After almost two decades in the NHL, Patrice Bergeron is finally calling it quits on a remarkable professional career at the age of 38. Bergeron announced the news through the Bruins’ website with a heartfelt letter to his family, friends, and colleagues.
“For the last 20 years I have been able to live my dream every day,” Bergeron wrote. “I have had the honor of playing in front of the best fans in the world wearing the Bruins uniform and representing my country at the highest levels of international play. I have given the game everything that I have physically and emotionally, and the game has given me back more than I could have ever imagined.
“It is with a full heart and a lot of gratitude that today I am announcing my retirement as a professional hockey player.”
Bergeron retires after playing his entire NHL career with the Bruins after the team drafted him 45th overall in the 2003 NHL Draft.
A statement from Patrice Bergeron.
📰: https://t.co/UWDGPWtDX9 pic.twitter.com/XNrczEVnJO
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) July 25, 2023
Bergeron, a three-time All-Star, will go down in league history as one of, if not the best, two-way forwards of all time. The Quebec native has taken home the Frank J. Selke Trophy awarded to annually to the NHL forward who “demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game” a record six times (2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2022, 2023). Fittingly, he retires after winning the trophy in his final season.
He also leaves hockey after being a star at the international level for Team Canada. Bergeron is still the first and only player in history to win the IIHF World Championship (2004) before winning the IIHF World Juniors (2005). He would then go on to win two Winter Olympics Gold Medals (2010, 2014), one Spengler Cup Gold Medal (2012), and one World Cup of Hockey Gold Medal (2016).
Bergeron will forever be a Boston sports legend due to his accomplishments. He helped guide the Bruins to a Stanley Cup championship during the 2010-11 campaign, scoring the game-winning goal in Game Seven against the Vancouver Canucks. He was also the recipient of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy (2013), NHL Foundation Player Award (2014), and Mark Messier Leadership Award (2021) during his career.
In total, Bergeron played in 1,294 games with the Bruins, tallying 1,040 points (427g, 613a). Bergeron wraps up his playing days as the Bruins’ third-highest all-time goal scorer and the franchise’s third-leading overall point scorer. He is also the Bruins record holder for most playoff overtime goals (4).
Patrice Bergeron’s first career NHL goal came on October 18th 2003…20 years later he calls it a career…words cannot express how fortunate we were as a fanbase to call him a lifelong Bruin pic.twitter.com/SbnpWpbkQR
— Michael Sullivan (@_MikeSullivan) July 25, 2023
In his final season, Bergeron recorded his 1,000th career point and became just the eighth active NHL player to be able to say that. Fellow members of that club, Washington Capitals legends Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom sent messages to Bergeron congratulating him on the feat.
“Hey, Patrice, congrats on your 1,000 career points,” Ovechkin said. “It’s a huge accomplishment. It’s always fun, it’s always hard, and it’s always a battle to play against you. Keep it going. See you on the ice.”
Bergeron’s final season was a record-setting one for the Bruins organization as the team set new NHL high marks for the most points (135) and the most wins (65) in a season. That success did not extend into the postseason though as the Florida Panthers sent a shocked Boston team packing in a seven-game, first-round series.
That final playoff game would be Bergeron’s last in a Bruins sweater.
“It hurts right now,” Bergeron said then about the future of his career. “You know, I’m going to have to step back and give it some thought with my family.”
Patrice Bergeron hugs his teammates and salutes the Bruins crowd in what could be his final game 👏
(🎥: NESN) pic.twitter.com/SVhS5tdsiq
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 1, 2023
It’s now official and the sure-fire Hall of Famer has hung up his skates.
Congrats on a tremendous career, Patrice.
What a ride it was.
Thanks for the memories, Patrice.#MerciBergy | #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/alYR1pZyPu
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) July 25, 2023
Screenshot via NHL.com
