Bergeron spent his entire 19 season career as a Bruin, but his impact on the ice on tells part of the story of his greatness
There are very few athletes in sports whose retirement announcement impacts an entire city, region, and dare I say sport.
Boston Bruins Captain Patrice Bergeron is one of those few. Heck, one in a million.
On Tuesday morning, Bergeron announced his retirement from the NHL after 19 seasons, all with the Boston Bruins, in which the sheer impact of his announcement was felt in sports media, social media, and across the hockey landscape. The retirement of Bergeron is so massive that even now the sheer gravity of his departure from the Boston Bruins and NHL is just beginning to sink in. Bergeron's retirement marks the end of an incredible era in Boston Bruins history in which the organization was consistently competitive over the course of the last 15 years.
The retirement of Bergeron leaves a gaping hole not only on the Bruins roster, but in the hearts of his teammates, management, fans, the city of Boston, and across New England. For the last 20 years since his arrival in Boston as the 45th overall pick (2nd round) of the legendary 2003 NHL entry draft, Bergeron became the heart and soul of the Boston Bruins in every shape and form. Bergeron became everything you had ever wanted in a superstar athlete that played in Boston. Hardworking, consistent, selfless, determined, elevating everyone around him whether it was on the ice or in the community.
Bergeron's retirement marks a sad day for Bruins fans and for the NHL. His accomplishments on the ice doesn't truly do justice to person Bergeron is and how he has carried himself playing for an original six market that is Boston rooted deep in history, passion, winning, and the demand for excellence. You can look across the league right now and not find a more universally respected and loved hockey player than Bergeron. A superstar in every turn, Bergeron was a player who truly embodied "team" before "I", "We" before "me", and always ensured that he led by example day in and day out.
The accomplishments of Bergeron throughout his surefire Hall of Fame are absolutely staggering when you step back to admire it all. Six time Selke award winner, Won Gold Medal for Team Canada in 2004 World Championship and 2005 World Junior Championship, 2011 Stanley Cup Champion, two time Olympic gold winner playing for Team Canada, 2016 World Cup of Hockey champion, three time NHL All-Star. There is only one word to describe Bergeron on the ice: winner. He's won on every level you can imagine.
What has made Bergeron such an icon to not only for the Boston Bruins and the NHL is his ability to elevate his game when his team needed him the most. There are so many moments you can look back during his career and say "who else but Bergeron in this situation". The first one is Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals vs the Vancouver Canucks. Late in the first period, Bergeron wins the faceoff (stop if you've heard this before), Marchand goes back to retrieve the puck deep in the Canucks end, fends off Canucks defenseman Sami Salo, feeds to Bergeron in the bumper who somehow fires the shot and scores the cup winning goal for the Bruins who would go on to win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1972.
The second unforgettable moment in a legendary career that was filled with so many of them, was Round 1 Game 7 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs vs the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Boston Bruins were trail 4-1 halfway through the 3rd period in Game 7 when Nathan Horton and Milan Lucic scored goals to cut the deficit to 4-3. With one minutes remaining in the third period, Bergeron stepped up huge in the pivot moment tying the game at 4-4 with 50.2 seconds remaining.
In overtime, it was none than Bergeron who stepped up as the hero for the Bruins to complete the historic comeback from 4-1 down to win 5-4 in overtime.
The impact of Bergeron's retirement was felt by his teammates, who took part in a congratulatory video sharing their thoughts and emotions for their now retired captain on what he means to them while thanking him for all that he has done for them.
As I watched the video in its entirety, I was struck by the raw emotions of the players as there were a few of them fighting back tears. While watching and listening to the message of each player as they said how the felt, it occured to me that the greatest legacy that one can leave behind is leaving a place better than how they found it when they arrived. When Bergeron arrived in 2003, the Bruins hadn't won the Stanley Cup in 2003, had endured some lean years, and had yet to have built a culture of winning, accountability, leadership, and commitment.
Bergeron retired today not only leaving the Boston Bruins, but leaving it better than when he first arrived in 2003. He leaves it having touched countless people along the way and showing what it means to be a Bruin. Today is a day of celebrating the sure fire Hall of Fame career of Patrice Bergeron not just because of what he accomplished on the ice, but also because of the character and person he became along the way while positively impacting those around him.