Boston Bruins star forward Patrice Bergeron has announced his retirement. In a statement posted to the Bruins website, the 38 year old penned an open letter to fans thanking them for their unwavering support over the years.
“For the last 20 years I have been able to live my dream every day. 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,” Bergeron wrote.
“It is with a full heart and a lot of gratitude that today I am announcing my retirement as a professional hockey player.
As hard as it is to write, I also write it knowing how blessed and lucky I feel to have had the career that I have had, and that I have the opportunity to leave the game I love on my terms. It wasn’t a decision that I came to lightly. But after listening to my body, and talking with my family, I know in my heart that this is the right time to step away from playing the game I love.”
One day removed from his 38th birthday, the L’Ancienne Lorette, QC native made the decision to walk away from the game on his own terms.
Bergeron leaves behind one of the most decorated hockey resumes in recent memory, and is a virtual lock for the HHOF once he becomes eligible.
Amongst his many achievements, the Bruins captain was a Stanley Cup champion in 2011, captured 6x Selke awards, including back to back trophies the last two years, he earned a King Clancy trophy in 2013, a Mark Messier Leadership award in 2021, and was a 3x NHL All-Star.
Internationally his resume is just as decorated, earning World Junior, and World Championship gold for Team Canada, 2x Olympic gold medals, a Spengler Cup championship, and a World Cup of Hockey gold medal.
He is the first and only player in history to win the IIHF World Championship before winning the IIHF World Junior Championship, and is one of only 30 members of the Triple Gold Club.
Across 1,294 NHL contests he’s accumulated 1,040pts (427G, 613A) and has the most playoff overtime goals in Boston Bruins franchise history. His 12 consecutive Selke award nominations is an NHL record, as are his 6 wins.
One of the most complete two way forwards to ever grace an NHL ice surface, Bergeron was named to the NHL All-Decade 2nd team for 2010-2019. Originally drafted 45th overall by the Bruins in 2003, he’s spent the entirety of his 20 year career with the franchise.
While Bergeron mentioned that he has no regrets and is leaving the game on his own terms, he previously mentioned that he suffered a herniated disc in his back in 2023, which severely limited his mobility throughout the end of the season and playoffs. It’s believed he suffered the injury vs. the Montreal Canadiens towards the end of the year.
This, coupled with the desire to spend more time with his family, proved to be enough for the future hall of farmer to call it a career. Bergeron’s father Gerard had been battling cancer recently, while Patrice and his wife Stephanie have four children together.
Bergeron hasn’t mentioned any burning desire to get into coaching or take up a front office role in hockey as of yet. However, it’s safe to assume that should he want to explore that route, that multiple NHL clubs, including Boston and his childhood team the Montreal Canadiens would be more than happy to take his call.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: Sarah Connors. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.