Bruins unveil bear statue for centennial year celebration

Bruins leadership unveiled a 6-foot tall, 10-foot-long bear outside the TD Garden Saturday – marking 100 years of hockey in Boston. The Centennial celebration has lasted nearly a year and will be capped off Sunday during the Centennial Game against the Montreal Canadiens. Sunday marks 100 years since the Bruins first game in 1924 at Matthews Arena.

“It is a tribute to every player every coach and every fan that’s helped shape our history for the last century,” said Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs about the statue. Bruins president Cam Neely at the ceremony Saturday added, “We continue to honor the past and look forward to our collective great future.”

The statue weighs roughly 3,500 pounds and is made up of 90 bronze pieces welded together. It was sculpted by Harry Weber, the same artist who created the Bobby Orr statue outside TD Garden.