Ryan: In pursuit of one final run with Bruins, Patrice Bergeron hopes to end his Hall-of-Fame career on his own terms

The afternoon of May 14, 2022, was not how things were supposed to end for Patrice Bergeron and the Boston Bruins.

By the time the final horn sounded at PNC Arena and Boston’s frenzied final pushes in hopes of a series-extending equalizer fell short, the finality of a 2021-22 season filled with so much promise — but marred by the same familiar flaws that have thwarted the Original Six franchise in the past — was realized. 

In the days following Boston’s first-round exit to the Hurricanes, the prevailing sentiment shared by Boston’s players, coaches and management was that the B’s left plenty on the table during their seven-game matchup with Carolina — a pained realization made all the more costly by the circumstances surrounding Bergeron’s future.

Given Bergeron’s comments back in September 2021 regarding his career and his willingness to keep an open mind regarding his pending free-agent status, the clock was ticking for the franchise when it came to making the most of what could have been its captain’s final campaign in a black-and-gold sweater.

Sure, perhaps a run to the Stanley Cup Final might have been overshooting expectations for Bergeron and that Bruins roster. 

But to have that ride come to a close in the first round — with Bergeron solemnly hugging his devastated teammates on the ice down in Raleigh — stood as a crushing way for a franchise icon to potentially cap off a legendary career. 

Of course, storybook endings are hard to come by in sports — as much as Hollywood would have you think otherwise.

But in Bergeron’s case, the optics from that decisive contest on May 14 were not how he wanted the final chapters of his story to be penned. 

"I think the way that it ended in Game 7, it was hard for me to really think and say that this could have been my last game,” Bergeron said on Monday afternoon. “And I had a hard time believing that. I think it was really hard for me to digest that part of it — ending it that way.”

Whether it be the inevitable erosion brought upon by Father Time, injuries or other factors out of their control, players rarely have the luxury of being able to dictate the narrative surrounding the end of their careers.

But with the sting of last year’s playoff defeat still fresh in his mind, Bergeron seems ready to call his own shots when it comes to how he wants to conclude his Hall-of-Fame tenure in Boston.

"I think the fire, the desire, the passion was too strong, I guess, for me to take that path right now,” Bergeron said of weighing retirement before eventually signing a one-year contract with Boston on Monday. “And obviously, my family's always going to be my priority and I will try to make it work and spend as much time with them as I have over the last few years since they've been born. But that being said — to me, I'm not ready, I guess, for the next step of my life. I still have something in the tank and something to give."

For a player who has sacrificed his body on multiple occasions — absorbing slap shots, fracturing ribs and battering organs in service of the crest on his sweater — it should not come as much of a surprise that the B’s captain also once again relinquished the possibility of securing one more significant payout at the tail end of his playing career.

He did turn 37 last month, but Bergeron’s game has not slipped despite the amount of mileage tacked onto his body, with the two-way pivot putting forth arguably his finest defensive season in 2021-22 en route to his record-breaking fifth Selke Trophy. 

Add in another fruitful season in the offensive zone (65 points in 73 games), and Bergeron easily could have commanded another $7+ million in base salary had he been willing to field offers as an unrestricted free agent.

But such wasn’t the case for Bergeron. While it took until the second week of August for his contract to become official, Bergeron confirmed on Monday that he informed Don Sweeney of his intention to return to Boston for a 19th season before the start of free agency even began — with the primary hold-up due to the financial language featured in Bergeron’s eventual below-market deal. 

Given Boston’s constrained cap situation, Bergeron once again did his team a solid, inking a one-year deal with a base salary of $2.5 million, along with an additional $2.5 million in bonuses that can be pushed into 2023-24 as Boston looks to put all of its chips on the table this spring.

With David Krejci following Bergeron’s lead and signing a similar one-year, incentive-laden deal on Monday morning, it’s clear that Boston’s two-headed monster down the middle prioritized the potential for one more run — rather than the appeal of one last windfall. 

"Hockey is all about the team's success and ultimately winning, right? And that's what really makes the difference between a good career and a great career, really,” Bergeron said. “And it's the friendships that you build, it's the memories that last a lifetime and the dollar signs — obviously, I am not going to say that we're not well-paid. We're extremely and beyond whatever I dreamed of as far as salary goes.

“But that being said, I think leaving a few (dollars) on the table to make sure you're a competitive team and you're a good team and that it carries on for years — I think that, to me, makes a big difference and I think that's how you want to play the game. You want to play the game to win. You want to play the game to be successful. You want to play the game to have friendships and memories and I think that's the one thing you hope that people kind of buy into and I feel like this team and guys, even the younger guys, have been really buying in. So you hope that this carries on.”

Of course, both Bergeron and Krejci’s returns do not guarantee a deep Cup run as part of this core’s last dance. 

The B’s will still need to overcome a slew of injuries in the early going with franchise stalwarts like Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy still licking their wounds — while teams like the Lightning, Maple Leafs, Panthers and Avalanche still await in what would be another grueling playoff bracket. 

But for Bergeron, trying to orchestrate another chance at hockey immortality with the only NHL team he’s ever played for is a venture worth trying.

The ink is still not dry when it comes to chronicling Bergeron’s career and the lifetime of memories that the star forward has cultivated for this fanbase. And if Bergeron has his way, there should still be a few pages left to document what could be a memorable last run in a Bruins sweater. 

“I wanted to come back because I still know that I have something left to give,” Bergeron said. “Because I want to come back with the Bruins because it's my team. I love the city. I love the team. love the guys and I want to make and do something special with them.”