Bruins
After 16 seasons with Boston, David Krejci announced his retirement from the NHL on Monday morning.
After 16 seasons in a black-and-gold sweater, David Krejci announced his retirement from the NHL on Monday morning.
A primary architect of the Bruins’ latest championship contention chapter alongside names like Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, and Brad Marchand, Krejci logged all 1,032 games of his games in the NHL with the Bruins.
He finishes his career with 555 career assists — fifth all-time in Bruins franchise history — to go along with 786 points (ninth in Bruins history).
Over his 16 seasons in Boston, Krejci had his fair share of memorable moments on the ice.
Here are 10 that stand out in the wake of the star center’s retirement:
Bruins select Krejci in third round of 2004 NHL Draft
Just a year after the Bruins found a steal of a franchise center in Patrice Bergeron during the second round of the 2003 NHL Draft, Boston found another top-six stalwart a round later in Krejci.
Boston selected Krejci with the 63rd overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, with the Bruins intrigued by the poised pivot’s playmaking capabilities against U-20 competition in his native Czechia.
Krejci immediately rewarded Boston by elevating his profile over in North America, posting 144 points over 117 games with the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques before earning a spot with the Providence Bruins during the 2006-07 season.
Krejci spent 94 games down in the AHL ranks before sticking in the NHL for good. He made his debut with Boston back on Jan. 30, 2007.
As noted by Kirk Luedeke, only three players drafted ahead of Krejci in the 2004 NHL Draft have posted more regular-season points than Krejci: Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Blake Wheeler.
Krejci scores his first goal … in a way
Krejci’s first goal in a Bruins sweater actually came during a shootout, with the rookie center beating Cam Ward in the third round to give Boston a 3-2 victory on Feb. 19, 2008. Even though it was the first time that Krejci lit the lamp, it also technically didn’t count as a goal, given that shootout goals are not officially tallied.
But Krejci did not have to wait long to find twine beyond the shootout, as he knocked a puck past Ottawa goalie Martin Gerber a week later on Feb. 26 for his first goal as a Bruin.
Krejci emerges as a top-six center
In just his second full season in the NHL, Krejci took a major leap forward and helped Boston orchestrate an impressive 116-point campaign during the 2008-09 season.
With Patrice Bergeron still working his way back from a season-ending concussion during the 2007-08 season, Krejci developed into a poised, top-six center behind Marc Savard on the depth chart.
Alongside another young talent in Blake Wheeler and veteran goal-scorer Michael Ryder, Krejci emerged as a playmaking force. He finished the 2008-09 season with 73 points (22 goals, 51 assists) over 82 games. It was a 46-point improvement from his previous season, and stood as his career-high for points in a single campaign.
Even though Boston fell to the Carolina Hurricanes in heartbreaking fashion in the second round 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.
Despite going up 3-0 to the Flyers in the second round of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Krejci suffered a dislocated wrist in the early stages of Game 3. With Krejci sidelined, Boston promptly lost the next four games to suffer an embarrassing series exit.
The next season was a different story, of course.
While multiple players played key roles in Boston’s first Stanley Cup title in 39 years, Krejci emerged as Boston’s top conduit on offense next to Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton.
Over 25 games during the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Krejci led all NHLers in scoring with 23 points (12 goals, 11 assists).
Four of his goals proved to be game-winning tallies. But Krejci’s biggest play (arguably of his career) was his saucer feed to Horton — resulting in the only tally of an unforgettable 1-0 triumph over the Lightning in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Krejci lifts the Cup
Krejci continued to produce during the 2011 Stanley Cup Final against the Vancouver Canucks.
Even with Horton eventually sidelined early in Game 3 due to a concussion doled out by Aaron Rome, a revamped top line of Lucic, Krejci, and Rich Peverly continued to torment the Canucks — with Krejci finishing with six points (two goals, four assists) over the seven-game series.
Without Krejci’s playmaking capabilities and poise, the 2010-11 Bruins don’t hoist the Stanley Cup on June 15, 2011 at Rogers Arena.
An encore performance in 2013
As Krejci goes, so goes the Bruins in the playoffs.
It should come as little surprise that Boston orchestrated yet another trip to the Stanley Cup Final the same spring where Krejci led the league in playoff scoring.
Despite coming up short against the Blackhawks in six games, Krejci was a force throughout the 2013 postseason — posting 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) over 22 games.
The Sternberk, Czechia native finished his career with 128 points in 160 playoff games. Krejci is tied with his longtime teammates in Bergeron and Brad Marchand for second all-time in postseason scoring in franchise history, trailing only Ray Bourque (161).
Krejci rolls through carousel of wingers
Krejci thrived as a playmaking force at the top of Boston’s lineup throughout the first half of his career, forging plenty of chemistry with proven goalscorers like Lucic, Horton, and Jarome Iginla.
But as several top-six wingers left Boston via free agency or trade, Krejci was often tasked with driving play in a top-six role with a seemingly endless rotation of different wingers.
Krejci eventually built a strong rapport with Jake DeBrusk during the latter’s rookie season in 2017-18, but finding a steady linemate slotted on Krejci’s right proved to be a challenge.
The 2018-19 might have been Krejci’s finest season, given the lineup challenges around him.
In total, Krejci logged at least 15 minutes of 5v5 ice time with 14 (!) different line combinations, with players like Danton Heinen, Joakim Nordstrom, Peter Cehlarik, David Backes, and Karson Kuhlman all earning extended stretches to next to the veteran center.
In Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues, Krejci ultimately had Kuhlman — a rookie — skating to his right in a top-six role.
Despite little in terms of stability, Krejci still managed to match his career-high with 73 points (20 goals, 53 assists) over 81 games — including another 16 points in the playoffs en route to another Cup run.
Playmaking wizardry
Regardless of the talent around him, Krejci routinely diced up opposing defenses thanks to his poise and patience with the puck. He may not have been the strongest or fastest skater out on the ice, but few could control the pace of play and find seams like Krejci in the offensive zone.
Here are just a few of Krejci’s many highlight-reel feeds over his career.
Krejci returns from a year in Czechia
There were many factors that contributed to the Bruins’ record-setting regular season in 2022-23.
But David Krejci’s decision to return to Boston for one last hurrah gave Boston a potent top-six grouping once again.
Krejci spent the 2021-22 season back in his native Czechia, playing for his hometown team of HC Olomouc. He posted 46 points in 51 games in the Czech Extraliga, showcasing that trademark passing talent over a larger frozen sheet in Europe.
But with Boston looking to run things back one last time with Bergeron in place, Krejci opted to return to the NHL — doing his NHL team a solid by signing a contract with a cap hit of just $1 million.
“I feel like I have a lot to offer still,” Krejci said in his first press conference after returning to Boston. “I know people talk about my age, but it’s just a number. I feel I’m in good shape. And yeah, obviously, I’m coming back to try to go all the way.
“But I’ve been in the league a long time, so I know what it takes to make the playoffs and go all the way. So just one step at a time.”
Krejci didn’t show much rust despite his year away from the NHL, posting 56 points (16 goals, 40 assists) over 70 games while primarily skating alongside his fellow Czech countrymen in David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha.
Reaching 1,000 career games
Along with another impressive stat line put forth in a second-line role, Krejci achieved another major individual milestone during the 2022-23 season. On Jan. 16, 2023, Krejci became just the sixth player in Bruins franchise history to reach 1,000 career games with the Original Six franchise.
In typical Krejci fashion, Krejci offered up an understated salute to the crowd following his accomplishment … and then tallied three assists in what was a 6-0 victory over the Flyers.
A last hurrah
Ultimately, Krejci, Bergeron and the Bruins were unable to complete the storybook ending in 2023 — losing in shocking fashion to the Florida Panthers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Injuries limited Krejci to just four games in the series, with the ailment sapping him of some of his effectiveness against a bruising Florida roster.
But Krejci did put together one more “Playoff Krejci” performance in Game 7 at TD Garden — posting a three-point game in what stood as his final appearance in a Bruins sweater.
“Great season. Tough, tough ending,” Krejci said back in May. “It’s tough to judge it, right? It still hurts just even talking about it. Obviously, you’re proud. Sixty-five wins, that’s a lot. You know our names are always going to be right next to that record.
“I guess that’s the positive you can take out of this. We were all planning on playing till the end of June and we’re not, so it’s not like it’s disappointing it just really, really hurts differently than the other losses.”
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