My first thought upon seeing Patrice Bergeron announce his retirement was NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
He has been in our lives for nearly two decades, and for as great of a hockey player as he was (more on that in a bit), it’s the human being I’ll remember most.
I can’t tell you how many times Bergeron agreed to chat with me over the years, usually under the promise of three to five questions, and yet 10 minutes later, we were still talking. Never once did he look over at the PR person, pleading with his eyes for help. He was engaged, he was forthright, he was genuine. I’ve been doing this a mighty long time, and I can tell you that there aren’t many like him, not then and not now. I can’t think of a better athlete to represent this city and what we who call this place home are all about.
I
As for Bergeron the player, where do I start?
He went from a surprising roster addition coming out of his first training camp to one of the better players in the NHL year after year. And even this past season, at 38 years of age, Bergeron proved he can still play. He was third on the Bruins in scoring last year and won yet another Selke Trophy (his sixth), arguably cementing himself as the greatest defensive forward in league history, at least by the numbers.
His career has been turned into teaching tape for coaches here and league-wide, proof of someone who did it right in all three zones. Those on the bench marveled at how well Bergeron overcame his lack of top-end speed to always be in the right place at the right time. Hockey smarts to the nth degree, they’d tell you.
It was almost as if the B’s pivot could see and identify where the weaknesses were and put himself in position to neutralize any advantage an offense might have. It’s not the sexy thing to watch and acknowledge - we love goals and end-to-end rushes and bone-jarring hits - but it’s part of what makes Bergeron so special.
For his teammates, by the way, it just became the norm, expected but never unappreciated. I’ll never forget talking to Torey Krug during the 2019 run. He was asked what he thought of when he hears the name Patrice Bergeron. His response? “Perfection.”
I know there of those (ahem, Michael Felger, ahem) that will ding Bergeron because the Bruins won only won Stanley Cup during his time here, and ended this year with a rather regrettable first-round flameout after a remarkable regular season. To a degree, it’s not unfair. His legacy - and that of his teammates during the last 12 seasons or so - would agree that they left meat on the bone. The game 7 loss at home to the Blues in 2019, the 2-1 series lead in the 2013 Cup finals the team frittered away ... what could have been. But that 2013 run wouldn’t have been possible without one of the most memorable moments in Bruins history, in front of an emptier-than-you-remember building (I’ll never get leaving early, especially in the playoffs).
And yes, while it would have been even more memorable had the Bruins gone on to hoist the Cup at the Garden six weeks later, it still doesn’t dampen the spirit of that moment in time, the feeling of elation and the ultimate respect I had/have for one of the greatest Bruins and professional athletes we’ve ever been around.
We saw Bergeron grow, thrive and eventually walk away, still with more to give, but knowing his body and his mind had had enough.
Adieu, Patrice. Thanks for everything.