Black and Gold: Four Decades of the Boston Bruins in Photographs - Hardcover

Black and Gold is a pictorial history of the Boston Bruins, one of the NHL's Original Six teams and among hockey's most popular franchises. Celebrating their 85th season in 2008-09, the Bruins are a storied team with a long and rich history, and a fascinating cast of characters. Home to players such as Orr, Esposito, Schmidt, Bucyk, Cheevers, O'Reilly, Bourque and Neely, Boston has captured five Stanley Cups as well as numerous division and conference titles.

Featuring four decades of pictures from long-time team photographer Steve Babineau, and accompanying text by NESN broadcaster Rob Simpson, Black and Gold will document much of the rich history of the team, including magic moments from the past, star players and coaches such as Ray Bourque, Cam Neely, Terry O'Reilly, Don Cherry, and Joe Thornton, as well as Bruins goalies, grinders, and the old Boston Garden. This epic collection of photographs and commentary from the last four decades, featuring many never-before-seen shots, will be sure to bring back memories for every Bruins fan who bleeds black and gold.

Black and Gold is a pictorial romp through four decades of one of the NHL's great Original Six franchises-a personal history of the Boston Bruins as seen through the lens of Steve Babineau, team photographer for 35 years.

Over his long career, Babs, as he is known, has captured over one-third of the history of this storied franchise with his work. He has seen many of the greatest in the organization and has photographed them all for the record: Bobby Orr, John Bucyk, Phil Esposito, Terry O'Reilly, Ray Bourque, Cam Neely, Gerry Cheevers, Don Cherry and the Lunchpail Gang, and many more.

In glorious color and classic black and white, Black and Gold lovingly captured four decades of Bruins history and the team's characters in over 300 photographs,many of them never published before.

With veteran hockey journalist, broadcaster, and author Rob Simpson, Babs shares his memories and best-loved moments with the team: from growing up a Bruins fan, to his own early hockey playing day, getting interest in photography and coming to work for the Bs, and eventually documenting the team and its plays through four decades. Black and Gold is an up-close and personal look at the Bruins plays, coaches, and fans, as well as the old Boston Garden and the characters who inhabited it.

As well as Babs' perspective on the Bruins—from the stands, the penalty box, the press box, and the arena rafters—Black and Gold features interviews with many former Bruins, coaches, and general managers, peppering the pages with great first-hand stories and anecdotes on what it means to be a Bruin and share in the great tradition of the franchise; and on the hundreds of blueliners, scorers and playmakers, grinders and enforcers, goalies, and coaches that passed through the organization in the four decades that Babs caught on film.

Thirty-five years and some 1,700 games have gone by since Babineau shot his first game back in the 1973-74 season, and he's still counting. Black and Gold is a fitting testament to that great career, and to those who fill its pages.

This stunning collection of photographs, magical moments, and commentary from the last four decade swill be sure to bring back memories for very Bruins fan who bleeds black and gold.