It was only a matter of time before the Bruins named their 20th captain in franchise history. That time — and clear cut choice — arrived with Thursday’s announcement.
After 14 seasons as the primary alternate captain behind Zdeno Chara, who signed with the Washington Capitals a couple of weeks ago, Patrice Bergeron officially ascends to the captaincy role.
The four-time Selke Award winner earned praise with his teammates, his opponents and peers for his two-way prowess on the ice and his charitable work off of it. He now has the ‘C’ to back that up.
“It’s a privilege to name Patrice the 20th Captain of the Boston Bruins,” Bruins President Cam Neely said in a statement. “For 16 seasons we have all watched Patrice grow not only into an elite player but also a tremendous leader. Patrice represents the Bruins organization and our fans with integrity, determination and class. On and off the ice he embodies what it means to be a Bruin, and we couldn’t be prouder that he will lead our team as Captain.”
Neely wasn’t the only member of Boston’s front office to release a statement. General Manager Don Sweeney, Owner Jeremy Jacobs and CEO Charlie Jacobs all submitted their written quotes in the team’s press release.
Several of Bergeron’s teammates both past and present — from Charlie Coyle and Brad Marchand to Chara — echoed those statements in one form or another during their latest media availabilities on Zoom.
The longest tenured Bruin — heading into his 17tth season — sits third in franchise history in games played (1089) and game-winning goals (67), fifth in goals (352) and assists (517) and sixth in points (839). He also ranks third in three major postseason categories, including games played (149), points (111) and assists (69) and fourth in playoff goals (42).
His significant charitable contributions began in 2006 when he launched Patrice’s Pals. This program brings patients from local hospitals and children’s charity organizations to experience a home game at TD Garden.
Over the past decade, Bergeron led numerous team charity events, including a holiday toy drive started in 2010, a haircutting event called Cuts for a Cause and most recently a ping pong event known as Pucks and Paddles in 2018.
He’ll one day find his name in the Garden rafters and inside the hallowed halls in Toronto. For now, Bergeron — a member of the triple gold club as a Stanley Cup, Olympic and World Champion — continues his stellar legacy with a well-deserved honor.
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