Boston or bust for Bergeron
Bruins the only option for captain
Two days removed from the end of his 18th National Hockey League season, Patrice Bergeron was no more ready to say whether he wanted to continue to playing hockey or not. But he did clear up one thing.
He is not going anywhere else to play.
When asked if he could see himself playing in another city, Bergeron did not equivocate.
“No,” said Bergeron on Monday. “I think I’ve been here my whole career and obviously it’s a special place for me. It’s not on my mind. I just need to take time and regroup.”
Bergeron had not yet met with the coaching staff or management when he spoke with reporters in the B’s locker room at Warrior Ice Arena, but it is his understanding that a contract would be waiting for him if he wanted to continue playing. But as of right now, he’s not operating under any timeta-ble.
hatever choice he makes, it will be centered around his family and not any direction he sees the club going in.
“Obviously it’s a family decision. It’s time that I need for a decision that I want to make and I want to make the right one,” said Bergeron. “As far as the team, I’ve always believed in what this organization has always done. It’s making sure that they would put the best team forward and I believe they’re going to do that in the future as well, so I’m not really worried about that. And I think there’s some great players in this locker room, most of which are coming back. So it’s not something I’m really concerned about. It’s more just taking the time to make the right decision for me and my family.”
His longtime linemate Brad Marchand was less emotional than he was on Saturday, when he struggled to get the words when speaking about Bergeron and the possibility he could retire. That allowed him to be more eloquent when speaking about what Bergeron’s meant to the organization and Marchand himself.
While he didn’t give any guesses as to which way the captain was leaning, Marchand couldn’t help lapsing into the past tense.
“That kind of a started as a business relationship. He had to put up with me the first couple of years and I got to watch one of the best in our game do his thing on and off the ice, how he takes care of himself, how much he trains and prepares, how much he cares,” said Marchand. “Then we became really good friends. I owe so much of what I’ve been able to accomplish to him and not just because of playing on the same line but just because of how great of a leader he is, how great of a person he is. To be able to learn, day in and day out, from a guy like that, I don’t think I understood how much it meant and how good it is for players to have a guy like that… it can make a huge impact on your career.
“I think that’s why you see how (David Pastrnak) has grown into the player he has and Charlie ( MCAvoy’s) making steps, it’s because of guys like him. I had a front row seat for 13 years or whatever it’s been and when you have a guy like that, when you’re with him that long, and we became good friends off the ice as well, those habits just wear off on you and bleed into your daily routine. The biggest part is you don’t want to let a guy like that down. You want him to want you on his line, to be your friend. You want to be accountable, you don’t want to disappoint him in any way. That’s kind of where it all started and it grew from there. I can’t thank him enough… An incredible leader and captain and friend.”
Losing Bergeron, if it happens now, would be a blow. But Marchand hopes his legacy can continue.
“Losing (Zdeno Chara) was a big hole to fill,” said Marchand. “We had two captains for a while with Bergy and Z and Bergy was able to step in and take over flawlessly. But losing Bergy, whenever the time does come, that’s a hole we won’t ever fill, on or off the ice. Hopefully the guys have seen enough from him and learned enough where that culture from his experience will continue to flourish in the organization.”