They Once Were Boston Bruins: Andrew Raycroft

Raycroft wore the single-digit moniker for three different teams before switching numbers towards the end of his career to No. 30. He has yet to be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, but he left a lasting legacy in Boston and continues to build upon it to this day.

Raycroft’s Playing Career

Raycroft was initially drafted by the Bruins in the fifth round, at 135th overall, but he did not sign initially. Instead, he played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) before finally making his NHL debut in the 2000-01 season where he replaced then-Bruins goalie Byron Dafoe.

Two days later, Raycroft picked up his first NHL win against the Florida Panthers. He finished the season playing in just 15 contests (10 starts) finishing with a 4-6 record, with a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.96 and a save percentage (SV%) of .890. The following two seasons, he spent the majority of his time in the American Hockey League (AHL) playing for the Providence Bruins. In the times he was up in the NHL, he played in just six games, compiling a record of two wins, three losses, and one tie.

Both seasons, his GAA was below three, and his SV% was pushing .900, if not better, and after the 2002-03 season, he was named the starter for the Bruins in the 2003-04 season. In that season, not only did Raycroft lead Boston to the playoffs, but in the 57 games he played in, he won 29 games, lost just 18 and tied nine. In that season, he played in the NHL Young Stars Game, was named to the All-Rookie Team, and was awarded the Calder Trophy.

Just as Raycroft’s stellar run in Boston was beginning, however, it came to an end as the 2004-05 season never got off the ground due to the lockout. Instead of training for the next season in Boston, Raycroft signed with Tappara Tampere of the Finnish-SM liiga. With the Tampere, he played in 11 games and wound up with four wins, five losses, and two ties.

When NHL play resumed in the 2005-06 season, Raycroft struggled and won just eight games in his return to the league. He didn’t see much of the ice and wound up being relegated to third-string duties behind Tim Thomas and rookie netminder Hannu Toivonen.

In that offseason, however, Raycroft was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. In return, the Bruins received the rights to Tuukka Rask. During his first season with the Maple Leafs, he appeared to regain his form. He played in a career-high 72 games, winning 37 games, losing just 25 games, and losing nine in the shootout/overtime. He also had a 2.99 GAA and .894 SV%.

Following just one more season in Toronto, Raycroft played for the Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks, and finished his NHL career with the Dallas Stars. Following his NHL career, Raycroft spent two seasons in Europe before officially hanging up his pads following the 2013-14 season.

Raycroft finished his NHL career playing in 280 games. In that time, he collected 113 wins, 114 losses, 10 ties, and 17 shootout or overtime losses. He finished his career with a 2.89 GAA and .900 SV%.

Raycroft’s Coaching Career

Immediately following his retirement, Raycroft was hired by the University of Connecticut hockey team as a volunteer assistant coach until the 2016-17 season, focusing most of his work on the goaltenders. In his first season, he helped goaltender Rob Nichols to accrue 1,052 saves – good for first in Hockey East, and fourth in the nation. Due to the commute, however, Raycroft left following the 2016-17 season.

Raycroft paved the way for Nichols to tally eight shutouts throughout his career in Storrs. To put it into context, throughout the previous seven years before that, all other UConn goalies had seven combined between all of them. Nicholas never made it to the NHL and only played one professional game at the ECHL level, but without Raycroft, it could be argued he may not have even gotten to that level.

In addition to Raycroft’s large contribution to the way Nichols played, he also worked with Adam Huska whose SV% of .916 in the year that he worked with him was the best of his collegiate career. Huska, on the other hand, did make it to the NHL; however, it was just for one game.

Raycroft’s Media Ventures

Following his time with the Huskies, Raycroft has become a fixture in the media. He started with ESPN as one of their leading hockey experts before coming back to Boston. He now works for New England Sports Network (NESN) as an in-studio analyst for Bruins games, with occasional sideline reporting duties. Raycroft also assists with college hockey coverage, with an emphasis on the Beanpot Tournament and Hockey East Tournament. Both of which are held at TD Garden in Boston.

On top of his analyst work for NESN, he hosts the hockey version of Unobstructed Views on NESN with Patrice Bergeron and Tuukka Rask. He has also made appearances on three different podcasts. One of which he co-hosts called The Morning Bru with Jaffe & Razor, which he records with NESN co-worker Billy Jaffe. He is also on Mike Commodore’s show called Clearing The Crease, and has appeared on “Sunday Skate” part of The Skate Podcast with Scott McLaughlin and Bridgette Proulx.

Raycroft also makes occasional appearances on 93.7 WEEI’s Greg Hill Morning Show as one of two hockey experts the show talks to every week during hockey season.

Raycroft’s Personal Life

Raycroft is married to Erin O’Brien Raycroft, and they live in the Boston area. He has three children, one boy and two twins – a boy and a girl. His son, Mason Raycroft (also a goalie), was drafted in May 2025 by the Kingston Frontenacs in the OHL Priority Selection.

Raycroft will also periodically play in Bruins alumni games alongside former teammates and players from the past as well.