BOSTON — Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron is coming again for an additional season.
Virtually three months after he left the ice with none certainty that he would return, the five-time Selke Trophy winner signed a one-year cope with the Bruins on Monday. It’ll pay him $2.5 million, with one other doable $2.5 million in incentives.
Bergeron, 36, led the Bruins to the 2011 NHL championship and two different journeys to the Stanley Cup Ultimate throughout an 18-year profession because the league’s dominant two-way ahead. Boston was eradicated within the first spherical of the playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes on Could 14 and fired coach Bruce Cassidy three weeks later.
Jim Montgomery was employed to interchange Cassidy, and the new coach said at his introductory news conference that Bergeron was his first name. Workforce CEO Charlie Jacobs stated Bergeron was anticipated to return.
“So, fingers crossed,” he stated in July.
It labored.
Bergeron has 400 targets and 582 assists — all with the Bruins, who chosen him within the second spherical of the 2003 draft. Since then, he has established himself as some of the revered gamers within the sport.
When he does depart, the Bruins are anticipated to retire his No. 37, making him the twelfth participant so honored. He’s a possible first-ballot inductee for the Hockey Corridor of Fame as quickly as he’s eligible.
However now that will not be till not less than 2026.
Bergeron is third in Bruins historical past with 1,216 video games performed, and fourth in targets, assists and factors. He’s second all-time for the Unique Six franchise with 47 playoff targets and 123 factors.
Bergeron’s 11 straight seasons as a Selke finalist — together with this yr — is the longest streak of prime three finishes for an NHL award, breaking Wayne Gretzky’s report of 10 years in a row as an MVP finalist. (Gretzky received the Hart Trophy 9 instances.)
Bergeron performed 2021-22 with no future contract for the primary time in his profession, scoring 25 targets with 40 assists and serving to the Bruins attain the playoffs for the 14th time in his 18 seasons. They had been eradicated by the Hurricanes in seven video games.
“That is why this one most likely hurts extra, the unknown for subsequent yr with him,” ahead Brad Marchand, the second-longest tenured participant on the roster, stated after the Recreation 7 loss.
“He is finished a lot for this group and sacrificed a lot,” Marchand stated. “It will have been good to make an excellent run for him. So, it is disappointing.”
Bergeron was the final Boston participant off the ice in Carolina, main his teammates by means of the post-series handshake line with the Hurricanes after which remaining on the ice to provide every of his teammates a hug.
However he stated he hadn’t determined about his future.
“It is powerful when it ends like that,” Bergeron stated after the sport. “It stings. It isn’t the sensation that you really want. However that being stated, we did it collectively.”
Bergeron and Marchand are the one gamers from the 2011 Stanley Cup championship workforce left on the Bruins roster. Longtime captain Zdeno Chara left as a free agent in 2020, David Krecji opted to play at dwelling within the Czech Republic final summer season and goalie Tuukka Rask deserted his comeback from hip surgical procedure in the course of this season.
The Bruins have 25-year-old David Pastrnak on offense, 24-year-old Charlie McAvoy on protection and 22-year-old Jeremy Swayman in internet. Hampus Lindholm, 28, was acquired midseason to shore up the protection, and Marchand continues to be one of many league’s most harmful scorers at 33.
However dropping Bergeron would have been the tip of essentially the most profitable period within the workforce’s historical past for the reason that Large, Unhealthy Bruins of Corridor of Famers Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, Gerry Cheevers and John Bucyk.
“He is the spine of our workforce. He is clearly the largest a part of our workforce,” Marchand stated after the playoff exit. “So, yeah, we would like him to return again. No matter occurs, he is earned the suitable to make no matter choice he desires and take no matter time that he wants.”