Bruins

Bruins’ Mark Kastelic ready to follow grandfather’s footsteps in spoked-B sweater

"That's something I think as a player — you always dream about getting that opportunity, and what better place to join a team than Boston."

By Conor Ryan

July 2, 2024

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Mark Kastelic admitted Tuesday that he’s always loved the Bruins’ spoked-B sweater, long before he officially joined the Original Six franchise via trade last week.

“I mean it sounds silly, but I love the way the jerseys look and I think they’re just an awesome uniform,” the 25-year-old forward said via Zoom.

In particular, Kastelic holds a special affinity for a No. 4 Bruins sweater.

Granted, that’s a sentiment shared by many Bruins fans — especially those lucky enough to watch Bobby Orr glide up and down the ice during the ’70s.

But for Kastelic and his family, that connection to No. 4 revolves around one of the few Bruins who donned that digit before Orr — his grandfather, Pat Stapleton.

“It’s super exciting, I think, for me and my family and everyone around me,” Kastelic said of joining the Bruins. “I mean, you see the “B” and they’re just known worldwide … For me, it’s special that my grandpa played for them for a little bit as well and it’s just really exciting to play for an Original Six.

“That’s something I think as a player — you always dream about getting that opportunity, and what better place to join a team than Boston.”

The Kastelic family is no stranger to the NHL.

Mark’s father, Ed, played 220 career NHL games for the Washington Capitals and Hartford Whalers from 1985-92, accruing 719 penalty minutes over those seven seasons. His uncle, Mike Stapleton, also had a 14-year career in the NHL, recording 182 points over 697 career games.

But it was his grandfather, Pat, who served as a reassuring voice (and a useful encyclopedia of all things hockey) for Mark as he navigated his way to the NHL.

“He’s told me a lot of stories — moreso not specifically about certain teams but just in general of Team Canada and all that kind of stuff,” Kastelic, who hails from the Phoenix area, said of his grandfather. “But he had a huge part in my upbringing and taught me a lot about the game and about being just an all-around player and a very high-IQ player. 

“He always taught me about the mental side of the game as well, which I think I take more value in than anything and just being positive in all situations, no matter what. The game was so different back then that the stories are just pretty interesting to hear. I just take a lot with me to this day from what he’s taught me along the way.”

Pat Stapleton, who played for the Bruins alongside legendary figures like Johnny Bucyk from 1961-63, played 15 seasons of pro hockey, including 635 games in the NHL. The 5-foot-8 defenseman earned three All-Star nods and finished top-five in voting for the Norris Trophy as the league’s top blueliner three times.

Stapleton passed away in 2020 at 79 years old, a few years before Kastelic made his NHL debut with the Senators in January 2022.

But Kastelic still carries his grandfather’s words and memories with him every time he steps on the ice — with their careers now forever intertwined by the spoked-B shared across multiple generations of his family.

“It’s gonna be pretty special to put it on and knowing he’s worn it in the past,” Kastelic said. “I’m sure it’ll be a surreal feeling.”