In a sports crazed region like New England, it's almost impossible to find an athlete, coach or team that is universally loved by everybody. One of the reasons that makes our area so special is that we all have deeply ingrained views on all of these things. I submit that Bruins center Patrice Bergeron is an exception to this because, who doesn't love everything about him? The B's are incredibly lucky to have him for everything he brings on and off the ice: toughness, leadership, professionalism, humility, character, etc. Today, the Bruins signed him to an eight-year extension worth $52 million ($6.5 per year) through 2021-22.
Coming on the heels of Tuukka Rask's eight-year maximum deal signed earlier this week, Boston locked up another one of its core players. In pro sports, you can never say that someone will be a "(team name) for life," but this puts Bergeron right on the cusp of spending his entire NHL career in the Hub. He needs no introduction since the assistant captain has blossomed into one of the best two-way players in hockey and the litany of injuries he went through in this last postseason run is the stuff of legends already. His consistency is robotically good.
Bergeron had 10 goals and 22 assists in the abbreviated regular season with a plus/minus of +24 but what we'll all remember is his postseason: nine goals and six assists including game-winners against Toronto in Game 7 (OT) and vs. Pittsburgh in Game 3 (2OT). He won a Cup two years ago and came two wins away from another this past season against the Blackhawks. He'll never lead the NHL in goals or assists but he's already put up 20+ goals in four seasons with a career-high of 31 in 2005-06. A gifted passer, he had three seasons of 30+ assists and three seasons of 40+ assists with a career-high of 48 in 2006-07.
His plus/minus was positive in eight of his nine pro seasons, with +20 or higher in the last three (+36 in 2011-12!). He's great defensively, on the power-play (an oxymoron for the B's these days), shorthanded and he's one of the best in the NHL at the face-off dot. There is no hole in his game and he is the type of player that you can truly appreciate when you get to watch him every day. He might not be flashy or the most interesting guy but in a lot of ways he embodies so much of what has made the Bruins one of the premier franchises in the NHL (again). It's a cliche but if you had a team of Patrice Bergerons, you'd never lose. The guy is an absolute winner that will do anything to give his team the best chance to come out on top.
Feel free to go buy that Bergeron jersey you've been eyeing for a while, that is a safe and recommended purchase with this latest expected but still excellent news regarding the Bruins.
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