David Pastrnak named Boston Bruins captain: Why ‘Pasta’ was the right choice

The Boston Bruins have officially named right winger David Pastrnak as their new captain, the team announced Sunday. Pastrnak succeeds Brad Marchand, who served as captain until he was traded to the Florida Panthers in March 2025. Following Marchand's departure, the captaincy remained vacant through the 2025-26 season, during which Pastrnak served alongside Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm as alternate captains.

Pastrnak has played 833 regular-season games for Boston and led the team in scoring over the past four seasons with consecutive 100-point campaigns. The 2014 first-round pick currently ranks sixth in franchise scoring with 933 career points. Head coach Marco Sturm relied heavily on Pastrnak last season, giving him a career-high 20:39 of ice time per game, while McAvoy will serve as his primary alternate captain.