Purcell, 32, split the 2016-17 season between the Los Angeles Kings and the AHL’s Ontario Reign after signing as a free agent in L.A. in the summer of 2016.
“Just from looking at the roster, and kind of the right side and kind of wherever they want to put me, I felt comfortable here,” Purcell told WEEI, adding he had training camp invites from other NHL teams and contract offers from some of the European leagues.
“And sometimes you just have to go with your gut, and that’s what I did.”
Purcell has played for the Kings, Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers over the last two seasons after spending five years with the Tampa Bay Lighting.
He scored 24 goals in Tampa in 2011-12, but his production has slipped since then.
“I didn’t know I was coming here until a couple of days ago,” he told the radio station, “and as an older guy, you don’t really know a whole lot about the younger guys coming up.
“But from what I’ve heard, there’s a lot of good players there, and they’re going to be hungry coming in for spots, and management probably knows them better than they know me.
"But as an older guy, you just have to come in with confidence," he continued. "I’ve played on teams with a lot of good players, I’ve played up and down the lineup, and there’s a lot of good players here. It’s not going to be too new.
“I know [the Bruins] have needed some depth and they’re looking for younger guys to step up and fill that role, but I just felt confident in myself that if I come in and play my game, they’ll want to keep me around.”
