The Bruins’ 7-3 win over the Flyers and David Pastrnak’s hat trick were big stories, sure, but perhaps the biggest story to come out of Boston’s time in Lake Tahoe was the players' pregame outfits.
The Bruins have made a habit of picking some sort of team-wide theme for special games like this, and their theme for Sunday was the 1990s, which resulted in some high-quality fashion choices.
Captain Patrice Bergeron was the mastermind behind the idea, and he explained what went into it on Tuesday.
“Basically, the idea was, that was the first time we were wearing the reverse retro jersey, and that jersey was based on the ‘80s and early ‘90s jersey that Cam [Neely] and Ray [Bourque] wore,” Bergeron said. “So the idea was for us to kind of dress as if we were playing in the late ‘80s or early ‘90s. It was kind of a ‘90s theme.
“Obviously guys went all out on it, and I was really excited about it. For me, it was a way for us to bond as a team and have fun. The outdoor games are something you always have to enjoy. It’s something you’ll remember after your career, so make sure you kind of enjoy everything and make the most of it. So that was the whole idea, to bond, but also create something special and have fun with it.”
It was mostly all fun and games, but that bonding aspect actually shouldn’t be dismissed. As Bergeron noted, especially with all the COVID protocols that greatly restrict what players can do away from the rink, it’s been even more important than usual to take advantage of whatever bonding opportunities they can.
“Obviously the bonding part of it is definitely important, especially in a year like this, where you’re not allowed to leave the hotel and can’t go to restaurants and whatnot,” Bergeron said. “So it’s definitely even moreso important this year to try to find ways and be creative with your team bonding.”
As for which players impressed him the most with his efforts, Bergeron highlighted goalie Jaroslav Halak (whose get-up included a fake mullet) and defensemen Connor Clifton and Steven Kampfer (who went as the Bash Brothers from “Mighty Ducks”).
“I was impressed with everyone, honestly, the details,” Bergeron said. “A lot of guys went with accessories and whatnot. Jaro went all-out with the huge old-school cellphone and the mullet, and he had an old watch and the fanny pack. He really had everything going. I loved the Bash Brothers from the Mighty Ducks movie. Obviously I was a big fan of that movie growing up, so that was a nice touch.”
For most, though, the highlight was Bergeron himself. If a fanny pack and 1990 Bruins playoff shirt weren’t enough, his Sony Walkman put it over the top. And Bergeron confirmed on Tuesday that the Walkman did in fact work, and that he was listening to a Dr. Dre cassette… at least for a little while before it broke.
“It was, yeah. It was a working Walkman,” he said. “I had a cassette going too. Unfortunately, it broke, it stopped working right when I got off the bus, so the radio was on when I was walking.”