Be it on the ice or later on the bench, Chris Kelly has always been cognizant of the type of culture cultivated over in Boston.
And that’s not just because he donned a black-and-gold sweater for six years and helped the Original Six franchise hoist its first Cup in 39 years.
Even before Kelly arrived as part of mid-season reinforcements during that fruitful run in 2011, the defensive-minded pivot — and countless other NHLers across the league — had heard plenty about the type of operation that was being run in Boston, especially with veterans like Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron setting the tone in the room.
That accountability, inclusivity and winning mindset piqued Kelly’s interest during his playing days — and again years later, when he was serving as an assistant coach with Ottawa.
“You hear about the Bruins culture throughout the league, and maybe when you're in it, you don't hear it as much,” Kelly said. “You kind of take it for granted. But when you go to other places or other organizations, they talk about it. And it's a thing throughout the league, how well the Bruins treat their players and the way the players treat each other. And it's a culture thing — that competitiveness that their top-end players bring each and every day.
“I saw it when I joined the organization ... How hard the top-end players compete in practice every day and in games and helping those players learn how to be a pro, day in and day out. And I think Boston's extremely fortunate to have the players that they have leading — not only the young players, but the new players to come in.
“Because I was one of those players. I came in and was fortunate to be part of that team that won, and to see how hard they were working right after they won the Stanley Cup in the summer, to come into camp the next next season — I think it helped me maybe carve out a few extra years in the NHL, because of the work ethic that they were able to instill in me as an older player.”
But more than a decade after first entering the B's dressing room as an outsider, Kelly will now help carry on the identity that Boston has crafted and help instill it in the next wave of players — with the 40-year-old set to serve as an assistant coach on Bruce Cassidy’s staff moving forward.
Kelly, who served as a player development coordinator in Boston over the past two seasons, welcomed the promotion to the B’s coaching ranks — especially given the more hands-on approach that comes with the gig over the span of a grueling NHL campaign.
“You’re kind of in the fight with the players in terms of being there day-in, day-out,” Kelly said via Zoom on Monday. “You can see the small differences, potentially helping younger players grow their game. With development, yeah there’s that growth, but you’re not with them day-in, day-out.
“They’re with their club team in college or in junior. You’re seeing them periodically, so you don’t see the growth, I found, as much. Whereas when you’re there every day, you can really help the players and really break it down a little bit more.”
Kelly, who will take the place of Jay Pandolfo on Cassidy’s staff, hasn’t hashed out what his specific role will be alongside other B’s coaching regulars in Kevin Dean, Joe Sacco and Bob Essensa — but added that he expects plenty of duties will be centered on “the defensive side of the puck.”
Given Kelly’s on-ice reputation as a two-way pivot and PK ace, it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if his assignments involved relying some of the finer details of the game to Boston’s roster.
For as much as Kelly acknowledged that skill and speed have taken ahold of today’s NHL, it’s oftentimes the overlooked aspects of a player’s repertoire of tools that carry them to the most sustained success up in the pro ranks.
"I think when you're looking at the highlights, you're seeing more and more highlight-reel goals. But in reality, that's not how the NHL runs,” Kelly said. “I think board play (is key). I think coming in and helping them with the detailed part of the game is going to be something that I focus on.
“Details are what continues to help teams win, keeps players in the league longer. And that's kind of my focus. ... I can help them with a few things, stick detailing things or positioning things that maybe they haven't picked up along the way.”
Kelly is not the only former 2011 stalwart that’s set for a more active role with the B’s moving forward — as Kelly’s previous position as player development coordinator will be assumed by Adam McQuaid.
While Kelly will be responsible for getting the most out of Boston’s roster up in the NHL ranks, the 34-year-old McQuaid will be looking to make an impression on youngsters trying to carve a path to Causeway Street — with the former blueliner’s duties extending far beyond just on-ice development.
"I think the Bruins are a first-class organization, and have set the gold standard for success and kind of the demands that the players bring each day and kind of hold each other accountable,” McQuaid said. “And having played there for a while, I got to see it firsthand.
“And I think I can communicate that to the younger guys that are coming in — what the expectations are, hopefully help them eventually realize their goal of playing in the NHL and being a Boston Bruin. All those things together, I think makes this opportunity really exciting.”
Whether it's down on the farm or in B's dressing room, the Bruins' recent hires and internal promotions paint a pretty clear picture of what the franchise is looking to establish as the post-Bergeron era continues to loom on the horizon. The days in which the architects who set the foundations of this decades-long string of success are contributing on the ice might be winding down. But that culture will hopefully carry over into the next generation of Bruins' regulars, especially with those who experienced it firsthand like Kelly now watching for Boston's bench.
