The date is set, and Bruins fans have already started treating it like a playoff ticket.
When Boston unveiled its 2026-2027 schedule last week, the obvious headline was the opener. But the bigger jolt came with the confirmation that Patrice Bergeron’s No. 37 will be retired before the Dec. 1 game against Colorado. The Bruins had already said Bergeron’s number was headed to the rafters this coming season, but now the ceremony has a home on the calendar - and that regular-season matchup suddenly looks like the hottest seat in town.
The result has been a surge in ticket prices that feels more like postseason demand than a December night against a Western Conference opponent. One Reddit user said they paid $1,000 for tickets to the game, while the lowest price currently listed on StubHub is $460 per seat for mid-range balcony tickets.
Pay the mortgage or watch Bergeron take his place amongst the rafters?
Tough call.
Elsewhere in Bruins nostalgia, Zdeno Chara is set to get his own farewell game in Slovakia next month, and the guest list sounds loaded. Per Complete Hockey News, the game is scheduled for Aug. 21 at Pavol Demitra Ice Stadium in Trencin, Slovakia, Chara’s hometown.
Among the players expected to show up are Jaromir Jagr, Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, Miroslav Satan, Tomas Kaberle, and Jaroslav Halak. The other goalie is reportedly Petr Cech, who has spent the past several years trying his hand at hockey after becoming one of the greatest soccer/football goalkeepers of all time.
These types of send-off games are common in European sports, and the event will likely benefit a charity of some kind.
Clifton also talked about why he decided to return to the Bruins as a free agent, what he expects from the season, and more.
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Bruins Quiet Offseason Just Drew A Brutal 2026-27 Verdict
Bostons offseason has been more about tweaks than a shakeup, with the Bruins bringing in JJ Peterka and Connor Clifton while moving on from Viktor Arvidsson and Andrew Peeke. It is the kind of quiet summer that can feel orderly from the inside, especially when management has made clear it would rather keep the roster close to last seasons group than chase a bigger overhaul.
The concern, of course, is that the rest of the Atlantic and Metro landscape has not stayed still, and Bostons margin for error looks thinner if the upgrades dont meaningfully change the ceiling. Even with the new faces, the Bruins still appear to be searching for a more complete blue line, and the longer they stand pat, the more the debate around whether this group is good enough to keep pace is going to hang over the season. [Read more 🡒]
One Overlooked Bruins Stretch Could Decide Their Playoff Fate
The Bruins will open their 2026-27 season on Sept. 29 against the Rangers, but the early spotlight will not be the only thing shaping their year. With a demanding schedule in front of them, Boston is already staring at a late-March run that could loom larger than anything in October, especially with the Eastern Conference standings likely tightening as the spring push begins.
From March 23 to March 30, the Bruins hit a four-game stretch that brings Buffalo, Ottawa, Washington and Montreal into the picture, with three of those matchups coming against division opponents and a back-to-back mixed in for good measure. For a team trying to keep its playoff position secure, that kind of week can turn into the difference between chasing, holding, or slipping at exactly the wrong time. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Face A Telling Decision On Matthew Poitras
The Bruins have spent the offseason reshaping the roster with additions like JJ Peterka, Connor Clifton and Will Borgen, but the moves have also sharpened the spotlight on Matthew Poitras. The young forward is still without a new deal as a restricted free agent, and Bostons crowded group of bottom-six forwards has made his path back into the lineup far less straightforward than it looked a year ago.
Poitras does not have arbitration rights, which leaves him in a precarious spot as the calendar moves toward the Dec. 1 signing deadline. If the Bruins cannot find a contract that fits, the conversation may shift from when he will rejoin the team to whether Boston uses him as part of a trade to address another need, a familiar kind of crossroads for a club that has not always handed prospects an easy runway. [Read more 🡒]