Patrice Bergeron announced his retirement from professional hockey on Tuesday. Could this spell the end of the Bruins reign as a dominant force in the NHL? Rachel Doerrie breaks it down.
The greatest two-way forward of the generation, and the crown jewel of modern Bruins hockey is walking away at the top of the mountain. Fresh off his sixth Selke trophy win, Patrice Bergeron announced his retirement on Tuesday morning. Many saw the teary-eyed Bergeron after Boston's elimination and wondered if it would be the end of an era. Now, only Brad Marchand remains from the Bruins Golden Generation.
Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and Zdeno Chara have been the pillars of the Bruins franchise for nearly 20 years. Since 2005, the Boston Bruins have won 793 games, more than any other team in that span. Bergeron was the easy choice to replace Chara as captain after his departure in 2020. Filling Bergeron's shoes as a player and leader is a gargantuan task.
Patrice Bergeron is the perfect hockey player. On the ice, he was the coach's choice for every situation. He shut down the league's best players while recording 1,040 points in 1,294 games. He was the model of consistency, never having a full season in which he was below 50% in the face-off circle or scored less than 50 points. He finished top-5 in Selke voting every year since 2010. The last time Bergeron wasn't nominated for the Selke was 2011. He won the award six times between 2011 and 2023. Anze Kopitar (2) is the only player to have won more than one in that span. He is the recipient of the most Selke votes in league history. It is not a stretch to say Bergeron is the best two-way player in the history of the NHL.
Off the ice, Bergeron oozed class and leadership. It is the reason he may be only Bruin that is universally liked, despite tearing the heart out of various fan bases over the years. He won the King Clancey Memorial Trophy for his work with various charitable efforts in 2013. He was awarded the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2022. Though he is considered to be the finest gentleman of his era, he never won the Lady Byng Trophy. That is reason enough to point out that penalty minutes should not be the only thing voters evaluate when voting on that award.
Bergeron, who shied away from social media, issued a strong statement in the wake of George Floyd's death through the Bruins and donated 25K to both the Boston NAACP and the Centre Multiethnique de Quebec. Through Patrice's Pals, a program that brings children from local hospitals and children's organizations, Bergeron hosted thousands of children at Bruins game in a luxury suite. He made routine visits to the Boston Children's Hospital, notably dressing up as Elmo to surprise children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Notably, Bergeron went against the Bruins organization when they signed Mitchell Miller last year. "To be honest with you, the culture that we’ve built here goes against that type of behaviour. We’re a team that’s built something about character, character people and individuals. What he did, obviously, is unacceptable and we don’t stand by that. For me, I know for myself, anyways, in this locker room, we’re all about inclusion, diversity, respect. Those are key words and core values that we have. We expect guys to wear this jersey to be high-character people with integrity and respect. That’s how they should be acting." The Bruins terminated Miller's contract.
On the ice and off the ice, there is a gaping hole in the Bruins dressing room. A leader who conducts himself the way Bergeron does is impactful in many areas. Responsible for welcoming new team members in, making sure voices are heard and respect is paramount. It makes it easy for others to get on board when the man leading the charge holds himself to the highest of standards. When teams talk about not wanting to change the chemistry of a dressing room for fear of upsetting the preverbal apple cart, this is the type of thing they mean. Removing Bergeron from that dressing room not only upsets the apple cart, it may send it on a downward spiral.
That is not an indictment of the Bruins dressing room, rather a feather in the cap to one of the game's great leaders. Boston is not short on sporting legends and Bergeron may be the most under appreciated. Bergeron led by example, he let his play and conduct do the talking. Bergeron retires with 81 game winning goals, seven behind Johnny Bucyk for the franchise record. Think of the big moments: the OT winner in Game 7 vs. TOR, the OT assist in 2010 at Fenway, and two goals including the game winner in Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. When the going got tough, Patrice Bergeron answered the call. He was clutch. Is anyone on the Bruins capable of shouldering that responsibility? Time will tell.
It will be quite odd to watch the Bruins without #37 taking first penalty kill reps or scoring clutch goals. Dare I say, no one should ever pull a Bruins sweater over their head with that number again. Bergeron's next stop is Toronto, for what should be a unanimous first ballot induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Frankly, the Selke Award should be named the Bergeron Award, too.
The next step for the Bruins is to figure out what life without a legend looks like. Pavel Zacha cannot play first line centre if the Bruins dominant reign is to continue. Who fills the void in the dressing room? Who takes young players under the wing? Who will the organization depend on to be their voice to the fanbase? Without Bergeron, the Bruins are left with more questions than answers and for the first time in two decades, it is starting to feel as though the big, bad Bruins aren't as big and bad as they once were.
Instead of asking if the Bruins will win the Atlantic Division next season, many are wondering if the roster is capable of making the playoffs. David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm will be required to perform at an elite level and management needs to find an answer for top-line centre. Regardless of who management brings in, Boston may be a good bet to miss the playoffs next season. The reign as one of the fiercest teams of the 2000s may have ended with the retirement of it's Golden Boy.