Bruins to retire franchise legend Patrice Bergeron's jersey number

Bergeron was originally drafted by Boston in the second-round of the 2003 NHL Draft. Despite a day-two pick, out of the QMJHL, he still managed to break camp with the Bruins roster for the 2003-04 season. That move quickly proved smart, as Bergeron would go on to rack up 16 goals and 39 points in 71 games as a rookie. He added four more points in seven playoff games, establishing his footing as a core lineup piece until the 2004 lockout forced a season in the AHL. Bergeron scored just below a point-per-game in the minors (73 points in 84 games) before returning to the NHL in 2005.

Graduating into a bigger lineup role thanks to a trade that sent Joe Thornton to the San Jose Sharks, Bergeron didn’t miss a beat in his move back to the top league. He notched a pair of 70-point seasons while playing under a defense-first, Dave Lewis system. His track was derailed when a head injury ended his 2007-08 campaign after just 10 games. He rejoined the Bruins for the 2008-09 season and had to work back to his scoring heights, netting just 39 points in 64 games that year.

Bergeron still recorded 30 assists in his down year. He was back to the 50-point mark by the 2009-10 season, then flaunted his clutch ability with 11 points in 13 games of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs. That knack for postseason performances followed Bergeron through the rest of his career — and proved to be a difference-maker in Boston’s run to the 2011 Stanley Cup. Bergeron ranked second on the team in scoring during that run with 20 points in 23 games.

Following a championship win, the Bruins offense became defined by Bergeron, David Krejci, Brad Marchand, and Milan Lucic. All four players filled consistent, impactful roles and a bit of reliable support helped Bergeron take on yet another gear. After a pair of top-five finishes in 2010 and 2011, he finally won the coveted Selke Trophy for the first time in 2012, after recording 73 hits, 67 shot blocks and a 59.3 faceoff percentage to go with 64 points in 81 games.

Bergeron finished as the runner-up to the Selke in 2013, then went back-to-back with the award in 2014 and 2015. While Marchand offered chippy offense, and Krejci brought a tidy bit of scoring, it was Bergeron’s motor that got the dirty work done. He was smooth and dialed, constantly harassing opponents when away from the puck — while his scoring continued to sit near the top of the lineup.

The 2014-15 season also brought the debut of rookie sensation David Pastrnak, who would soon prove to be the perfect scoring match to Bergeron and Marchand. The trio formed what would become known as the "perfection line" thanks to their versatile mix of gritty, scoring, and defensive ability. That line would lead Bergeron to his career-high in scoring during the 2018-19 season, when he scored 32 goals and 79 points in just 65 games — a full-season pace of 40 goals and 100 points.

Bergeron finished in the top-three of Selke Trophy voting in every season between 2012 and 2023. His star-studded play-driving turned over to a true leader role in the late-2010’s, when Bergeron spearheaded a Bruins lineup split between aging veterans and young stars. He donned the Bruins’ captaincy — a long time coming — in 2021 following the departure of Chara. Bergeron held the "C" through the end of his career. He notched his 1,000th career point in November 2021 and set a league record with his sixth Selke Trophy win in 2023. On the heels of that performance, and a Presidents’ Trophy-winning season, Bergeron announced his retirement in July, 2023.

Boston will now honor a name that became synonymous with effective and efficient Bruins hockey. Bergeron was one of the most lauded forwards in the league during his career, bringing a gear of strong stick-checks and in-your-face defense that few forwards could match. His hold over the top-center role for nearly two decades was a franchise’s dream and makes Bergeron well deserving of a spot next to Boston’s retired numbers.