Bruins’ Bergeron Named First-Ballot Hockey Hall of Famer – The Hockey Writers – Boston Bruins

It’s been a good June for Patrice Bergeron. The Boston Bruins legend was informed on Thursday that the team would retire his jersey number next season. Just four days later, he learned he will join Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, Cindy Curley, Keith Tkachuk and Brian Burke as inductees to the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

Bergeron enters the Hall of Fame as a first-ballot inductee, a distinction that comes as little surprise to anyone who watched his career unfold. Debuting in the NHL at 18 years old as a second-round pick was a pretty good indication that something special was coming. The only reason Bergeron ever played games in the AHL was due to the NHL Lockout during the 2004-05 season. Otherwise, he started and finished his career as a full-time NHL player without any trips to Providence.

Bergeron scored 427 goals and 1,040 points in 1,294 regular-season games. He also added another 50 goals and 128 points in 170 NHL playoff games. Bergeron ranks third all-time in NHL history with 15,182 faceoff wins, securing them 57.9% of the time throughout his career. He led the NHL in faceoff wins eight times in his 19-season career and led the league in faceoff percentage five times (minimum 1,000 faceoffs). He also won 60% or more of his faceoffs in five different seasons. As far as awards go, Bergeron would win the Selke Trophy a record six times, while also winning the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2012-13 and the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award in 2020-21.

As this is the Hockey Hall of Fame, Bergeron’s accolades outside of the NHL also added value to his claim. The 40-year-old Bergeron is a multi-time gold-medal winner with Canada, including the 2004 IIHF World Championship, the 2005 IIHF World Junior Championship, the 2012 Spengler Cup, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, and a two-time Olympic gold medalist in 2010 and 2014.

Bergeron would have also been on Canada’s 2004 World Junior squad had he been loaned to the team, but he was already entrenched on the Bruins NHL roster and wasn’t loaned. His inclusion in the 2005 roster coincided with the lockout and allowed him to shine as the tournament’s leading scorer (13) and MVP.

Bergeron Well-Respected in Boston

It’s no surprise that Bergeron remains one of the most well-respected athletes to ever play professionally in Boston. It’s also unsurprising that he was spoken so highly of by the Bruins brass when the news was announced Monday.

“Patrice Bergeron’s career exemplifies what it means to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” Bruins’ general manager Don Sweeney said. “From the moment he arrived in Boston as an 18-year-old, he dedicated himself to his craft and never stopped striving to improve throughout his 20-year career. He was an exceptional two-way player, elite in the face-off circle and on the penalty kill, and he continuously evolved his game, becoming a key contributor on the power play as well. Patrice grew into a true leader on and off the ice and served as a tremendous captain, leading with commitment, confidence and humility. He won at every level of the game, achieving Triple Gold with Team Canada and capturing a Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins. Today, we congratulate Patrice on this well-deserved honor as he takes his rightful place among the greatest players in NHL history as a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.”

Bruins’ president Cam Neely noted how much of a blessing it was to watch Bergeron up close for so many years.

“We were fortunate in Boston to have a front-row seat to Patrice Bergeron’s remarkable 20-year career, watching him grow from an 18-year-old kid learning a new language into one of the world’s elite players,” Neely said. “As he accumulated a stellar list of accolades – which includes a record six Selke Trophies, two Olympic gold medals, and, of course, the 2011 Stanley Cup – Patrice also became one of hockey’s most respected leaders, representing our organization with dignity and class in everything that he did. Patrice’s election to the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026 is a more than worthy honor and I am proud to now call him a fellow Hall of Famer.”

Charlie Jacobs, the CEO of the Bruins, also made it clear just how important Bergeron has been not just to the Bruins’ success, but to the city of Boston and its community.

“For 20 years, Patrice was a pillar of the Boston Bruins; an invaluable two-way player who impacted both ends of the ice and guided his team with integrity and respect,” said Jacobs. “While he is recognized for scoring the game-winning goal in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final and his six Selke Trophies, he will always be remembered in Boston for his character and commitment to giving back to the community. It is no surprise to the Bruins organization that Patrice was selected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, and today’s announcement reinforces that Patrice is not only one of the best to don the Spoked-B, but one of the greatest players our game has ever seen.”

Bruins’ Owner and Governor Jeremy Jacobs also had words about Bergeron.

“The Bruins announced that 37 would be retired because Patrice’s leadership and skill will never be replicated,” Jacobs said. “It’s fitting that his peers selected him for the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.”

Bergeron becomes the 54th player and 62nd individual overall with Bruins ties to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.