Another star player for the Boston bruins has made an unexpected declaration regarding his retirement.
Patrice Bergeron, a center for the Boston Bruins, declared his retirement on NHL.com on Tuesday.
Bergeron wrote, “I am announcing my retirement as a professional hockey player today with a full heart and a lot of gratitude.”
After being drafted by the Bruins in 2003, Bergeron has been a member of the team ever since. He writes that leaving was a difficult decision.
Bergeron wrote, “As difficult as it is to write, I also write it knowing how fortunate and blessed I feel to have had the career that I have had and that I have the opportunity to leave the game I love on my own terms.” “It wasn’t a decision that I came to lightly. However, after talking to my family and paying attention to my body, I feel strongly that it’s time for me to stop playing the game I adore.
Over the course of his 1,294 games with the Bruins, Bergeron scored 1,040 points. Since he was eighteen, the team captain had been a member of the Boston Bruins.
Bergeron wrote, “You treated me like one of your own and the amazing people of New England welcomed a young French Canadian who didn’t speak great English.” “It is impossible for me to represent a more devoted fan base or better community than the Boston Bruins. I will always remember your kindness, commitment, and passion for my family and me.
“Please know that I tried to compete for you in the right way every time I took the ice, and off the ice, I did everything in my power to give back to the community that supported me,” Bergeron said. “My family and I have formed incalculable bonds and friendships here. For my family and I, Boston has always held a special place in our hearts.
The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter described 38-year-old Bergeron as the “preminent two-way center of his generation.”
In terms of games played, goals, points, and assists, he is ranked among the top five Bruins. With Bergeron’s six wins, no one has ever taken home the Selke Trophy, which is awarded to a forward who excels in the defensive aspects of the game.
Following Zdeno Chara’s retirement in 2021, Bergeron assumed leadership of the Bruins. He was also a vital member of the Bruins’ Stanley Cup-winning squad in 2011.
Bergeron remarked, “I have been able to live my dream every day for the last 20 years.” “I have had the privilege of representing my nation at the highest levels of international competition and playing in front of the world’s greatest supporters while donning the Bruins uniform. I have poured all of my physical and emotional energy into the game, and it has returned far more than I could have ever dreamed of.
Bergeron’s final game for the Bruins was a loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the first round. As stated in the NHL.com post, he missed more than half of the series because of a herniated disc. Nevertheless, he summoned the courage to raise his stick above the TD Garden audience.
Following the game, Bergeron declared that he would first spend some time talking to his family before deciding whether or not to play again. This season, the Bruins broke the NHL record for both wins and points, which makes a comeback seem appealing.
Bergeron ultimately believed that it was time to retire, though. He wrote that since he was twelve years old, he had dreamed of being a professional hockey player.
Growing up, Bergeron admitted, “I was probably a little naive because this dream was never a question of if, but when it would happen.” “It was not an easy journey to realize my dreams. Despite all of the hardships and sacrifices I had to make, my passion for the game never wavered and my drive to succeed never wavered.
