Pastrnak Reacts to Being Named 28th Bruins Captain: 'Grateful, Humbled, and Honored'

BOSTON –– David Pastrnak has a phone call to make.

Between the official announcement, practice and ensuing press conference, the newest Boston Bruins captain didn’t get a chance to tell his mom about the ‘C’ now stitched onto his jersey.

“She doesn’t know. You guys put me in a really bad spot,” Pastrnak said with a laugh while standing at the podium at Warrior Ice Arena on Sunday.

It is a call Pastrnak never imagined making when he was selected 25th overall by the Bruins in the 2014 NHL Draft, or when he played over 20 games in Providence, or when he burst onto the ice as the B’s prolific goal-scorer.

“I wouldn’t obviously believe it. It sounds like a cliché, but it’s just true,” Pastrnak said. “There’s no way that that’s where I thought I was going to end up when I got here. I remember going to the first practice.”

And now, over 10 years – and hundreds of practices – later, Pastrnak led the pre-skate stretch with stick taps from his teammates filling the rink. The 30-year-old forward is the 28th captain in franchise history.

“Obviously, very grateful and humbled and honored to be the captain. I obviously recognize all the responsibility that comes with it. I can’t wait. My biggest goal is to be the best version for the team and the Bruins organization," Pastrnak said. “I always am honest with you guys that I have no plan to change. I’m happy with the way I was raised, and I am trying to make my mother proud every day.”

Pastrnak has logged 833 NHL games, all wearing the Spoked-B, and has posted a cumulative 420 goals and 513 assists for 933 points. He ranks among the top 10 in franchise history in goals (fifth), assists (ninth), points (sixth) and points per game (T-7th, 1.12). Pastrnak’s 29 goals and career-high 71 assists during the 2025-26 campaign marked his fourth consecutive 100-point showing.

“His brain is already ahead of most others. That’s just the way it is. He has that gift; he’s born with it. He doesn’t even have to work on it; it just comes naturally,” head coach Marco Sturm said. “That’s something you cannot teach.”

What Pastrnak has learned, though, is his leadership style. He has had premier mentorship, with the likes of Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand holding the title before him. Pastrnak had to step up last season, too, alongside the other alternates.

“It was a great learning experience for me last year. And for us, nothing is changing here. We win as a group, a group of leaders here, always since I’ve been here. The guys before me, they always had it as group leadership, and it’s not going to change,” Pastrnak said. “We are going to work as a team and continue to do that. Make sure everybody feels comfortable and welcome. Young guys – it doesn’t matter if you’re a rookie or a 10-year veteran, you’re always welcome here and you have a voice in this room whether you have a letter on or not.”

Pastrnak was trying to find the words to describe the impact Chara and Bergeron had on him as a young player.

“Both of them had so much good stuff…If you could mix those two together, I think it would be a superhuman – or, what is it called, like Spider-Man and those; what do you call them?” he asked.

Superheroes?

“Yes, superheroes,” Pastrnak replied. “With Zdeno, I think the work ethic – he always led by example, whether it was at the gym, on the ice. That was something he was really focusing on, and you could see how hard he worked his whole career and even after his career…“And with Bergy, the way he has that feel for the players, for the humans. He understands when you’re going through something, and he’s always there for you – he just can sense it. That’s a great gift for a leader to have; to always pretty much say the right thing and know what to say and know when to come around.”

While Pastrnak has their examples to lean on, he is his own person – and that’s what everyone loves about him. That is why the organization knows he is ready for this responsibility.

“He is definitely not a Chara and not a Bergeron as a leader, but that is okay,” Sturm said. “I have said that in the past. He is a different kind of leader. Very, very positive. Always with a smile. Always has an ear open for everyone.”

A new era has started in Boston. And Pastrnak is wholly embracing it.

“Me and my family, we’re super grateful to the Boston organization and the Boston fans,” Pastrnak said. “I’m raising my own family here with my wife, so couldn’t be more proud to represent the Bruins organization. We take big pride in it.”