One of the greatest players in Bruins history and an all but certain future Hockey Hall of Famer retired today. Boston's captain and first line center Patrice Bergeron made it official after 19 seasons wearing the spoked B. He will leave an enormous legacy both in terms of his brilliant play on the ice where he won a Stanley Cup in 2011, two gold medals with Team Canada and six Selke Trophies (given to the league's top defensive forward) and off the ice where he was a consummate pro when it came to charity work and all the things that he did for the community that went above and beyond the norm. In a sport that is filled with selfless, team-first guys, he took it to another level. They say you should not meet your idols because you will be disappointed but it is hard to remember a time when Bergy said or did the wrong thing, in a hockey game or in the real world. For that and many reasons, he is sure to leave a void that is impossible for the B's to ultimately fill.
If you feel like you grew up with Patrice, you did if you are in a certain age bracket (he turned 38 yesterday). He was a second round draft pick in 2003 (45th overall) who barely played in the minors before he appeared in 71 games with Boston that season. In 1294 career regular season games, he piled up 427 goals, 613 assists and he was plus-289 with 131 power play goals, 195 power play assists, 22 shorthanded goals, 26 shorthanded assists, 81 game-winning goals and nine overtime goals in addition to winning 57.9% of his face-offs. When you look back at his career, you will probably remember his postseason heroics most fondly: 50 goals, 78 assists and plus-42 with 17 power play goals, 21 power play assists, three shorthanded goals, a shorthanded assist, 10 game-winning goals and four overtime goals (including famously in Game 7 vs. Toronto in the 2013 first round) in 170 playoff games.
In both the short term and the long term, there are many issues that the B's will need to resolve. Yes, they have plenty of talent left on the roster that set the NHL record for regular points last season (then choked in the first round of the playoffs vs. Florida) but who will be their next captain? For my money, I hope that Bergy's best friend and left wing Brad Marchand is the next captain of the team based on his winning experience and sneaky leadership ability that has developed over the years. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy would also be a fine pick if they wanted someone younger and that figures to be around for much longer than Marchy. It is doubtful that anybody else on the Bruins garners the same universal respect that Bergeron did from coaches, teammates, support staff, front office, the media and fans along with other players and coaches from around the league.
After Bobby Orr and Ray Bourque, you could argue that Patrice is the third best Bruin of all-time which is something to say since the franchise has such a long and proud history. You better believe that the team will retire his #37 jersey ASAP into the cramped TD Garden rafters. Furthermore, he figures to be a first ballot Hockey Hall of Famer in Toronto. He is one of those rare players that we will remember forever and talk about in a positive light for as long as we are on this Earth. There are very few people let alone superstar pro athletes that are wired like Patrice Bergeron these days. He is a special guy along with a phenomenal player and considering all the scary injuries that he suffered during his career (multiple concussions), I am happy that he got to go out on his own terms. Other than retiring on top with a Cup, that is really all he could ask for after an incredible career spent solely with one Original Six club-another thing that rarely occurs anymore.
