Bruins Notebook: Patrice Bergeron not looking beyond this season

PLYMOUTH — Whether he’s unsure about his future beyond the 2021-22 season or simply doesn’t want the distraction of a contract negotiation during the season, Bruins’ captain Patrice Bergeron said on Wednesday he will wait for after this season before he addresses his future with the only NHL team he has known.

The 36-year-old Bergeron, who spoke at the club’s annual golf tournament at Pinehills Golf Club on Wednesday, is entering his 18th season, spending literally half his life in a Bruins’ uniform.

“That’s something that a lot of people have asked me this summer and I think for me the way that I’m approaching this year is I want to concentrate on this year,” said Bergeron. “I have a year left on my contract and it would be useless for me to think about the future. I want to create something special. We obviously want to work towards winning a Stanley Cup, I know everyone says that, but it’s definitely our goal as a team.”

Bergeron is not only the captain but has been the inspirational leader of the club, as well as the gold standard for two-way centermen in the NHL, for some time.

He has also taken his share of knocks, bothered by a chronic groin injury the last few years, necessitating the occasional night off. But he was able to play in 54 of the 56 games in last season’s truncated schedule and said he feels strong.

“I probably shouldn’t talk about that. I don’t want to jinx myself,” he said with a laugh. “But I feel good. I feel healthy and confident and mentally I’m excited. I want to have a good year as a team. That’s where my focus is at. But I do feel good.”

The last two years have seen some key Bruins of the last decade move on. Former captain Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug signed elsewhere before last season. This season, the unsigned and rehabbing Tuukka Rask‘s future is in question and David Krejci has returned to the Czech Republic.

Bergeron said he’s been having conversations with Krejci for a while about his longtime teammate’s desire to play in his home country and for his kids to learn the language of his parents, so Krejci’s departure did not come as a surprise to him.

But he was holding out hope that Krejci will be in a Bruins uniform again.

“Hopefully we’ll see him back,” said Bergeron, “but at the same time we can’t control his decision, and we wish him all the best.”

Coyle faces big year

Charlie Coyle has had an eventful summer. He had offseason knee surgery. He got engaged. And he got a dog.

“Getting a new dog and then having surgery on my knee, I didn’t think that one through too well,” joked Coyle.

This is a big year for Coyle. He’s the odds-on favorite to take over Krejci’s spot as the No. 2 centerman. Getting to play with Taylor Hall might be the best chance of his career to graduate full-time into the top six, but Coyle is not taking anything for granted.

“When opportunities are out there, you always want to improve yourself and make yourself a better player for your team. And when there’s opportunities, there’s going to be a number of guys fighting for that spot which will, internally, make our team better,” said Coyle. “I think that internal competition is going to be great for us and it’ll be a great spot to earn. It’s a big responsibility but I think there are a number of guys who are up for that challenge and would be be to do that, so I’m going to do my part and work as hard as I can to be the best player I can be for this team. If that’s in that position, then I’ll take full advantage of it.”

Coyle, skating for the last couple of weeks, said he may be limited to start the camp, but expects to be ready to go for the first regular season game. His surgery was to repair an avulsion fracture in his left kneecap as well as a small tear in the patellar tendon.

He said the problem went back further than most people thought.

“I really didn’t know what it was for a while,” said Coyle. “It’s been two or three years but it got progressively worse over the last couple and then we finally addressed it and found out what it was and took care of it, so hopefully I can put that behind me and be good to go.”

Loss of Jimmy Hayes felt deeply

Several Bruins were still reeling over the unexpected death of Jimmy Hayes two weeks ago.

“Jimmy was awesome,” said Coyle, a Weymouth native. “I grew up with Kevin Hayes since we were little, playing against each other, playing with each other. Jimmy was always around because they were always together. I was at Jimmy’s draft. I think me and Kevin were playing in a tournament somewhere close so we went to the draft. And I got to play with him a few times in tournaments in the spring and summer. It’s all been said about him, because it’s all true, how positive he was. I worked out with him every day for however many years in the summer time, and whenever he comes in, the room just brightens. And that’s just the kind of guy he was and that’s how he’ll be remembered. Just a solid, down-to-earth guy. He’d talk to anyone and be interested in what you have to say. And just the family as a whole, that’s why it’s such a shame for a family like that, who are such good people, and to see one of their own go that soon … but he’s left his mark on a lot of people and that’s how he’ll be remembered.”

Matt Grzelcyk said the loss has been widely felt.

“It’s been a tough few weeks not only for the family but I think the hockey community as well,” said Grzelcyk. “I’ve gotten to know the Hayes family pretty well. Me and Jimmy had the same billet family in Ann Arbor (in the US national program). He was a few years ahead of me. But I’ve known them most of my life, a lot of the family grew up in Charlestown. I think the biggest memory when I reflect on it is just my first game. It was pretty special. Obviously I was very nervous stepping in the locker room not really knowing many of the guys but he went out of his way to make me feel really welcome and joke around with me in the hallway. It kind of broke the ice and it meant a lot to me.”

Said Bergeron: “It was devastating and I was crushed to hear about that. He was a gentleman. He was full of life. He was always so happy. We lost a great one.”

Foligno feeling at home

Nick Foligno said his wife Janelle, once she learned the Bruins were interested in signing the free agent, helped guide her husband to Boston. The couple’s 8-year-old daughter Milana underwent life-saving surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital several years ago and the city has always been special to the family.

“I think when (Janelle) heard that Boston was interested, I think for her as a mother, she wanted to come here for the ease of knowing our kids would be taken care of. I think that’s any mother’s worry and I think it just worked out,” said Foligno. “First of all, it’s a great hockey team. It’s a wonderful place to live. And then having that benefit of having our daughter being able to be cared for by the people that saved her life, (Janelle) said it made it serendipitous in a lot of ways. I think people know how indebted we are to Boston Children’s Hospital and the tie that we have to this place. And I think it made it that much sweeter that we could come home and play in front of these people and in front of our doctors, who said they had a hard time cheering for me when I was on another team. So they’re very happy right now. But it’s really special. And seeing my daughter, how happy she is. That’s one of the things, as a father first, I wanted to normalize Boston for her. Every time she’s come here, it’s been for a significant surgery or a procedure or something. So now, she’s here and she’s enjoying the city life and she’s learned how to hit the crosswalk thing with her elbow and walk across the street. She’s already figured out Dunkin Donuts. It’s really neat to see my kids and see how they’ve enjoyed the city life already. I love that she’s come here and forgot a little bit of why she used to come here. Now it’s going to become home.”