The Boston Bruins are one of the most storied franchises in the NHL, having won six Stanley Cups and celebrating their 100th anniversary in the 2023-24 season. But how much do the players, coaches, staff and owner of the team earn? And who are the highest and lowest paid members of the organization? In this article, we will explore these questions and provide some facts and figures based on the latest available information.
Player Salaries
The Bruins have a total payroll of $78,145,000 for the 2023-24 season, according to Spotrac. This ranks them 14th among the 32 NHL teams in terms of salary cap spending. The team has 22 players under contract for the upcoming season, with seven forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders on the active roster. The team also has one buyout cap hit and four non-roster players in the system.
The highest paid player on the team is right winger David Pastrnak, who earns $11,250,000 per year. Pastrnak is one of the elite goal scorers in the league, having led the NHL with 48 goals in 2019-20 and scored 27 goals in 48 games in 2020-21. He is signed through the 2026-27 season and has a no-movement clause in his contract.
The second highest paid player is defenseman Charles McAvoy, who makes $9,500,000 per year. McAvoy is the anchor of the Bruins’ blue line, playing in all situations and logging heavy minutes. He led the team with 30 points and a plus-22 rating in 51 games last season. He is also signed through the 2026-27 season and has a modified no-trade clause.
The third highest paid player is defenseman Hampus Lindholm, who earns $6,500,000 per year. Lindholm was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks in a trade that sent Jake DeBrusk and a first-round pick to California. Lindholm is a smooth-skating and reliable defender who can contribute offensively as well. He had 16 points in 18 games with the Ducks last season before suffering a season-ending injury. He is signed through the 2027-28 season and has a full no-trade clause.
The lowest paid player on the active roster is defenseman Mike Reilly, who has a cap hit of $333,334 due to a buyout from his previous contract with the Ottawa Senators. Reilly joined the Bruins at the trade deadline last season and played well as a puck-moving defenseman. He had eight assists in 15 regular-season games and three assists in 11 playoff games with Boston. He signed a one-year deal worth $1 million for the upcoming season.
The lowest paid player under contract is center Jesper Boqvist, who makes $775,000 per year. Boqvist was claimed off waivers from the New Jersey Devils last season and played mostly in the AHL with Providence. He had six points in 16 games with Providence and one assist in four games with Boston. He is a restricted free agent after this season.
Coaches Salary
The Bruins have not disclosed the salary of their head coach Jim Montgomery, who was hired in June to replace Bruce Cassidy. Montgomery was previously the head coach of the Dallas Stars from 2018 to 2019, leading them to a second-round playoff appearance in his first season. He was fired in December 2019 due to unprofessional conduct related to alcohol abuse. He then entered rehab and worked as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues last season.
The average salary of an NHL head coach was $2.62 million in 2019-20. Based on that figure, we can estimate that Montgomery’s salary is somewhere between $2 million and $3 million per year. However, this is only a rough guess as coaching salaries can vary widely depending on experience, performance and market size.
The Bruins also have three assistant coaches: Joe Sacco, Chris Kelly and Bob Essensa. Sacco has been with the team since 2014 and oversees the penalty kill and defensemen. Kelly joined the staff in 2019 after retiring as a player and works with the forwards and power play. Essensa has been the goaltending coach since 2003 and mentors Ullmark and Swayman.
The salaries of assistant coaches are not publicly available, but they are usually much lower than those of head coaches. According to The Athletic, assistant coaches can earn anywhere from $150,000 to $600,000 per year depending on their role and experience.
Staff Salary
The Bruins have a large staff that includes general manager Don Sweeney, president Cam Neely, CEO Charlie Jacobs, chief operating officer Matt Chmura, director of hockey operations and analytics Evan Gold, director of player personnel John Ferguson Jr., director of amateur scouting Ryan Nadeau, director of pro scouting Scott Bradley, director of player development Jamie Langenbrunner, director of hockey administration and salary cap analyst Matt Benning, and many others.
The salaries of these staff members are also not publicly available, but they are likely to be higher than those of assistant coaches and lower than those of head coaches. According to The Athletic, general managers can earn anywhere from $500,000 to $3 million per year depending on their success and market size. Other staff members can earn anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000 per year depending on their role and experience.
CEO Net Worth
The CEO of the Bruins is Charlie Jacobs, who is also the son of owner Jeremy Jacobs. Charlie Jacobs oversees the business operations of the team and its arena, TD Garden. He also serves as the alternate governor of the team on the NHL’s Board of Governors.
Charlie Jacobs’ net worth is not publicly known, but it is likely to be a fraction of his father’s fortune. According to Forbes, Jeremy Jacobs has a net worth of $3.3 billion as of October 2021. He is the founder and chairman of Delaware North, a global hospitality and food service company that owns and operates TD Garden and other venues around the world. He also owns the Boston Bruins since 1975 and has won one Stanley Cup with the team in 2011.
Conclusion
The Boston Bruins are a team in transition, having lost two franchise icons in Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci to retirement. However, they still have a competitive roster that features some elite talent, solid depth and strong goaltending. The team will face some challenges and questions in the 2023-24 season, such as how to replace the production and leadership of Bergeron and Krejci, how to balance the workload of Ullmark and Swayman, how to integrate new additions like Lindholm and van Riemsdyk, and how to celebrate their 100th anniversary in style. The answers to these questions will determine whether the Bruins can remain a contender or fall behind in a tough division.
Most Asked Questions and Answers
- How many Stanley Cups have the Bruins won?
The Bruins have won six Stanley Cups in their history: in 1929, 1939, 1941, 1970, 1972 and 2011.
- Who is the captain of the Bruins?
The captain of the Bruins is Brad Marchand, who was named as Bergeron’s successor in September 2021. Marchand is one of the best players in the league, having scored 29 goals and 69 points in 53 games last season. He is also known for his agitating style and leadership qualities.
- Who is the best player on the Bruins?
The best player on the Bruins is David Pastrnak, who is one of the elite goal scorers in the league. Pastrnak led the NHL with 48 goals in 2019-20 and scored 27 goals in 48 games in 2020-21. He is also a dynamic playmaker and a fan favorite.
- Who is the new coach of the Bruins?
The new coach of the Bruins is Jim Montgomery, who was hired in June 2021 to replace Bruce Cassidy. Montgomery was previously the head coach of the Dallas Stars from 2018 to 2019 and an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues last season. He has a reputation for being an innovative and offensive-minded coach.
- Who are the new players on the Bruins?
The new players on the Bruins are defenseman Hampus Lindholm, who was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks in a trade that sent Jake DeBrusk and a first-round pick to California; left winger James van Riemsdyk, who was signed as a free agent from the Philadelphia Flyers; center Pavel Zacha, who was re-signed after being acquired from the New Jersey Devils at the trade deadline last season; defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, who was signed as a free agent from the Anaheim Ducks; center Matthew Poitras, who was drafted in the second round in 2021 and made the team out of training camp; and goaltender Linus Ullmark, who was signed as a free agent from the Buffalo Sabres.
- Who are the best prospects on the Bruins?
The best prospects on the Bruins are center John Beecher, who was drafted in the first round in 2019 and played for Boston University last season; defenseman Ian Mitchell, who was drafted in the second round in 2017 and played for Chicago Blackhawks last season; center Jakub Lauko, who was drafted in the third round in 2018 and played for Providence Bruins last season; left winger Patrick Brown, who was signed as a free agent from Vegas Golden Knights last season; defenseman Mike Reilly, who was claimed off waivers from Ottawa Senators last season