Rick Middleton, still among the Bruins’ all-time scorers 30 years after his retirement, became the 11th in franchise history to have his uniform number retired on Thursday night.
BOSTON -- Rick Middleton played with some of hockey’s all-time greats, especially during his 12-year career as a Bruin.
Thursday night, he received one of the ultimate forms of recognition for his own greatness.
“Just to be among the elite players that are up here,” Middleton said before his uniform No. 16, which he wore from 1976-76 through 1987-88, became the 11th number retired by the franchise. “My career has really been a storied career. I’ve been so lucky, all the way through.”
Middleton, who turns 65 next week, reflected on his career before a 40-minute on-ice ceremony at TD Garden, with former teammates John Bucyk, Terry O’Reilly, Cam Neely and Ray Bourque -- all of whose numbers were retired previously -- among those sharing the ice, as the current Bruins and their coaches watched from the bench.
“I played on some great teams with a lot of great guys,” said Middleton, who ranks third in franchise history with 402 goals, fourth in points (898) and sixth in assists (496), and considers himself fortunate to have played in “two different eras. I was lucky to play at the end of the ‘Old Time Hockey’ era, without helmets, and then everything changed in 1999-80, and I got a chance to play at the beginning of the new era.”
Don Cherry, the coach Middleton credits with turning him into a two-way player after the B’s acquired him for the Rangers on May 26, 1976, was one of Thursday night’s speakers. Gerry Cheevers was the coach who paired Middleton with Barry Pederson in the early 1980s, leading to Middleton’s two 100-point seasons (1980-81 and ‘83-84) and his career-best 51-goal campaign in 1981-82.
Middleton recognized many outside the Bruins’ family, as well, from Frank Miller, his youth hockey coach in suburban Toronto, to those he coached: A late replacement as head coach of the U.S. Sled Hockey team, he guided Team USA to an unlikely gold medal in 2002 at Salt Lake City with the help of Joe Howard, a former Weymouth and Kingston resident who also won a gold medal in 2010. Howard was among four sled hockey players on the ice for Thursday’s ceremony.
Caveman cometh: Colby Cave, who slid into the No. 1 center’s position halfway through Monday’s 4-2 loss at Toronto, started Thursday night between wingers Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak against the Islanders. Recalled from AHL Providence on Nov. 20, Cave became the latest to fill in for Patrice Bergeron, who missed his sixth game with rib and sternoclavicular injuries.
“I thought he did a good job the other night,” coach Bruce Cassidy said, “so he gets an opportunity to move up a little bit. He’s earned it in his short time here. We’ll see how it works out.”
Cave, an undrafted free agent who was a junior teammate of Jake DeBrusk (Swift Current, Western Hockey League), had started his fourth pro season in Providence with a somewhat different attitude than the first three. A solid two-way center who scored between 29 and 33 points each season, he had 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 15 games with the P-Bruins before his call-up.
“I just wanted to go down to Providence with the mindset of getting back up here, and sticking around,” said Cave, who played his first three (scoreless) NHL games last season. “I can’t have any excuses any more. I’ve been here for 3½ years now. It’s about time I step up and start making an impact.”
Around the boards: Rookie Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, who was in his third game as Bergeron’s replacement when Cassidy turned to Cave in mid-stream on Monday, was a healthy scratch against the Islanders after playing nine straight games (two goals, minus-2). “We’d just like him to (have) a little more urgency all around his game,” Cassidy said. … Winger Anders Bjork, who had gone 16 games without a goal and was scratched twice in the previous three games, was assigned to AHL Providence after Thursday’s morning skate … Although he made it through his first full practice on Wednesday since sustaining an upper body injury on Nov. 10, defenseman Brandon Carlo missed his ninth game. “He’ll get another good practice in (Friday), take some contact, and hopefully Saturday (vs. the Red Wings) is the day,” Cassidy said. … Defenseman Charlie McAvoy (concussion) participated in Thursday’s morning skate, wearing a non-contact jersey. Cassidy said he hoped McAvoy, who hasn’t played since Oct. 18, could practice on Friday.