An inaugration-day update to our election-day post on the campaign to retire Willie O’Ree’s jersey league-wide: The Bruins will retire number 22 next month.
One indication this plan may not have been long in the works: Forward Craig Smith, added as a free agent in October, took number 22 in preseason number shuffling since his former number 15 is already in the TD Garden rafters for Milt Schmidt (1937-55). Smith made his debut as a Bruin this past Saturday, wearing number 12 in a 2-1 overtime loss against New Jersey.
