Patrice Bergeron facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Patrice Bergeron |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Bergeron with the Boston Bruins in January 2016
|
|||
| Born | July 24, 1985 L'Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec, Canada |
||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | Boston Bruins HC Lugano |
||
| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
||
| NHL Draft | 45th overall, 2003 Boston Bruins |
||
| Playing career | 2003–2023 | ||
Patrice Bergeron-Cleary (born July 24, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played as a centre for 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). All his NHL career was spent with the Boston Bruins. He was the team's captain from 2021 until he retired in 2023.
Bergeron played junior hockey for the Acadie–Bathurst Titan before being picked by the Bruins in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He joined the NHL right after being drafted. Patrice also played for Team Canada. He won gold medals at the 2004 World Championships, 2005 World Junior Championships, 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, and the 2012 Spengler Cup.
Bergeron is part of the Triple Gold Club. This means he won the Stanley Cup (with Boston in 2011), an Olympic gold medal, and a World Championship gold medal. In the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, he scored two goals in Game 7, helping the Bruins win the championship.
He was known for his amazing skills on both offense and defense. Bergeron won the Frank J. Selke Trophy six times. This award goes to the best defensive forward in the NHL. This is more than any other player in NHL history. Many people consider him one of the best two-way forwards ever.
Contents
Playing Career
Early Hockey Days
Patrice Bergeron grew up in L'Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec. He loved the Quebec Nordiques hockey team as a kid. He played in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament in 1998 and 1999. He was drafted into the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in 2001. The next year, he joined the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.
Time with the Boston Bruins (2003–2023)
Starting in the NHL (2003–2007)
The Boston Bruins drafted Bergeron 45th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. In his first season, he played in the NHL YoungStars Game. He scored 39 points in 71 games as a rookie. His first NHL goal was against the Los Angeles Kings on October 18, 2003. He also scored an overtime winning goal in the playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens.
.jpg)
Because of the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Bergeron played for the Providence Bruins. This is Boston's minor league team in the American Hockey League (AHL). He scored 61 points in 68 games there.
When the NHL started again, Bergeron had a great season in 2005–06. He led the Bruins with 31 goals and 73 points. The Bruins decided to build their team around Bergeron. He continued to play well, scoring 70 points in the 2006–07 season.
Becoming a Star and Winning the Stanley Cup (2007–2020)
In October 2007, Bergeron suffered a serious head injury. He was checked from behind and hit his head on the boards. He had a broken nose and a severe concussion. He missed the rest of that season to recover.
He returned for the 2008–09 season. In December 2008, he had another concussion after a collision. He recovered and finished the season with 39 points.
.jpg)
In the 2009–10 season, Bergeron scored 52 points. The Bruins made the playoffs but lost in seven games.
On January 11, 2011, Bergeron scored his first career hat-trick (three goals in one game). He was named the NHL's First Star of the Month for January 2011. In the 2011 playoffs, he got another mild concussion but returned to help the Bruins. In the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, the Bruins faced the Vancouver Canucks. Bergeron scored two goals in Game 7, including the winning goal. The Bruins won the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1972!
After the 2011–12 season, Bergeron won his first Frank J. Selke Trophy. This award recognizes the best defensive forward.
In the 2013 playoffs, Bergeron was a hero. He scored the tying and winning goals in Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He also scored an overtime winner against the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the Stanley Cup Finals against the Chicago Blackhawks, he showed incredible toughness. He played through a punctured lung, separated shoulder, broken rib, and broken nose!
On July 12, 2013, the Bruins signed Bergeron to an eight-year contract. In the 2013–14 season, he scored 30 goals and 32 assists. The Bruins won the Presidents' Trophy for being the best regular season team. Bergeron won his second Selke Trophy and the NHL Foundation Player Award. He was also chosen to be on the cover of the NHL 15 video game.
On February 23, 2015, Bergeron scored his 200th career goal. He became the 17th player in Bruins history to reach this milestone. He won the Selke Trophy for the third time in 2015.
Even though the Bruins missed the playoffs in 2016, Bergeron was a finalist for the Selke Trophy again. He scored 32 goals and 36 assists.
In the 2016–17 season, Bergeron played with a sports hernia injury. He still played well, scoring 21 goals and 32 assists. His line with Brad Marchand and David Pastrňák was called "The Perfection Line." He won his fourth Selke Trophy that season.
On January 6, 2018, Bergeron scored four goals, including his first "natural hat trick" (three goals in a row). He reached 702 career points. Later that month, he scored another hat-trick. He finished the season with 30 goals and 33 assists. He was a Selke Trophy finalist for the seventh time.
The 2018–19 season was full of milestones for Bergeron. On December 22, 2018, he scored his 300th goal. On February 5, 2019, he played his 1,000th NHL game, all with the Bruins. He reached 800 career points on March 16. He was nominated for the Selke Trophy for an NHL-record eighth straight season. The Bruins made it to the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals but lost in Game 7.
In 2020, Bergeron was a Selke finalist for the ninth time. The Bruins won the Presidents' Trophy again.
Captaincy and Retirement (2020–2023)
On January 7, 2021, Patrice Bergeron was named the captain of the Boston Bruins. He took over from Zdeno Chára.
By the end of the 2020–21 season, Bergeron was fourth on the Bruins' all-time scoring list with 917 points. He won the Mark Messier Leadership Award for his strong leadership and contributions to the community.
On November 4, 2021, Bergeron scored his second natural hat trick and seventh hat trick overall. On April 28, 2022, he scored his 400th career goal with another hat trick. He became only the fourth Bruins player to score 400 goals for the team. The Bruins lost in the first round of the 2022 playoffs. Bergeron won the Selke Trophy for a record-setting fifth time.
On August 8, 2022, Bergeron signed a one-year contract to return for his 19th season. On November 21, he scored his 1,000th NHL point with an assist. In 2023, he won his sixth Selke Trophy, extending his own record. The Bruins had an amazing regular season in 2022–23, winning the Presidents' Trophy. However, they were upset in the first round of the playoffs.
Patrice Bergeron announced his retirement from hockey on July 25, 2023, after 19 seasons in the NHL.
International Play
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ice hockey | ||
Representing  Canada |
||
| Winter Olympics | ||
| Gold | 2014 Sochi | |
| Gold | 2010 Vancouver | |
| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 2004 Czech Republic | |
| Canada Cup / World Cup | ||
| Gold | 2016 Toronto | |
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Gold | 2005 United States | |
| Spengler Cup | ||
| Gold | 2012 Davos | |
After his first NHL season, Bergeron played for Team Canada at the 2004 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. He scored one goal and won his first gold medal.
The next year, he played for the Canadian national junior team at the 2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He played on a line with future NHL stars Sidney Crosby and Corey Perry. He led the tournament in scoring with 13 points and won MVP honors. Canada won the gold medal. Bergeron became the first player to win a men's gold medal before winning at the junior level.
Bergeron played for Canada again at the 2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. He was reunited with Sidney Crosby and finished second in tournament scoring.
In December 2009, Bergeron was chosen to play for Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Canada won another gold medal.
During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Bergeron played for HC Lugano in Switzerland. He also played for Canada at the 2012 Spengler Cup. Canada won gold, and Bergeron scored a goal and had three assists in the final game.
Bergeron won his second Olympic gold medal with Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics. He was also part of Canada's championship team at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Personal Life
Patrice Bergeron's parents are Gerard Cleary and Sylvie Bergeron. His family background is both French-Canadian and Irish. His full legal name is Bergeron-Cleary, but he uses Bergeron for simplicity.
Bergeron and his wife, Stephanie Bertrand, have four children: Zach, Victoria, Noah, and Felix.
Career Statistics
Regular Season and Playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2000–01 | Sainte-Foy Gouveneurs | QMAAA | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Séminaire St-François Blizzard | QMAAA | 38 | 25 | 37 | 62 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Acadie–Bathurst Titan | QMJHL | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Acadie–Bathurst Titan | QMJHL | 70 | 23 | 50 | 73 | 62 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 6 | ||
| 2003–04 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 71 | 16 | 23 | 39 | 22 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2004–05 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 68 | 21 | 40 | 61 | 59 | 16 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 4 | ||
| 2005–06 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 81 | 31 | 42 | 73 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 77 | 22 | 48 | 70 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 10 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 64 | 8 | 31 | 39 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 11 | ||
| 2009–10 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 73 | 19 | 33 | 52 | 28 | 13 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 2 | ||
| 2010–11 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 80 | 22 | 35 | 57 | 26 | 23 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 28 | ||
| 2011–12 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 81 | 22 | 42 | 64 | 20 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | ||
| 2012–13 | HC Lugano | NLA | 21 | 11 | 18 | 29 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 42 | 10 | 22 | 32 | 18 | 22 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 13 | ||
| 2013–14 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 80 | 30 | 32 | 62 | 43 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 4 | ||
| 2014–15 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 81 | 23 | 32 | 55 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 80 | 32 | 36 | 68 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 79 | 21 | 32 | 53 | 24 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2017–18 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 64 | 30 | 33 | 63 | 26 | 11 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 2 | ||
| 2018–19 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 65 | 32 | 47 | 79 | 30 | 24 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 12 | ||
| 2019–20 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 61 | 31 | 25 | 56 | 28 | 13 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 6 | ||
| 2020–21 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 54 | 23 | 25 | 48 | 16 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 4 | ||
| 2021–22 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 73 | 25 | 40 | 65 | 32 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 4 | ||
| 2022–23 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 78 | 27 | 31 | 58 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| NHL totals | 1,294 | 427 | 613 | 1,040 | 494 | 170 | 50 | 78 | 128 | 96 | ||||
International
Bold indicates led tournament
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Canada | WC |  |
9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2005 | Canada | WJC | |
6 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 6 | |
| 2006 | Canada | WC | 4th | 9 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 2 | |
| 2010 | Canada | OG | |
7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2012 | Canada | SC | |
4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | |
| 2014 | Canada | OG | |
6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| 2016 | Canada | WCH | |
6 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 6 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 6 | ||||
| Senior totals | 41 | 12 | 18 | 30 | 18 | ||||
Awards and Honours
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| AHL | |
| AHL All-Star Game | 2005 |
| NHL | |
| NHL YoungStars Game | 2004 |
| Stanley Cup champion | 2011 |
| Frank J. Selke Trophy | 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2022, 2023 |
| King Clancy Memorial Trophy | 2013 |
| NHL Foundation Player Award | 2014 |
| NHL All-Star Game | 2015, 2016, 2022 |
| NHL 2010s All-Decade Second Team | 2020 |
| Mark Messier Leadership Award | 2021 |
| International | |
| IIHF World Junior Championship Most Valuable Player | 2005 |
| IIHF World Junior Championship All-Star Team | 2005 |
| IIHF World Championship Top 3 Player on Team | 2006 |
| Boston Bruins | |
| Elizabeth C. Dufresne Trophy | 2006, 2010, 2013 |
| Bruins Three Stars Awards | 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 |
| John P. Bucyk Award | 2007, 2020, 2023 |
| Eddie Shore Award | 2013 |
| Named One of Top 100 Best Bruins Players of all Time | 2024 |
| Boston Bruins All-Centennial Team | 2024 |
- Member of the Triple Gold Club
- Scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal in 2011
- Voted the cover athlete for EA Sports' NHL 15 video game
Records
- First and only player to win the IIHF World Championship before the IIHF World U20 Championship
- Most Frank J. Selke Trophy wins in NHL history (6)
- Nominated for the Frank J. Selke Trophy for an NHL-record 12 straight seasons
- Frank J. Selke Trophy finalist for 12 consecutive seasons, the longest streak ever for a voted NHL Award in NHL history.
- Most playoff overtime goals in Boston Bruins history
Images for kids
-
Bergeron with the Boston Bruins in January 2016
