Cam Neely Makes Surprising Admission About Bruins Captain Decision originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Bruins have two obvious candidates to become their next captain. Team president Cam Neely, however, is not convinced the organization needs to select either one.
Boston played the entire 2025-26 season without a captain after trading Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers in March 2025. David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm instead wore alternate captain letters under first-year head coach Marco Sturm.
That arrangement may continue for another season.
Neely revealed Monday that the Bruins have not decided whether to fill the leadership vacancy before the 2026-27 campaign. He discussed the decision during an appearance on the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon.
“I don’t know if you necessarily need to have a guy unless there is that one guy that really stands out,” Neely said. “We’ve been blessed to have great captains here.”
Neely pointed to Ray Bourque, Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron as examples of the exceptional leaders who previously wore the “C” in Boston. He then explained why the organization might prefer a leadership group over forcing one player into the position.
“We like leaders, not followers,” Neely said. “So you can hopefully have 20 leaders. That’s the one thing that we look at: Who is going to help lead the team?”
Bruins have two obvious captain candidates
Pastrnak and McAvoy have been viewed as the leading candidates since Marchand’s departure. Pastrnak is Boston’s biggest star and one of the NHL’s top offensive players. He also has developed into a more prominent voice as longtime veterans such as Bergeron, Marchand and David Krejci have departed.
McAvoy presents an equally compelling case. The defenseman plays a demanding role, has worn an alternate captain’s letter since the 2023-24 season and is signed through 2029-30. Neither player needs the “C” to lead the Bruins, which appears to be part of Neely’s thinking.
Hampus Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm also have occupied leadership roles. That veteran foundation helped Boston rebound from a disastrous 2024-25 season to finish with 100 points and secure a playoff berth last season. The Bruins lost to the Buffalo Sabres in six games in the opening round, but the rapid turnaround strengthened the argument that their shared leadership approach worked.
Sturm acknowledged after the season that he entered his first year as Boston’s coach expecting to eventually name a captain. His experience changed that perspective.
“I always said I wanted a captain,” Sturm said in May. “But now, being through it the first time with me as a head coach and not having a captain, I thought it went really well.”
Sturm praised the closeness of the Bruins’ leadership group and said everyone had input throughout the season.
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When will Bruins make their captain decision?
A decision appears to be approaching, even if that decision is to leave the captaincy vacant. Neely said he, general manager Don Sweeney and Sturm plan to meet soon and discuss how Boston should structure its leadership group.
“Maybe it’s more of a tradition in hockey where you have a letter on your sweater,” Neely said. “Don, Marco and I are going to sit down shortly to talk about that.”
The Bruins have gone consecutive seasons without naming a captain only once, operating with alternate captains from 1967 through 1973. Boston won two Stanley Cups during that stretch, with Johnny Bucyk accepting the trophy both times. The franchise does not need to create another captain simply for the sake of maintaining tradition. Pastrnak and McAvoy already are established leaders, and the Bruins proved last season that a committee can work.
Still, entering another campaign without a captain would be a notable decision for an Original Six franchise with a distinguished leadership history. The Bruins appear comfortable waiting until one player makes the choice undeniable.