Boston Bruins legend Patrice Bergeron announced his retirement Tuesday following 19 seasons, all spent in Beantown.
As news of Bergeron’s decision spread, Twitter flooded with congratulatory messages for the icon, who turned 38 on Monday.
The Bruins gave Bergeron one of the most memorable final season sendoffs imaginable, which unfortunately for the team, ended well short of their ultimate goal.
Boston had the best regular season in NHL history this year, going 65-12-5 (135 points), but fell to the Florida Panthers in a seven-game classic in the first round of the playoffs.
After the Bruins were eliminated from the 2021-22 postseason, Bergeron said that he’d either retire or re-sign with the franchise. He signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract last summer to return to the Bruins and finished the 2022-23 campaign second on the squad in game-winning goals (seven), tied for second in goals (27) and power play goals (nine) and was third in points (58), while lacing up in 78 of the 82 games as the group’s oldest player.
Since being selected in the second round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Bergeron has been one of the faces most synonymous with Bruins hockey in the 21st century, along with 2004 second-round pick David Krejci. Bergeron’s longtime teammate also returned to the club on a one-year deal last summer and his playing future is up in the air.
Bergeron concludes his career with the most Frank J. Selke Trophy Awards (six) in NHL history, an honor given to the top defensive forward. He played in the third-most regular-season games in franchise history (trailing only Hall of Famers Ray Bourque and Johnny Bucyk) and second-most playoff tilts (only behind Bourque).
Bergeron and Krejci are tied for second with fellow face of the franchise Brad Marchand for franchise postseason points at 128, trailing only Bourque, who finished his Bruins career with 161 points.
The three-time All-Star and one-time Stanley Cup champion served as an alternate captain from 2006-21, before earning the “C” on his jersey when Zdeno Chara left Boston via free agency.
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