Thank You, Patrice Bergeron

Marina7/25/2023 3:12 PM

I am fully sobbing as I type this but Patrice Bergeron has made it official and has announced his retirement in a long, beautiful essay. This is a day I knew was coming eventually, and sooner than later, but I never wanted to believe it because he's still so good. He just completed his 19th year with the Bruins, collecting SIXTH Selke Trophy after a historic regular season... which quite frankly just makes that postseason loss all the more devastating. I can go on and on about Patrice Bergeron's historic, illustrious career... Stanley Cup Winner, Two Time Olympic Gold Winner, Junior Gold Winner... but I want to talk to you about Patrice Bergeron, the person.

I think I'm so emotional because I have literally grown up watching Patrice, starting in middle school, then high school, then college, and now I have a daughter. The chapter of Patrice playing is closing, and I'm turning 29 on Friday. Life goes by so quickly, and it's been an honor and a privilege to watch and follow his career as I've grown up. Everyone will say how amazing of a player he was, but it's true how much of a better person he is. Over the last decade every interaction with Patrice consisted with asking how I'm doing, how my family was doing and nowadays it was how my daughter was doing. He always seemed to hate talking about himself or his accomplishments, and would always redirect to talk about the team as a whole.

I literally would not have this job without Patrice. He was the namesake of my blog that helped me get my foot in the door at Barstool. Without that, I don't have this life and my family and everything because of it. Funny enough I have 26 texts and counting, from mainly coworkers giving their condolences (it hasn't even been an hour of the news being out)...

Just an elite two-way player for so long, always did everything the right away. 37 will never be worn again in the Boston Bruins organization, it'll be in the rafters in no time.

So hats off to Patrice for an unbelievable career. And while I still think he has some gas in the tank, it's incredible that he is going out on his own terms. Especially the wear and tears his body has suffered over the years. Congratulations on everything you have accomplished, on the impact you have in Boston and everywhere else. Thanks for the memories.

19 seasons. 1,294 games, 1,040 points. Stanley Cup Champion. He gave everything he had and then some.