The Boston Bruins have had a very strong season to this point, despite the retirement of Patrice Bergeron after last season. However, there has been some recent buzz regarding Bergeron potentially coming out of retirement for the Bruins at some point soon, but he shut those down while talking to the media recently.
“No, it is not happening,” Patrice Bergeron said, via ESPN. “I’m not making a comeback, not trying to make a comeback.”
The rumors of Bergeron returning were sparked by him spending every Friday skating with a group of friends and former NHL players in the Boston area. He said that it does not signal a comeback.
“It’s a slow pace,” Bergeron said, via ESPN.
Bergeron did admit that in August he got antsy knowing he would be ramping up to play with the Bruins at that point.
“It was telling me: ‘Hey you should be somewhere right now … what’s going on?” Bergeron said, via ESPN. “But I feel like I am where I should be. … Wish I could play forever. There’s no second-guessing or thinking, ‘Did I do the right thing?'”
Bruins president Cam Neely told reporters that he and the team’s management tried to get Bergeron to reconsider retirement, and were unsuccessful.
“The recurring theme was always that you’re going to know when it’s time. And it just felt like it was,” Bergeron said back in June, according to ESPN. “I’m a very intuitive guy. I feel like I always listen to my instincts and my heart, and it just felt like it was time for me to move on. Unfortunately, I wish I could play forever and never have to do this. But, as you know, eventually you have to move on. The body tells you something sometimes.”
Bergeron is enjoying retirement, while Cam Neely’s Bruins try to bring home a Stanley Cup this year amid another strong regular season.
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