For Robinson, Bruins Journey is a Storybook Tale

PHILADELPHIA - Keith Robinson rarely has a moment to slow down.
As the Bruins' head equipment manager, the 52-year-old likely puts in more hours than anyone in the organization across the course of what is typically an eight-month grind.
From late-night locker room set ups to early-morning skate sharpening sessions, Robinson's work is hardly a breeze.
But on this Saturday afternoon - ahead of Boston's matinee against the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center - with blades fully sharpened, sweaters neatly hung, and sticks properly stocked, Robinson has a few moments to stray away from his post for a chat.
Some 33 years into his career with the Black & Gold, the Bruins head equipment manager has graciously agreed to take some time to reflect on what can only be described as a storybook journey.

"It never even occurred to me," Robinson said when asked if he ever thought of working for the Bruins as a kid growing up some 40 minutes north of Boston Garden. "It's a pretty unique position to work with the greatest hockey players on the planet."

The idea of working alongside his idols was the furthest thing from Robinson's mind as he grew up playing street hockey with his friends in Tewksbury, Mass. Back then, all that Robinson and his buddies concerned themselves with was which Bruins legend they would be on that particular afternoon.
"My idols of the time were Bobby Orr and Johnny Bucyk," said Robinson, born in 1969 just before Boston's two Stanley Cup titles in 1970 and 1972. "Whenever we were playing street hockey, we would all pick one of the guys to be.
"If you were in net, you were Cheesy [Gerry Cheevers] or Gilles Gilbert because it was fun to say. They were our idols growing up in the suburbs of Boston."
For Robinson, however, they were much more than famous hockey players that Bruins fans adored through their televisions, radios, or newspapers. To him, they were real life superheroes, who he had the chance to see up close on a regular basis.
Robinson's father, Walter, was a union electrician and visiting dressing room assistant at Boston Garden, and his uncle, Earl Jenkinson, was a Bruins dressing room attendant. Their time on Causeway Street led to many opportunities for the young Robinson to meet some of the B's biggest stars.
Robinson cherishes a photo he has of Orr holding him as a child, which is side by side with another photo of the two together years later after Robinson began his career with the Bruins.

"It was a thrill to have access to those guys at the old Garden," said Robinson, who played hockey through his graduation from Tewksbury High School in 1987.
It was around that time - roughly 1988-89 - that Robinson's access to the Bruins grew. During one of his trips to the Garden, the young Robinson - still a teenager - was asked if he'd like to help out around the locker room. Among his most important tasks was filling up the water bottles for the Bruins bench.
"I just went in and it was kind of one of those things where you were there, so they asked, 'Hey, do you want to fill up the water bottles for the bench? Do you want to do this? Do you want to do that?'" said Robinson. "You just kind of start showing up more and more."
And ever since then, Robinson - affectionately known as Keto - has been showing up on pretty much a daily basis.
Working under the tutelage of former Bruins equipment manager Ken 'Doc' Fleger - "he was my idol, like a father figure" - Robinson was a locker room assistant for five years, before becoming the B's assistant equipment manager, a position he held for 17 seasons.
In 2010, Robinson became Boston's lead equipment manager and has served in that role for nearly 11 years with Jim 'Beets' Johnson and Matty Falconer as his assistants.
"It's been amazing," Robinson said of his three-plus decades working alongside some of the B's greatest players. "Especially Chief, I got to work with him for years [when he was director of road services]. You spend time traveling and around each other as much as that, you definitely get to know each other better, share stories.
"Just really, really an honor. Really cool to spend so much time with him and a lot of others that I got to work with."
And, of course, any time that Orr makes a visit, it's a day to remember.
"You always know that he's around," said Robinson. "It's still a thrill to say hello and catch up a little bit."

While the chance to work with his idols remains a recurring delight, there is one particular moment across his 33 years that stands out among the rest. The choice is hardly a surprise.
"That was something I'd always hoped I'd still be around for when the Bruins won the Cup again. I feel fortunate that I was. It was awesome," Robinson said of Boston's 2011 Stanley Cup championship, which occurred during his first season at the helm of the equipment staff.
Robinson also recalled fondly the Bruins' trips to the Stanley Cup Final in 1988 and 1990, which came in his early days around the locker room.
"When I was younger, you more idolized certain guys from the era," said Robinson. "Just being around, we went to the Cup early when I started working with the Bruins. We went a couple times to the Finals with Cam Neely and Ray Bourque and Adam Oates. It was just an honor to watch those guys play. Obviously, I wish we had won it one of those years.
"But we ran up against the Oilers. As we know, they were kind of a dynasty at the time. But just working with those guys and those situations as a young kid when I started, I was the same age as most of them. That was just real exciting to be around them."
These days, Robinson shares many of the B's biggest moments with his two sons, 18-year-old Kole and 16-year-old Ty.
"Kole and Ty, they both play," said Robinson. "Them playing hockey was definitely their choice. We don't make them do anything, but I think because of what I do they were kind of drawn to it at an early age.
"I do think they think it's pretty neat that I get to work so closely with these guys. They have gotten to meet all the great ones that they've been around for. I think that it's pretty special for them."

Their dad thinks it's pretty special, too. In recent years, with Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron pacing the Black & Gold, Boston has made three trips to the Stanley Cup Final, while helping to transform the culture around the dressing room.
Over the course of this last decade, in particular, Robinson has made sure to take a step back from time to time and appreciate all that he has had the chance to experience.
"Oh, 100 percent," said Robinson. "Different moments you get to realize that you're watching, witnessing greatness. From seeing a young kid - I was here when Bergy came in as an 18-year-old kid - to see what he's developed into now. Just seeing guys that were already established in the league come in and kind of transform the dressing room like Zee did.
"It's been a fun journey watching guys from the first games of their career and right through, in some cases, retirement. Just seeing the whole process for them and just helping out and do your part in helping get them to where they need to be."