The Hockey News Boston Bruins writer talks about Patrice Bergeron and the importance of an elite center in a Q and A.
Long-time Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron retired at the conclusion of this season with the grace, character, and posture he has led with for the entirety of his career.
In New York, Mika Zibanejad has taken the number one center mantle. As a Ranger, Zibanejad has led the team in goals 5 seasons, points 1 season, was second in points for 4 seasons, was 1st in goals in the 2022 Post-season, and lead the Rangers in the 2017 and 2022 playoffs in points. He is a triple threat, playing top-line minutes 5 on 5, leading the division with 20 power-play goals, and killing penalties.
The Hockey News’ Boston Bruins reporter Shukri Wrights shared his thoughts about the importance of a number one center, Patrice Bergeron's impact on the game, and his comparison of the two skaters in a Q and A:
Q: How important is it for a franchise to deploy a true 1C?
A: “It is absolutely everything to have a franchise number one center. The fact is players like Patrice Bergeron are one in a million. From what he was on the ice to who he is as a person, there are not enough words to adequately describe the importance of Bergeron and what he means to the Bruins. Some of the most important and yet successful franchises in the NHL in the 21st century have all had number-one centers. You think back to the aforementioned Bergeron (Boston Bruins), you also include the Pittsburgh Penguins Sidney Crosby, the Chicago Blackhawks’ Jonathan Toews, and you also think of Anze Kopitar with the Los Angeles Kings. All of the teams in the NHL that have been successful this century by either winning multiple Stanley Cups or going to multiple Stanley Cup Finals have had a franchise number one center to build a strong competitive team.”
Q: How would you compare and contrast Mika Zibanejad to long-time Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron?
A: “I would say that Zibanejad and Bergeron are similar when it comes to how they both play. Zibanejad is very responsible defensively in addition to being a great offensive player. Bergeron was very poised offensively and defensively and understood his responsibility on the ice. With that being said, that is the biggest contrast between Bergeron and Zibanejad’s game in which that while Zibanejad is a good defensive centerman but he does not have the situational awareness that Bergeron did have in being in the right place at the right time and that’s no knock on Zibanejad at all.”
Q: What does the Bruins' new hole at center reveal to you about the value of long-standing franchise cornerstone players?
A: This is a great question because the Bruins are about to find out the hard way what happens when you don’t draft and develop a number-one center. The Bruins had TWO since 2007-2008 in Bergeron and Krejci. For years, the Bruins’ position of strength was the center position especially when you were able to slot Bergeron as your number one center and Krejci as your number two center. The value they bring goes far beyond the stat sheet. You think about the little things they do well, forechecking, winning faceoffs, winning puck battles, being able to create scoring opportunities, and more. Being a leader in the locker room, having an impact in the community as both Bergeron and Krejci did, among other key attributes. The new hole the Bruins have at center reveals to me how spoiled the franchise was for 15+ years having the luxury of two number centers on the roster and for the first time in nearly a generation will not have that luxury any longer.
Q: How has Patrice Bergeron impacted the game or changed the center position for the future of hockey?
A: “It’s amazing to reflect on how much Bergeron has impacted the game and the center position on and off the ice. Bergeron is undoubtedly the greatest two-way center to ever play in the NHL, however, what is truly amazing about him is the immense respect he has earned from not only his teammates but his opponents across the league. For example, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby asked Team Canada to put Bergeron on the same line as him prior to the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics. You have players who are now in the NHL who have said on the record that they look up to Bergeron and the amount of respect they have for him as a player and person. As far as how he impacted the game, Bergeron was the perfect embodiment of playing the game the right way. Watching Bergeron play for years, he never cheated on the game and the process of paying attention to details in doing the little things that helps his team win. The way he was always in the right position to make a play, his stick being in the right place to create turnovers, the way how he was able to find the soft spot on the ice to make himself available for a scoring opportunity, he was the perfect 200-foot player. Now, every team in the league tries to find a player with similar characteristics as Bergeron on and off the ice.”
The Rangers have an all-league, top-10 center locked down for the prime of his career. Could Zibanejad play as significant of a role as Bergeron had for the Bruins?
For more reading on the Boston Bruins visit Shukri Wrights's work at The Hockey News: