WESTWOOD, Mass. — Imagine a hockey player born in the 16 months between John F. Kennedy and Ted Williams, who impacted his game as much as JFK transformed politics or Teddy Ballgame mastered hitting.
Imagine a center who won two Stanley Cups in three years as part of a line with the cringeworthy moniker called the “Kraut Line,” before serving his country against Germany in World War II.
Imagine a coach, general manager and team ambassador whose association with the Boston Bruins began in the midst of the Great Depression and continues in 2016.