Bruins Announce 2026-27 Opening Day Roster

The Bruins announced the team's opening day roster for the 2026-27 season, which begins on Tuesday night at TD Garden. The Bruins will host the New York Rangers at 8:00 PM (ESPN) for the first of 84 games.

Presenting your 2026-27 Boston Bruins 👏 pic.twitter.com/V0AQCI6shD — Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) September 29, 2026

Presenting your 2026-27 Boston Bruins 👏 pic.twitter.com/V0AQCI6shD

Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) September 29, 2026

The roster is not too different from the one the Bruins opened last season with. Sixteen players are back from last year's opening night roster, and that does not include Jonathan Aspirot or James Hagens, who both joined the team after the season started.

Hagens spent the entire camp playing with Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov on the Bruins' kid line. He got a head start on the shortened camp, playing at rookie camp and the Prospects Showcase. Minten followed the same path last season, something Hagens said the two talked about during camp.

There are also new faces on the roster, headlined by JJ Peterka , whom the Bruins acquired at the draft to answer Don Sweeney's call for speed and skill. The Bruins also brought in Will Borgen and Connor Clifton to bolster the right side of the defense.

The Bruins are carrying eight defensemen to start the season, and they will be without Charlie McAvoy for the first six games. They waived Henri Jokiharju and Jordan Harris during camp, and Frederic Brunet made the cut after spending the last three seasons in Providence.

Frederic Brunet on what he can bring to the lineup: "I think not forcing anything. I think just playing my game. I think I can provide on both sides. I worked a lot in Providence working on my defensive side, so if my offense doesn't work out that night, I'm sure I can bring… pic.twitter.com/Pa4YSTZe5h — Jack Studley (@jackstudley13) September 28, 2026

Frederic Brunet on what he can bring to the lineup: "I think not forcing anything. I think just playing my game. I think I can provide on both sides. I worked a lot in Providence working on my defensive side, so if my offense doesn't work out that night, I'm sure I can bring… pic.twitter.com/Pa4YSTZe5h

Jack Studley (@jackstudley13) September 28, 2026

The Bruins have a new backup goalie. Over the summer, Sweeney said Michael DiPietro was "primarily why" the Bruins moved on from Joonas Korpisalo . It's been a long road for the 27-year-old goaltender, who said he called his parents and told them that the "eighth time's a charm."

Matt Poitras will start the season on the injured non-roster list, meaning he does not count against the 23-man roster. Poitras suffered a lower-body injury during training camp, and while Marco Sturm said he is feeling better, Don Sweeney did not provide a timetable for his return. Poitras did not make the opening day roster last season but made it in the two seasons prior.