from Dan Rosen of NHL.com,

Jacobs, 75, will get a win for himself Thursday when he receives the Lester Patrick Trophy honoring his outstanding service to hockey in the United States during a reception in Boston.

The ability of Jacobs, who was 35 when he bought the Bruins, to help strengthen the business of the NHL at all levels by intertwining his passion for the game his corporate savvy are the reasons NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman believe he was selected to receive the Lester Patrick Trophy.

In addition to owning the Bruins since 1975, Jacobs has been the chairman of the NHL Board of Governors since 2007.

"He is at the core of the strength of this League," Commissioner Bettman said. "As Chairman of the Board, he's intimately involved on a daily basis on everything that's going on. He's an expert not just on the business of the game, but if you ask his hockey people, they'll tell you he watches as much, if not more, hockey than they do. He's extraordinarily knowledgeable about the game. And he's invested his time and passion into making the game strong.

"The Bruins are a model franchise, beloved in Boston, and fundamentally underlying everything he's done as Chairman of the Board has been focusing on what makes the League stronger."

Jacobs said the Lester Patrick Trophy humbles him because he gets to join an exclusive company of winners, particularly former Bruins Hall of Fame executive and coach Harry Sinden, and Bruins Hall of Fame player and president Cam Neely.

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