Defenders? Goalkeepers? Yep, another attacker! As little-known former Boston Bruins players are featured more and more, we’re taking on forward Brett Connolly, who played for the Bruins for 11 seasons in the NHL.

Connolly was selected in the first round of the 2010 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, sixth overall. The Bruins had the second pick in this draft and used it on Tyler Seguin. Connolly was selected over the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, who produced NHL players such as Dan Hamhuis, Zdeno Chara, Dustin Byfuglien and Andrei Vasilevskiy.

After another year playing with Prince George after being drafted, Connolly signed an entry-level contract ahead of the 2011–12 season and made his debut that year, scoring four goals and 11 assists in 68 games. Over the next two seasons, he played in a total of just 16 games, scoring two goals and registering no assists, as he spent most of his time with the AHL Syracuse Crunch.

Connolly then improved in earnest, scoring 12 goals and three assists in 50 games in the 2014–15 season for the Lightning. Then he was traded to the Bruins for a pair of draft picks, Boris Katchouk and Matthew Spencer. After the trade, he played in five games, scoring two assists and no goals.

2015–2016 was Connolly’s only full season with the Bruins, where he scored nine goals and 16 assists in 71 games. He signed a one-year contract with the Washington Capitals in the summer and had a solid year, scoring 15 goals and eight assists in 66 regular-season games, while being pointless in seven playoff games.

Connolly then spent the next two years with the Capitals, being part of their Stanley Cup-winning team in 2017-2018. After three years in Washington, he signed a four-year contract with the Florida Panthers. After 19 goals and 14 assists in the 2019–20 season, Connolly’s career began to decline.

In the second year of his contract, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in a major deal. After spending all but nine games of the 2021-2022 season in the AHL, the Blackhawks bought out the remainder of his contract.

Connolly then went abroad, spending the 2022–2023 season at HC Lugano in Switzerland, scoring 12 goals and 26 assists in 45 matches. He also spent 2023–2024 in Switzerland in the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers team, where he played in only nine matches and scored only one goal.

Defenders? Goalkeepers? Yep, another attacker! As little-known former Boston Bruins players are featured more and more, we’re taking on forward Brett Connolly, who played for the Bruins for 11 seasons in the NHL.

Connolly was selected in the first round of the 2010 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, sixth overall. The Bruins had the second pick in this draft and used it on Tyler Seguin. Connolly was selected over the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, who produced NHL players such as Dan Hamhuis, Zdeno Chara, Dustin Byfuglien and Andrei Vasilevskiy.

After another year playing with Prince George after being drafted, Connolly signed an entry-level contract ahead of the 2011–12 season and made his debut that year, scoring four goals and 11 assists in 68 games. Over the next two seasons, he played in a total of just 16 games, scoring two goals and registering no assists, as he spent most of his time with the AHL Syracuse Crunch.

Connolly then improved in earnest, scoring 12 goals and three assists in 50 games in the 2014–15 season for the Lightning. Then he was traded to the Bruins for a pair of draft picks, Boris Katchouk and Matthew Spencer. After the trade, he played in five games, scoring two assists and no goals.

2015–2016 was Connolly’s only full season with the Bruins, where he scored nine goals and 16 assists in 71 games. He signed a one-year contract with the Washington Capitals in the summer and had a solid year, scoring 15 goals and eight assists in 66 regular-season games, while being pointless in seven playoff games.

Connolly then spent the next two years with the Capitals, being part of their Stanley Cup-winning team in 2017-2018. After three years in Washington, he signed a four-year contract with the Florida Panthers. After 19 goals and 14 assists in the 2019-2020 season, Connolly’s career began to decline.

In the second year of his contract, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in a major deal. After spending all but nine games of the 2021-2022 season in the AHL, the Blackhawks bought out the remainder of his contract.

Connolly then went abroad, spending the 2022–2023 season at HC Lugano in Switzerland, scoring 12 goals and 26 assists in 45 matches. He also spent 2023–2024 in Switzerland in the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers team, where he played in only nine matches and scored only one goal.