There won’t be a drastic shift in how the Boston Bruins run their day to day operations entering the 2019-20 campaign. But a long time face of the front office went forward with his succession plan.
During his interview with Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe, Jeremy Jacobs, the owner of the Bruins and chairman for Delaware North, revealed that he relinquished control of the Original Six organization to his six children (Charlie, Lynn, Lou, Katie, Lisann and Jerry Jr.) earlier this year.
“I have given it to my kids,” Jacobs told Dupont. “They are paying me some of the proceeds that come out of this. It happened this year. This was done on the basis that the longevity is going to continue in the hands of the Jacobs children, and the next generation will have it.”
Jacobs, a 2017 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, purchased the Bruins for $10 million in 1975.
The full transaction according to Dupont includes Delaware North, a global food service and hospitality company — which also owns TD Garden — located in Jacobs’ hometown of Buffalo.
The Bruins earned numerous trips to the playoffs and Stanley Cup Final (1977, 1978, 1988, 1990, 2011, 2013 and 2019) under Jacobs highlighted by the 2011 Cup victory. The elder Jacobs maintained a hands-off approach with the team in the latter half of his ownership, allowing former Bruin and team President Cam Neely to operate the day-to-day operations.
Yes, Jacobs, who also served as a chairman of the NHL’s Board of Governors, had some shortcomings during his tenure. The three lockouts he helped spearhead are a sore spot. His reluctance to spend money for necessary roster upgrades earlier in his career also drew heavy criticism from Bruins fans.
But the Bruins found stability in the 2010s and enter the upcoming season as one of the Cup favorites. The team and the recently renovated TD Garden are in good hands as Jacobs (79) transfers control.
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