When asked Monday if he could see himself playing elsewhere, Bergeron said, “no.”
“I’ve been here my entire career. Obviously, it’s a special place for me. Like I said, it’s not on my mind. Right now, I just need to take some time and regroup.”
The Bruins lost Game 7 of the Eastern Conference first round 3-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, in what could be the captain’s last game with the team he has played with for 18 seasons. Bergeron is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason and has maintained all season that he would wait until the Bruins’ season is over to decide.
That decision will not be to look for another team.
but as bergeron reiterated on breakup day monday, he has yet to make the final call and is not sure how long it will take to make it and how exactly he will make it.
“I don’t know, to be honest with you,” Bergeron said. “I think it’s just more time. Right now, it’s only been a couple of days. All I did was really enjoy the family at home. I’m going to need some time, just to think about a lot of things and think about the best decision for me and my family.”
bergeron, who is in the final season of the eight-year, $55 million contract he signed on July 12, 2013, will turn 37 on July 24. , 40 assists) in 73 games. he is a finalist for what could be an unprecedented fifth frank j. The Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the forward voted best for excelling in the defensive aspects of the game and the NHL as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. winner will be announced as part of the 2022 nhl awards during the conference final or stanley cup final.
“His level of play, he’s still the No. 1 center in this league,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said Tuesday. “We saw him this year. Ready for the selke. In my opinion he should win it. No disrespect to the other nominees. But I think he’s had another great year. We’ll see how it turns out.
“he’s a great defensive player. eye test or stat test, i think he beats them all. the award, i think he’s built in a little more offense over time, like a lot of awards. i think he’s kept the rhythm with that too. for me, like I said, he’s still on top of all that stuff.”
bergeron said the bruins haven’t given him a timeline or a deadline to make his decision.
“It’s obviously a family decision,” Bergeron said. “It is a moment that I need, a decision that I want to make the right one. As for the team, I have always believed in what this organization has done.
“they’ve always made sure to put the best team up front and on the ice. I think they will do that in the future as well. so I’m not necessarily worried about that, and I think there are some great players in this locker room, most of which are coming back. So for me it’s not necessarily something I’m worried about. It’s more like taking the time to make the right decision for me and my family.”
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Bergeron remained relatively healthy and scored a hat-trick in the regular season finale against the Buffalo Sabers on April 28, the third goal counting as the 400th of his NHL career. he has 982 points (400 goals, 582 assists) in 1,216 games. He is third in Bruins history in games played, behind Ray Bourque (1,518) and Johnny Bucyk (1,436); fourth in goals (bucyk, 545; phil esposito, 459; rick middleton, 401); fourth in assists (bourque, 1,111; bucyk, 794; bobby orr, 624); and fourth in points (Bourque, 1,506; Bucyk, 1,339; Esposito, 1,012).
“good. i feel good. body feels good,” bergeron said. “there are some…obviously this year i had the nose and the elbow and all that. but that’s the normal routine of the season. but otherwise nothing to report.”
his teammates hoped the decision would be even easier, take the bruins to the stanley cup final, win the cup, allow bergeron to come out on top, as teammate mark recchi was able to do after that boston won the cup in 2011.
wasn’t meant to be.
but those same teammates, especially brad marchand, are left hoping for at least one more chance to make it. Marchand, who has been by Bergeron’s side for more than a decade, spoke about what started as a business relationship and turned into a friendship, a relationship that likely transformed the career of the left.
“I was able to see one of the best in our game do his thing on and off the ice and how he takes care of himself, trains and prepares. how much he cares. so we became very good friends,” marchand said. . “I owe him a lot of what I have been able to achieve. Not only for playing on the same line with him, but just for what a great leader he is, what a great person he is.
“being able to learn day after day from a guy like that, I don’t think I really understood how much it meant and how good it is for the players to have a guy like that, not just him and [zdeno chara], but many who have passed can have a big impact on your career.”
he credited bergeron, and chara, for that matter, with the progress of players like charlie mcavoy and david pastrnak, knowing how much players want to keep up with bergeron and want to impress him and not let him down.
“I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done,” Marchand said. “Amazing, amazing teammate, leader, captain and friend. He is a special person.
“losing ‘bergy,’ when the time comes, that’s a void we’ll never fill.”