The King has decided to call it a career. After contemplating his decision in the offseason, Patrice Bergeron has made his decision and retires from the game he loves. He will remain as a lifelong Boston Bruin, playing his entire 19-year-career with the club. At the end of the day, Bergeron has made the hard call and decided to not return to the only franchise he has ever known.
A statement from Patrice Bergeron.
📰: https://t.co/UWDGPWtDX9 pic.twitter.com/XNrczEVnJO
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) July 25, 2023
Patrice Bergeron Retires and Will Not Return to Boston
The Boston Bruins have always needed Patrice Bergeron more than he needs the Bruins. A main reason why this Patrice Bergeron decision matters. What realistically would have only been another year or two, has turned into the end of an era. Bergeron has accomplished all he could ask for in his career. It does leave Boston with a hole to fill, and the depth down the middle becomes cloudy. No disrespect to Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha, but Bergeron was the unheralded leader of the B’s. Moreover, his time has come to the end and he was still on top as a Selke Trophy finalist. His legacy will live on for generations, most thanks to the 2011 Stanley Cup Championship he helped bring to Boston. It will be tough for his career to come to a close after a disappointing first-round exit, but that will soon be forgotten when you consider his achievements. For a guy who has given every ounce of his body to the organization, going out on his own terms like this will be great for him.
Why Does This Decision Makes Sense
The fact that Patrice Bergeron retires now makes sense. Given the teams salary cap flexibility, Don Sweeney will have the rest of the summer to make moves. What is fascinating about Bergeron, is he was still playing at a high level. Much like former New England standout Tom Brady, he just got better with age. In 2022-23, Bergeron scored 27 goals (second most) and 58 points (third most). While getting it done offensively, he was still getting it done defensively. Bergeron finished with 38 takeaways. In addition, he finished with a whopping 61.1 faceoff winning percentage. It’s amazing at his age he was still playing some of his best hockey.
Some of Bergeron’s career totals, include 1294 regular season games, registering 1040 points. Also, he added 128 career playoff points in 170 games. He finished with the record for the most Selke Trophies (six) won. In addition, one of his career highlights came back in the 2005 World Junior Championships, playing on a line with a couple of guys you might have heard of. Those players none other than Sidney Crosby and Corey Perry. In his only World Juniors, Bergeron had five goals, and eight assists in six games, helping team Canada bring home the Gold. Additionally, he was named tournament MVP. In other international competitions for Canada, he won two Olympic golds, one World Championship, one Spengler Cup, and the 2016 World Cup as well.
Main Photo: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
