Boston Bruins
“This organization means the world to me as well. So never say never. I just don’t know when.”
Patrice Bergeron will enter the Hockey Hall of Fame later this year. John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe
June 23, 2026 | 7:50 PM
3 minutes to read
In the span of less than a year, Patrice Bergeron will see his name enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame and his No. 37 raised to the TD Garden rafters.
It’s a fitting testament to Bergeron’s illustrious 19-year NHL career — all spent with the Bruins.
Speaking to reporters at Warrior Ice Arena on Tuesday, Bergeron said he’s in no rush to continue his hockey career in either a coaching or front-office capacity.
“Not yet. I haven’t really put too much thought into it,” Bergeron said. “I’m in dad mode, going from one activity to the next, or one pick-up to the next drop-off, which I’ve really enjoyed. I’m very thankful for [it]. I know that at some point, they’ll want to be with their friends and won’t want anything to do with dad.
“So I’m trying to enjoy this part of it. Hockey is obviously something that means a lot to me. This organization means the world to me as well. So never say never. I just don’t know when. I don’t know to what capacity, I don’t know which role, so it’s hard. I haven’t thought about it yet. I guess that’s the real answer.”
Bergeron, 40, could eventually follow in the footsteps of his longtime Bruins teammate Zdeno Chara, who also received his call for the Hockey Hall of Fame (and had his No. 33 retired by Boston) this past year.
Chara is already charting out a greater role in Boston’s front office, with the legendary defenseman currently serving as hockey operations advisor and mentor for the Bruins.
But for now, Bergeron is more than happy to sit back and watch his former team from afar.
Still, the Bruins have plenty of work to do this offseason if they intend to take another step forward after a brief playoff run in 2025-26.
One of those offseason objectives? Naming a captain, with David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy standing as the two frontrunners to get the “C” stitched onto their sweaters.
Bergeron, who played alongside both Pastrnak and McAvoy before finally hanging up his skates in 2023, believes that both skaters have come a long way and have made valid cases as true team leaders for Boston.
“It’s been pretty amazing to see that transition, that growth,” Bergeron said of McAvoy and Pastrnak. “Two guys that obviously had a lot of leadership qualities at a young age and were sponges and learned along the way. … I think the team is in good hands that way, and whatever decision they make, I think it’s going to be the right one, and the right one for the team.
“I know that they were both leaders. I think they both know that whatever letter you have on your journey — or if you don’t have one — that they can always be a leader, you can always leave an impact on your teammates, you can always make a difference as a role model for young kids, and, and I think that’s something they know already.”
As expected, Bergeron brushed aside talk of his outright impact in Boston as both a franchise fixture and ambassador for hockey in New England — instead flipping the question directed toward him as a tribute to the support he’s received from the region for more than two decades.
“This place means so much to me and my family,” Bergeron said. “Still don’t have the accent yet, but I do feel like a Bostonian. … To the fans, I’m so grateful and thankful for everything that you’ve done for me, the impact that you’ve had, not just on the ice, but also off the ice, and the conversations.
“You guys welcomed me with open arms when I was an 18-year-old kid, and never looked back and were there when things were going well, and we were there and supporting me when things weren’t going so well, and to me, that still means so much. It’s a special place to play sports, it’s a special place to live, it’s a special place for our family, and it’s close to our hearts — because of the people and the impact that they’ve had on us.”
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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