Patrice Bergeron Returns To Bruins For 19th NHL Season
I’m not leaving. Those words have now been spoken by The Wolf of Wall Street, Max Everett, and Patrice Bergeron. The captain isn’t ready to call it quits yet, nor should he. Patrice Bergeron has officially signed a one-year contract to return to the Bruins.
The Bruins were the first to report the news releasing a presser on the team website.
“BOSTON – Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney announced today, August 8, that the team has signed forward Patrice Bergeron to a one-year contract through the 2022-23 season worth $2.5 million, plus an additional $2.5 million in performance-based incentives.
Bergeron, 37, is entering his 19th NHL season, all with the Bruins. The L’Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec native ranks third in Bruins history in games played (1,216) and game-winning goals (74), fourth in goals (400), assists (582) and points (982). The 6-foot-1, 195-pound centerman also ranks second in Bruins history in playoff games played (167), playoff points (127), third in playoff assists (78) and tied for third in playoff goals (49).
Among active NHL players, Bergeron ranks third in plus/minus (plus-254), ninth in points and games played, 10th in assists and 12th in goals. Bergeron also ranks seventh among active players in playoff points and playoff assists, eighth in playoff games played and tied for eighth in playoff goals.
In 2021-22, the Bruins captain appeared in 73 games, tallying 25 goals and 40 assists for 65 points with a plus-16 rating. In seven playoff games, Bergeron recorded three goals and four assists for seven points.
Following the season, Bergeron was named the winner of the 2022 Frank J. Selke Trophy, given annually to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game as judged by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. It was the fifth time in his career that Bergeron has won the Selke Trophy, the most ever by a player in NHL history. Bergeron previously won the award in 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2017.
Bergeron was originally selected by Boston in the second round (45th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.”
This is cool and good for the league. However, I just have one question; when this puppy goes south in Boston, will they trade him? The Bruins are in trouble this year unless Bergeron and Pastrnak can carry them in the early stages of the year. If I were Bergeron, I would have gone to a West coast contender like Edmonton, Colorado, or Vegas. The Bruins have no shot to win the Cup this year. It’s just a fact.
Bergeron will get to suit up for a new head coach for the first time in a while. Jim Montgomery takes over for the departed Bruce Cassidy who got re-hired quickly by Vegas. Time will tell if they made the right decision there.
For now, it’s nice to see Bergeron back in the league. He’s one of the best talents the NHL has ever seen and was playing too well to totally hang it up. The perfection line will be back in tact when Brad Marchand is healthy again from hip surgery. Who knows when that will be?
