BOSTON -- It has been more than 20 years since the Boston Bruins entered the season without a captain. From Joe Thornton to Zdeno Chara to Patrice Bergeron to Brad Marchand , they’ve seen each season dawn with a fixture -- and likely Hockey Hall of Famer -- at the top of their leadership structure.

But not this season.

Even as captain’s practices begin, with many of the Bruins spending nearly two hours on the ice Tuesday, there was no actual captain in sight. Instead, they are expected to open the season with shared leadership, led by David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy , both of whom have long been alternate captains.

“Yeah, it’s different,” Pastrnak said. “But at the same time, if you look at the big picture, it’s the same. It’s always the leadership in this organization is

See Full Page