Patrice Bergeron, forward for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, is selected in the 2nd round (45th overall) by the Boston Bruins. History will remember in particular that the Canadian, five ranks earlier (40th), had selected Cory Urquhart, who never reached the NHL. The Quebecer, he broke through the Bruins formation at 18 and collected 39 points in 71 games in his rookie season.
Pulverized by a check from Randy Jones, Bergeron suffered a serious concussion that forced him to miss 72 games. “I consider myself lucky, since I could end up in a wheelchair and never play hockey again. I came close to breaking my neck,” he said a few days after the event. Jones was suspended for two games.
Besides the goalkeepers, Bergeron is the only Quebecer to join the Canadian team at the Vancouver Olympics. Mainly confined to defensive missions, he is content with one assist in 7 games, but nevertheless helps his team win the gold medal.
The Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup. With 20 points in 23 games, Bergeron is a key player in the conquest of the Oursons, their first since 1972. Only David Krejci is ahead of him in terms of ice time among his club’s forwards.
In Game 7 of a hard-fought first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Bruins trailed 4-1 in the third period. After Nathan Horton and Milan Lucic closed the gap, Patrice Bergeron tied the game with less than a minute to play. He is also the one who gives the victory to his team in overtime. That year, the Bostonians lost in the final.
Second participation in the Olympic Games, this time in Sochi. Bergeron participates in a monumental defensive effort, as Canada allows only three goals in six games. The maple leaf formation again wins the gold medal.
Sidney Crosby, Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron are an irresistible trio on Canada’s World Cup squad, presented before the start of the NHL season. The three finish at the top of the scorers of their club, which is also crowned champion. Including the 2004 World Senior Championship and the 2005 World Junior Championship (in that order, yes), this is the Quebecer’s fifth international gold medal.
With 32 goals and 79 points in just 65 season games, Bergeron is setting personal highs offensively. He added 17 more points in 24 playoff games, as the Bruins lost in seven games in the Grand Finals.
Following the departure of Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron becomes the 20th captain in Boston Bruins history.
After his team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, Bergeron began to reflect on his future. In August, a few weeks before training camp, he announced that he would play at least one more season. The Bruins finally have the best campaign in NHL history by signing 65 wins and accumulating 135 points in the standings. When spring came, they nevertheless suffered elimination in the first round against the Florida Panthers.
On July 25, Patrice Bergeron announces that after a 20-year career, he is stepping down.