a significant leap ahead and helped Boston orchestrate a formidable 116-point marketing campaign in the course of the 2008-09 season.
With Patrice Bergeron nonetheless working his means again from a season-ending concussion in the course of the 2007-08 season, Krejci developed right into a poised, top-six heart behind Marc Savard on the depth chart.
Alongside one other younger expertise in Blake Wheeler and veteran goal-scorer Michael Ryder, Krejci emerged as a playmaking pressure. He completed the 2008-09 season with 73 factors (22 objectives, 51 assists) over 82 video games. It was a 46-point enchancment from his earlier season, and stood as his career-high for factors in a single marketing campaign.
Although Boston fell to the Carolina Hurricanes in heartbreaking trend within the second spherical of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the 22-year-old Krejci put himself on the map as a franchise cornerstone for an up-and-coming Bruins roster.
“Playoff Krejci” arrives in 2011
The 2009-10 season was a painful one for David Krejci and the Bruins.
Regardless of going up 3-0 to the Flyers within the second spherical of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Krejci suffered a dislocated wrist within the early phases of Sport 3. With Krejci sidelined, Boston promptly misplaced the subsequent 4 video games to undergo an embarrassing collection exit.
The following season was a distinct story, in fact.
Whereas a number of gamers performed key roles in Boston’s first Stanley Cup title in 39 years, Krejci emerged as Boston’s prime conduit on offense subsequent to Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton.
Over 25 video games in the course of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Krejci led all NHLers in scoring with 23 factors (12 objectives, 11 assists).
4 of his objectives proved to be game-winning tallies. However Krejci’s largest play (arguably of his profession) was his saucer feed to Horton — leading to the one tally of an unforgettable 1-0 overcome the Lightning in Sport 7 of the Japanese Convention Finals.
Krejci lifts the Cup
Krejci continued to provide in the course of the 2011 Stanley Cup Ultimate in opposition to the Vancouver Canucks.
Even with Horton ultimately sidelined early in Sport 3 because of a concussion doled out by Aaron Rome, a revamped prime line of Lucic, Krejci, and Wealthy Peverly continued to torment the Canucks — with Krejci ending with six factors (two objectives, 4 assists) over the seven-game collection.
With out Krejci’s playmaking capabilities and poise, the 2010-11 Bruins don’t hoist the Stanley Cup on June 15, 2011 at Rogers Enviornment.
An encore efficiency in 2013
As Krejci goes, so goes the Bruins within the playoffs.
It ought to come as little shock that Boston orchestrated one more journey to the Stanley Cup Ultimate the identical spring the place Krejci led the league in playoff scoring.
Regardless of arising quick in opposition to the Blackhawks in six video games, Krejci was a pressure all through the 2013 postseason — posting 26 factors (9 objectives, 17 assists) over 22 video games.
The Sternberk, Czechia native completed his profession with 128 factors in 160 playoff video games. Krejci is tied together with his longtime teammates in Bergeron and Brad Marchand for second all-time in postseason scoring in franchise historical past, trailing solely Ray Bourque (161).
Krejci rolls via carousel of wingers
Krejci thrived as a playmaking pressure on the prime of Boston’s lineup all through the primary half of his profession, forging loads of chemistry with confirmed goalscorers like Lucic, Horton, and Jarome Iginla.
However as a number of top-six wingers left Boston by way of free company or commerce, Krejci was typically tasked with driving play in a top-six function with a seemingly infinite rotation of various wingers.
Krejci ultimately constructed a powerful rapport with Jake DeBrusk in the course of the latter’s rookie season in 2017-18, however discovering a gradual linemate slotted on Krejci’s proper proved to be a problem.
The 2018-19 may need been Krejci’s best season, given the lineup challenges round him.
In whole, Krejci logged not less than quarter-hour of 5v5 ice time with 14 (!) totally different line combos, with gamers like Danton Heinen, Joakim Nordstrom, Peter Cehlarik, David Backes, and Karson Kuhlman all incomes prolonged stretches to subsequent to the veteran heart.
In Sport 7 of the Stanley Cup Ultimate in opposition to the St. Louis Blues, Krejci in the end had Kuhlman — a rookie — skating to his proper in a top-six function.
Regardless of little by way of stability, Krejci nonetheless managed to match his career-high with 73 factors (20 objectives, 53 assists) over 81 video games — together with one other 16 factors within the playoffs en route to a different Cup run.
Playmaking wizardry
Whatever the expertise round him, Krejci routinely diced up opposing defenses because of his poise and endurance with the puck. He could not have been the strongest or quickest skater out on the ice, however few might management the tempo of play and discover seams like Krejci within the offensive zone.
Listed below are only a few of Krejci’s many highlight-reel feeds over his profession.
Krejci returns from a yr in Czechia
There have been many elements that contributed to the Bruins’ record-setting common season in 2022-23.
However David Krejci’s choice to return to Boston for one final hurrah gave Boston a potent top-six grouping as soon as once more.
Krejci spent the 2021-22 season again in his native Czechia, enjoying for his hometown crew of HC Olomouc. He posted 46 factors in 51 video games within the Czech Extraliga, showcasing that trademark passing expertise over a bigger frozen sheet in Europe.
However with Boston seeking to run issues again one final time with Bergeron in place, Krejci opted to return to the NHL — doing his NHL crew a strong by signing a contract with a cap hit of simply $1 million.
“I really feel like I’ve rather a lot to supply nonetheless,” Krejci mentioned in his first press convention after returning to Boston. “I do know folks discuss my age, nevertheless it’s only a quantity. I really feel I’m in good condition. And yeah, clearly, I’m coming again to attempt to go all the way in which.
“However I’ve been within the league a very long time, so I do know what it takes to make the playoffs and go all the way in which. So only one step at a time.”
Krejci didn’t present a lot rust regardless of his yr away from the NHL, posting 56 factors (16 objectives, 40 assists) over 70 video games whereas primarily skating alongside his fellow Czech countrymen in David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha.
Reaching 1,000 profession video games
Together with one other spectacular stat line put forth in a second-line function, Krejci achieved one other main particular person milestone in the course of the 2022-23 season. On Jan. 16, 2023, Krejci grew to become simply the sixth participant in Bruins franchise historical past to achieve 1,000 profession video games with the Unique Six franchise.
In typical Krejci trend, Krejci supplied up an understated salute to the gang following his accomplishment … after which tallied three assists in what was a 6-0 victory over the Flyers.
A final hurrah
In the end, Krejci, Bergeron and the Bruins had been unable to finish the storybook ending in 2023 — dropping in surprising trend to the Florida Panthers within the first spherical of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Accidents restricted Krejci to only 4 video games within the collection, with the ailment sapping him of a few of his effectiveness in opposition to a bruising Florida roster.
However Krejci did put collectively yet one more “Playoff Krejci” efficiency in Sport 7 at TD Backyard — posting a three-point sport in what stood as his closing look in a Bruins sweater.
“Nice season. Powerful, robust ending,” Krejci mentioned again in Might. “It’s robust to guage it, proper? It nonetheless hurts simply even speaking about it. Clearly, you’re proud. Sixty-five wins, that’s rather a lot. You realize our names are all the time going to be proper subsequent to that document.
“I assume that’s the constructive you may take out of this. We had been all planning on enjoying until the top of June and we’re not, so it’s not prefer it’s disappointing it simply actually, actually hurts in a different way than the opposite losses.”
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