Boston Bruins legend Patrice Bergeron announces his retirement

Bergeron, who played all 19 seasons with the Bruins, ranks third in games played (1,294), goals (427), and points (1,040) in team history.

by Gustav Elvin

Published July 25, 2023, 11:44 a.m. ET

Tuesday marked the end of an era in Boston, as captain Patrice Bergeron announced he is hanging up his skates after 19 seasons with the Bruins.

The announcement concludes a brilliant career for the 38-year-old center, one that will surely end with a plaque at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Ontario. Bergeron had been a staple down the middle for the Black and Gold for the past two decades, and an integral part of a Bruins organization that qualified for the playoffs in 15 of his 19 seasons, reached three Stanley Cup Finals, and won it all in 2011.

″For the last 20 years I have been able to live my dream every day,” Bergeron said in a letter published on the Bruins’ official website. “I have had the honor of playing in front of the best fans in the world wearing the Bruins uniform and representing my country at the highest levels of international play. I have given the game everything that I have physically and emotionally, and the game has given me back more than I could have ever imagined.

”It is with a full heart and a lot of gratitude that today I am announcing my retirement as a professional hockey player.”

Bergeron leaves the NHL near the top of his game, as he won the Selke Trophy as the league’s top defensive forward last season. He also scored 27 goals and had 58 points in 78 games for a Bruins team that smashed the NHL single-season records for wins and points. Bergeron had previously said he would take some time this summer to decide if he would retire or return for another season. Tuesday, he made it official that he will be stepping away for good.

Bergeron ranks third in games played (1,294), goals (427), and points (1,040) in Bruins history. But numbers do not tell the full story regarding one of the best 200-foot players the NHL has ever seen. Known for his defensive acumen, Bergeron won a record six Selke Trophies while no other player has won the award more than four times.

In addition to three All-Star nods, and the Stanley Cup win in 2011, Bergeron won two Olympic gold medals with Canada. He is a member of the “Triple Gold” club, winning World Junior, Olympic, and World Championship gold. Bergeron also won the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and the 2012 Spengler Cup with Canada.