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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Boston Bruins announced Thursday that next season, they will retire former captain Patrice Bergeron's number 37.
"Patrice was the kind of rare, generational talent that every team wanted," said Bruins owner and governor Jeremy Jacobs in a statement. "He was a deftly skilled playmaker and the undeniable greatest defensive forward in the NHL’s history. But it was the leadership he provided on the ice and in the locker room that made him truly stand apart and an all-time legend of the Boston Bruins."
The fan favorite, who won a cup with the Bruins in 2011, played for the team from 2003 before retiring in 2023. He won the Selke trophy, for the league's best defensive forward, a record six times and won two gold medals at the Olympics in 2010 and 2014. He's also the fourth player to score 1,000 points for the Bruins.
"To have my number retired by the Boston Bruins is an honor that is difficult to put into words," said Bergeron in a statement. "When I arrived in Boston as an 18-year-old, I could never have imagined receiving this recognition one day. I have always believed that any success I had was only possible because of the people around me. I was fortunate to play alongside incredible teammates, learn from outstanding coaches and staff and be supported by an organization that believed in me from the very beginning...To know that No. 37 will forever be part of that history is something I will cherish for the rest of my life."
A date for the retirement ceremony has yet to be announced.
Bergeron will be 14th player whose number was retired by the Bruins. This past season, the Bruins retired his teammate Zdeno Chara's number 33.