How Patrice Bergeron Found Out His Number Will Be Retired Next Season

BOSTON –– Patrice Bergeron sat down on the couch, prepared to talk about one of his favorite subjects: Zdeno Chara. 

A few days earlier, Chara called Bergeron to ask for a favor promoting his “Zee’s Final Shift,” happening later this summer in Trenčín, Slovakia. Bergeron is one of Chara’s former teammates skating in the farewell game and, of course, agreed to record anything needed. 

What Bergeron did not know, though, was that Chara's request was all part of a ploy en route to revealing that No. 37 would be raised to the TD Garden rafters during the 2026-27 season – an honor that was bestowed upon Chara’s No. 33 in January. 

“Being part of the surprise for Patrice is super exciting because he’s done so much the other way for me last year,” Chara said. “I am just, first and foremost, grateful and feel privileged to be part of it. I am so excited for him and so happy for him. He deserves everything.” 

And so, Bergeron welcomed cameras into his Massachusetts home to record a message and some follow-up questions about “Zee’s Final Shift” and what Chara means to him. 

Bergeron was mid-sentence when the doorbell rang. His wife, Stephanie, motioned to him to come get the door. With a raised eyebrow, Bergeron pardoned the interruption and headed to the front of his house, where Johnny Bucyk stood with a grin. Bucyk, whose No. 9 already hangs in the rafters, handed Bergeron his banner from the 2011 playoff run at TD Garden.

“I saw Chief, and he sold it pretty good, saying he was going around because it was the 15-year anniversary of 2011 – giving out flags,” Bergeron said. 

Thinking this was all part of a look-back project on the 2011 team, Bergeron sat back down on the couch to answer questions about that championship run. As he was detailing the feeling of hoisting the Cup, and the guts it took to come back in the final series from down 2-0 and 3-2, the doorbell rang again. 

“What is going on?” he remarked. 

Bergeron went to the door once again. He, Stephanie and their four kids – Zack, Victoria, Noah and Félix – were greeted by Charlie Jacobs, Cam Neely, Rick Middleton and Terry O'Reilly. 

“On the second one with Cam and Charlie and Nifty and Taz, I was like, ‘Alright, something is happening here,’” Bergeron said.

After exchanging somewhat confused pleasantries, Jacobs told Bergeron that the Boston Bruins would retire No. 37 this season, making it the 14th number sent to the rafters by the organization. 

“I am still shocked, actually. I have no words, really. I didn’t really know what was going on,” Bergeron said. “I feel like my reaction was more speechless. I didn’t know what to say. Obviously, I consider these guys legends from the Bruins but also legends of the game. Everything they have accomplished. To have my name with them is very special. To share that with my family is also amazing.”  

Stephanie was able to exhale once the announcement was out in the open. She had been part of planning for the weeks leading up to the moment and kept things under wraps, putting on her best acting skills when the doorbell kept ringing.

“I knew it was going to be a very special moment for him, so I wanted to keep it a surprise,” she said. “I needed to be a little strategic to make sure he was not going to know it was going to happen. I was so excited for him and so happy that this moment was going to be here and we were going to be living this together.” 

While it was a surprise for Bergeron, it was not for anybody else. This was a moment that each individual in the organization and hockey fan in Boston saw coming from the moment the former captain hung up his skates in July 2023. 

Bergeron spent his entire 19-season career with the Bruins after getting selected in the second round of the 2003 NHL Draft by the team. The centerman appeared in 1,294 career games, recording 427 goals and 613 assists for 1,040 points, becoming the fourth player to record 1,000 points for Boston. Bergeron ranks third in franchise history in games played, goals and points and fourth in assists. 

Chara was teammates with Bergeron for 14 of those seasons. The duo helped craft what it meant to be a Boston Bruin. They reached the mountaintop in 2011 – bringing the Stanley Cup back to Boston for the first time since 1972 – and appeared in two additional finals in 2013 and 2019. Chara and Bergeron share the NHL record for most Game 7 appearances with 14. 

“He is my best friend, on and off the ice. Spent the longest time with him as a teammate, as a friend. It’s just a relationship – I think it goes way beyond the hockey memories. It’s the loyalty, the trust we built over the years, and someone I can always rely on. Someone I can always talk to about anything,” Chara said. “I think that we never thought of reaching these types of milestones. We always focused to do whatever we could for the team in the best ways we could to help the team and teammates…I am so proud of him. How he treats others, how he goes about his daily life. He’s such a great family man, such a good person. And, obviously, everyone knows he’s been an unbelievable hockey player for a very long time.”

While Zack, Victoria, Noah and Félix all know their dad as a hockey player – and some were in the stands for the latter years of his career – that is never what defined him away from the rink. It is part of the reason, Bergeron said, that he was able to play as well as he did for as long as he did. 

“Steph and the kids – it’s always been special for me to come back home to a house full of energy. It really didn’t matter what the outcome was of the game. It was always about family time and making sure I was dad when I was getting home,” Bergeron said. “And obviously my parents and my brother as well. Growing up and all the sacrifices they’ve made for me to live a passion and a dream.” 

The long road trips, late nights and ups and downs of a pro career were not seen as a negative for Stephanie. It was all part of the life they were building together. 

“I’ve always been happy to be there for him. It never felt like a sacrifice; honestly, it was just more we kind of work as a team, and I was happy to be next to him and support him. I am excited for him today,” Stephanie said. “I feel like it’s a good closure for him to be able to go through this final wrap-up of his career.” 

Beyond the accolades, and there were a lot, including winning the Selke Trophy a record six times (2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2022, 2023), Bergeron is remembered for the type of person he is and was while wearing the Black & Gold. His leadership, grit, kindness, humility and deep reverence for representing the Bruins is what remains in the walls of the locker room, influencing how the next era of this team carries itself. Bergeron set a standard of excellence – both on and off the ice – that will now be immortalized in the rafters. 

“Hopefully, for me, I’ve always said I hope I was able to show that I really cared for my teammates and the collective goal was always the priority for me and for us as a team. That was kind of the culture that was brought in with Zee and the rest of the guys. Hopefully we were able to leave that behind with Pasta and Chuck and the rest of the guys that were with us,” Bergeron said. “It is a special organization. That pride to wear that jersey every night and the feeling you should get. And wanting to leave that jersey in a better place when you move forward – that’s really important to me.” 

Bergeron made his NHL debut as an 18-year-old on Oct. 8, 2003 against the New Jersey Devils. He had one shot, 17 shifts and 10:16 of ice time. The L'Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec native was on his way to becoming one of the greats every game after that. 

“My dream was always to make it. To play in the NHL one day. That dream was always so far, and you try to work and do everything you can to get there. But once you get there, you have no idea what’s to come,” Bergeron said. “I don’t know if that kid would believe what is happening right now. I know he would be very appreciative and grateful and thankful for the journey. It really does mean a lot.”