Only one person seems to doubt that Patrice Bergeron will one day be a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame: himself.
It goes without saying that the Quebecer deserves to enter the pantheon in his first year, in 2026. No athlete has won more Frank J. Selke Trophies than him, six, and he is considered by many to be the greatest defensive forward in history.
However, the former Boston Bruins leader is a very humble man – perhaps too much so – when it comes to talking about his legacy.
“I never really paid attention to individual honors and awards,” he admitted in a recent interview with NHL.com reporter Mike Zeisberger.
“The Hall of Fame always seemed so far away to me,” Bergeron added. It is an honor reserved for legends and I have never claimed to belong to that category. So no, I never really thought about it.”
Although he only won one Stanley Cup in 2011, he can easily compare to legends like Bob Gainey and Guy Carbonneau, two forwards who had a similar impact in their respective careers and are part of the Temple.
Retirement suits him
As Bergeron attended the Bruins’ season-opening ceremonies, he realized he had made a good decision to hang up his skates this summer.
“The fact that I miss it is pretty strange. I think I was ready. I would say the last month has confirmed it for me,” he said.
“I missed it by five to 10 minutes and thought, ‘I can’t do a schedule like that again.’ I don’t think I could physically resist. “My body is somewhere else,” assured the man who played professionally for 20 seasons.
Several observers assumed that the Bruins would not emerge from the crisis in 2023-2024 after the retirement of Bergeron and David Krejci. New people have emerged to fill the huge void left in the dressing room and at center by the first two trios.
“I’m not surprised. I know the strength of character in this locker room. I know the guys. I know they’re people who can rise to the occasion. […] There are people out there who always need a new challenge when they are told “no,” like this season. That’s how they are built,” analyzed the L’Ancienne-Lorette native, author of 1,040 career points.
Like last year, Boston is at the top of the Eastern Association, which makes Bergeron happy. In his opinion, all the prerequisites are in place for his Bruins to have a very long season.