Patrice Bergeron weighs in on David Krejci’s departure, possible return

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Patrice Bergeron has been teammates with David Krejci longer than any other player -- 15 years, to be exact. They have been the Bruins’ top two centers for the last decade-plus, since Marc Savard’s career was unfortunately cut short.

That partnership is over at least temporarily, though, and possibly permanently.

Krejci will be spending this season back home in the Czech Republic playing for HC Olomouc. While the Bruins have left the door open for Krejci to return every time anyone’s been asked, Krejci said in Czech (translated to English by Google Translate) in his introductory press conference with Olomouc that he was committed to Olomouc for the team’s full season and wasn’t thinking about a mid- or late-season return to Boston.

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Speaking to reporters at the Boston Bruins Foundation Golf Tournament at Pinehills Golf Club in Plymouth, Bergeron addressed Krejci’s departure and said he wasn’t surprised by it, as he had talked to Krejci about this possibility even before this summer.

“We had those conversations over the summer, even before,” Bergeron said. “It wasn’t something new for myself and a few guys. I think you have to respect that. Krech has done so much for this organization.

“I always say that family has to come first. And yeah, I think he thought about making sure his kids would learn the language that their grandparents speak. They cannot speak English. I think it was a hard decision for him, but at the same time, I think we respect that decision and wish him all the best.”

As for the possibility of Krejci returning at some point, add Bergeron to the list of those leaving the door open.

“We’ll be in contact, and hopefully we’ll see him back. But at the same time, we can’t control anything more than his decision, and wish him all the best,” Bergeron said.

Of course, it’s possible Krejci could return to the Bruins next season even if this year truly has been ruled out. It’s also possible the door to a return this season hasn’t been closed quite as tightly as the translation of his Czech press conference makes it sound.

It’s worth noting that Olomouc was one of the worst teams in the Czech Extraliga last season, finishing 12th out of 14 teams. If they were to miss the playoffs or get knocked out in the first round, their season would be over in early to mid-March.

Hypothetically, if that happened, if Krejci still felt good, and if he decided he actually was interested in joining the Bruins for the stretch run, there would probably be enough time for him to sign a contract before the NHL trade deadline and be eligible for the playoffs.

Of course, whether Olomouc’s season ends that early, whether Krejci would have any interest in returning, and whether he would clear waivers in order to make a Bruins signing possible are all sizable hurdles to clear.

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