Patrice Bergeron says he will either retire or return to the Bruins next season
"Obviously, [Boston] is a special place for me."
Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron will either retire or return to Boston next season.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Bergeron addressed rumors that he might consider playing elsewhere and shot them down.
“No,” Bergeron said flatly. “I’ve been here for my whole career. Obviously, [Boston] is a special place for me. It’s not on my mind right now. I just need to take time and regroup.”
Bergeron has spent 18 seasons with the Bruins dating back to 2003-04. During that time, he has amassed 400 goals and 582 assists, including 25 goals and 40 assists this season. He was made the Bruins captain in Jan. 2021 after Zdeno Chara parted ways with the franchise.
“Patrice represents the Bruins organization and our fans with integrity, determination, and class,” Bruins president Cam Neely said at the time. “On and off the ice he embodies what it means to be a Bruin.”
Bergeron added on Monday that he isn’t really leaning one way or the other at this stage, so soon after the Bruins were eliminated from the first round of the NHL playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes.
“I don’t know, to be honest with you. I think it’s just more time,” Bergeron said. “I’m going to need some time to think about a lot of things and come up with the best decision for myself and my family.”
After the Bruins fell 3-2 in Game 7, Bergeron said he appreciated how the team stuck together and rallied back to make the series competitive.
“It stings and it’s not the feeling that you want,” he said. “But that being said, we did it together. It’s always hard to say that when you come up short, but it is something to be proud of. We battled. That’s something that we’ve done all year.”