On Tuesday morning, Tom Brady shocked the football world and all of New England by announcing that his time with the Patriots was over.
His announcement marked the end of a remarkable twenty-year run that will most likely never be replicated in sports. Brady’s decision also signaled the end of the longest active tenured Boston sports athlete.
Patrice Bergeron now holds that title and has had an impressive run of his own.
Bergeron began his run in Boston when the Bruins drafted him in the first round of the 2003 NHL draft. Since then, he has become an integral part of the franchise and a model of consistency.
Through 1,089 games, the Canadian native has scored 352 goals and recorded 517 assists.
Patrice Bergeron fires one past Carter Hart.
31st goal for Bergeron.
2-0 Bruins. pic.twitter.com/BE64o078me
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) March 11, 2020
Additionally, Bergeron has been a weapon on the powerplay, where he has 271 career points, including 107 goals. He has also shown a talent for coming through in the clutch as he has 67 game-winning goals in the regular season. In the postseason, the veteran center has been just as deadly.
In 163 postseason games, Bergeron has scored 40 goals and recorded 63 assists. He also has seven game-winning goals, including three that came in overtime. He has also played through tremendous injuries such as in the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals when Bergeron played game six with a punctured lung.
COMETH THE HOUR, COMETH THE MAN – PATRICE BERGERON HAS ENDED IT!!!!! HE’S SENT THE ENTIRE CITY OF BOSTON INTO RAPTURE.
BRUINS….. WINNNNNNNNN #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/UoTy9ngiyw
— Bruins Diehards (@BruinsDiehards) March 17, 2020
What makes Bergeron unique, however, is his ability to affect the game at both ends of the ice. So far in his career, Bergeron has been named a finalist for the Selke award for eight consecutive seasons and won it four times. A fifth victory would give him the most all-time. He is a player that does whatever it takes to help his team win, which has made him a fan favorite over the years. His accomplishments, however, do not end there.
In the Canadians, 17-year stint in Boston, the Bruins have made it to the Stanley Cup Finals three times and won it all in 2011. Although both losses came heartbreakingly, Bergeron has been a constant presence.
.@pastrnak96 ➡️ Bergy 🔥
Patrice Bergeron's 20th of the season off a slick feed from David Pastrnak is tonight's @JagermeisterUSA Shot of the Game.#NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/6xqWlw8d0k
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) January 17, 2020
When Bergeron began his journey in Boston, the Bruins were not the constant powerhouse that they have been over the past decade. In his first three seasons, the Bruins failed to qualify for the playoffs. He has seen the franchise at it’s best and it’s worst. Bergeron also ranks among some of the best in franchise history as he has the sixth most points and trails Bobby Orr by 19 for fifth.
Although the Bruins center does not have the championship hardware like Brady, he has seen Boston turn into the sports capital of the world. While in today’s world, Athletes rarely spend their whole career in one city, Bergeron is seemingly the exception.
In 17 years, he has created countless unforgettable moments with more to come.
