Out on the ice, Noel Acciari is anything but subtle — with the bruising fourth liner already dishing out 23 hits through 10 games with the Black and Gold this season.
Off the ice, Acciari is a bit more reserved, with the Providence College product often one to deflect praise to his linemates following a strong night, or not delve too deep postgame into a scrum that occurred earlier out in the corner.
But on Thursday night, Acciari’s attire matched the bombastic way in which he carries himself during a shift, donning an all-purple suit ahead of the Bruins’ home matchup against the Flyers at TD Garden.
The new wardrobe wasn’t a way for the 26-year-old winger to earn some style points, however.
On a night in which the Bruins donned purple warm-up sweaters in honor of Hockey Fights Cancer Night, Acciari’s suit was one of the many ways that the former Friar paid tribute to a friend and teammate who passed away following a long battle with the illness.
“It’s Hockey Fights Cancer month, and my best friend Drew Brown passed away last year of Ewing’s Sarcoma, so it’s in honor of him,” Acciari said.
In memory of his former @FriarsHockey teammate Drew Brown, Noel Acciari is donning this purple suit for #HockeyFightsCancer night. pic.twitter.com/caJgPCApkc
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 25, 2018