Canadian centre Patrice Bergeron, arguably one of the greatest two-way forwards the game has ever seen, today formally announced his retirement from hockey, after spending 19 illustrious seasons with the Boston Bruins and Canadian national team, leaving the game a member of the Triple Gold Club, with a Stanley Cup and five collective Gold medals to his name.

A second round pick of the Bruins in 2003, Bergeron debuted that same season in Beantown, quickly becoming one of the league’s most dependable and respected players, known for his defensive prowess and goalscoring touch. Bergeron was a key factor in many of the Bruins’ deep playoff runs over his career, but it was his heroics (including his Game Seven game winning goal) in 2011 that saw him capture the Stanley Cup, making him the 25th player and eighth Canadian to join the prestigious Triple Gold Club, adding the Cup to his Olympic and World Championship Gold medals. A three-time NHL All-Star, Bergeron would win a record six Selke Trophies, and be nominated as a finalist a record 12 consecutive times, as the league’s top defensive forward, along with capturing a King Clancy Trophy, NHL Foundation Award and Messier Leadership Award over the course of his career. Serving as Bruins captain for his final three of his 19 NHL seasons, Bergeron retires with 427 goals and 1,040 points in 1,294 career games, along with another 50 goals and 128 points in 170 career playoff games, only missing the postseason five times in his entire Boston tenure.

A native of the Québec City suburb of L’Ancienne-Lorette, Bergeron debuted for Team Canada at the 2004 World Championship, capturing Gold in his first outing, holding the unique distinction of being the first (and so far only) player to capture World Championship Gold before World Junior Championship Gold, which he would win eight months later, also being named 2005’s tournament MVP. Due to his playoff success in Boston, Bergeron would only play at one more World Championship in 2006, but was a mainstay on Canada’s best-on-best rosters, capturing Olympic Gold in both 2010 and 2014, along with a World Cup title in 2016. Taking advantage of the 2012 NHL lockout, Bergeron joined Team Canada at the Spengler Cup, leading the tournament in scoring en route to Canada’s twelfth title.

Bergeron captured the IHLC six times over the course of his career, winning his first at his World Championship debut in 2004, his last coming twelve years later in the lead-up to the World Cup Of Hockey. We wish Patrice and his family the very best for his retirement and the things to come!

Photo Credit: Hockey Canada – IIHF – HHOF – IOC