The Boston Bruins on Sunday filled their captaincy vacancy, naming forward David Pastrnak the 28th captain in franchise history. Pastrnak takes over the role after Brad Marchand, Boston's previous captain, was traded to the Florida Panthers on March 7, 2025.

The Bruins went through the entire 2025-26 season without a captain, making the vacancy the longest unfilled captaincy in the NHL. Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm served as the team's primary alternate captains during that season, with Pastrnak becoming the lone Bruin wearing an “A” for the remainder of 2024-25 after Marchand's departure.

Pastrnak enters his 13th NHL season having spent his entire 833-game career with Boston. The 30-year-old has recorded 420 goals and 513 assists for 933 points, ranking fifth in franchise history in goals, ninth in assists and sixth in points. He is also tied for seventh in points per game at 1.12.

His production has been consistent in recent seasons. Pastrnak has led the Bruins in scoring for four consecutive years while reaching 100 points in each campaign. In 2025-26, he finished with 29 goals and a career-best 71 assists in 77 games for 100 points. He ranked sixth in the NHL in assists and tied for seventh in points while leading Boston skaters in assists, points, points per game, even-strength points, power-play points and shots.

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Pastrnak also played a career-high 20:39 per game under first-year head coach Marco Sturm. His 2025-26 campaign included his 800th NHL game, 400th goal, 500th assist and a six-point outing on Jan. 10 that tied a Bruins record for most assists in one game.

The forward scored 61 goals in 2022-23, becoming only the second Bruin after Phil Esposito to reach 60 in a season. That year, Boston set franchise records with 65 wins and 135 points, while Pastrnak finished with 113 points and 13 game-winning goals.

Pastrnak has recorded 94 points in 96 career playoff games and appeared in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final. He also has four NHL All-Star selections, a 2020 All-Star Game MVP award, the 2019-20 Maurice Richard Trophy and four consecutive 100-point seasons. He is the second European-born captain in Bruins history after Zdeno Chara.

Charlie McAvoy will serve as Pastrnak's No. 1 alternate. Originally selected 25th overall by Boston in the 2014 NHL Draft, Pastrnak has five years remaining on his contract with an $11.25 million annual cap hit.