Patrice Bergeron reluctantly skates into spotlight ahead of 1,000th career game

Sifting through the greatest Bruins moments of the 21st century, it’s hard to find clips or snippets that don’t prominently feature No. 37 out on the ice.

Some of the B’s greatest goals of the past two decades have come off the stick of Patrice Bergeron — whether it be his pair of tallies in a Cup-clinching Game 7 against the Canucks or his game-tying and eventually game-winning strike against the Leafs back in 2013.

Bergeron’s Hall-of-Fame resume just about speaks for itself — 778 points, 305 goals, four Selke Trophies, two Olympic Gold Medals, one IIHF World Championship Gold Medal and one Stanley Cup title.

And yet, for all of Bergeron’s accomplishments, the 33-year-old center still isn’t one to talk up his own impressive accomplishments — as extensive as they are. For that reason, Bergeron will approach Tuesday’s home matchup against the Islanders with his same, hyper-focused mindset, even if the game marks a special occasion as his 1,000th career game.

Given the fact that only four other Bruins  —Ray Bourque (1518), Johnny Bucyk (1436), Don Sweeney (1052) and Wayne Cashman (1027)  have logged over 1,000 games with Boston, it’d be a safe bet that there will be plenty running through Bergeron’s head as he takes the opening face-off on Tuesday, right? Right?



“(Just) to win it,” Bergeron said of what he’ll be thinking about during said faceoff. “That’s about it. …  It’s one of those things where you never know until you’re in that moment. Hopefully, I’m going to be focused on the game and the job in front of me, which is going to be winning the faceoff. It doesn't change. It’s going to be the same thing.”

A mainstay on Boston’s top-six corps since tallying 31 goals and 73 points as a 20-year-old rising star in 2005, Bergeron has only continued to get better with age — clinching all four of his Selke Trophies (given annually to the top defensive forward in the NHL) over the last seven seasons.

The man in the middle of one of the top lines in the league, Bergeron is set to reach a new career high in scoring off of an 81-point pace in the 2018-19 campaign — an impressive feat for the pivot given the fact that he missed over a month of action while recovering from a rib injury earlier this season.

During his 15 seasons donning the spoked-B, Bergeron has often let players like Brad Marchand due to the talking out on the ice, while deferring to bruisers such as Milan Lucic and Shawn Thornton to keep the “Big Bad Bruins” brand alive and well off of some punishing hits and heavyweight bouts.

He’s a bit more vocal than he was during his first few years with the B’s (remember the good ole’ days with Andrew Raycroft?), but Bergeron often lets his play speak for itself during a game.

It’s a sound strategy, as few would ever doubt Bergeron’s two-way prowess, as well as his toughness. He may not fit the prototypical mold as a physical, gritty Bruins skater, but what Bergeron did during Boston’s run to a Cup Final in 2013 — playing through a punctured lung, torn cartilage and a broken rib that eventually landed him in the hospital following a Game 6 loss to Chicago — was nothing short of extraordinary.

The list goes on and on when recalling Bergeron’s greatest moments in Boston, but as expected, the pivot diverted from his individual achievements when asked to reflect on the past 15 years.

"I've never really thought about my career," Bergeron said. "I guess the last few weeks I've had to answer those questions and kind of think about that. There are some things that I'm proud of along the way obviously but like I said, it always goes back to — my best memories are always what I've been able to accomplish as a team and also the friends that I've made. Honestly, it's really what I'm most proud of and what I'm getting from this game the most. It's just the winning feeling and the friends.

"It's been special. Obviously, I mentioned that too, playing 1,000 games for the same organization is something that I'm very proud of and I think it's special. That adds to it for sure.”

In total, 321 players in NHL history have logged at least 1,000 games in the league — with that pool narrowed down to just 58 when listing individuals that have reached said milestone all with the same team.

A bit of luck on the health front can go a long way, but talent is the key determinant in a player’s chances of logging 10-plus seasons in the NHL. For Bruce Cassidy, who only appeared sparingly up with the Blackhawks for six seasons, it’s hard to not appreciate Bergeron’s ability to produce at such a consistent level, year after year.

“I think I kind of hit a wall at 37 (games played)," Cassidy joked. "Those are the hardest ones I think if you ask anyone, the first 37. That tells you right there how much I appreciate how hard it is or how difficult it was for me way back when. I don't imagine it's any easier now so takes a special talent, takes a bit of luck with your health as well. He had one scare there. I think guys that play that long, they are either well-conditioned, they're mentally tough and they are also physically able to avoid those major injuries.

"And they're good. Most of all they're good. You don't play that long if you're not good. Move along you get replaced. Very proud of his accomplishment. I'm sure he is. He probably wouldn't tell you that right now. I think these are numbers you look back and a lot of guys tell you when you're done you go, 'Wow, geez the milestones'. This is a big one and nothing but good things. And with one team. That's another major accomplishment. "

Bergeron doesn’t like to look back on his career, but what about looking forward? His current contract expires in 2022, with the pivot set to enter free agency at nearly 37 years old.

No surprise here, but Bergeron isn't focusing on what lies three years ahead. The center has tailored his entire routine and mindset around living in the present — and so far, it’s worked out pretty well for him.

“It’s like the question that I don’t have an answer to," Bergeron said. "I’m taking it a year at a time. Obviously, I have some years left on my contract. That being said, I’m still taking a year at a time and I’m enjoying it. I’m having fun and making the most of my opportunity and trying to be thankful. For now, for me, I don’t see myself laying as long as (Zdeno Chara) is playing right now. But it goes fast, so you never know.”