Bergeron retires from NHL after 19 seasons with Bruins

BOSTON -- Patrice Bergeron announced his retirement from the NHL on Tuesday.

Bergeron played all 19 seasons of his NHL career for the Boston Bruins after being selected in the second round (No. 45) of the 2003 NHL Draft. He had 1,040 points (427 goals, 613 assists) in 1,294 games and was voted the Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward in the League a record six times, including last season.

He also had 128 points (50 goals, 78 assists) in 170 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and won the Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011. Bergeron succeeded Zdeno Chara as captain to start the 2020-21 season.

"When I was around 12 years old a teacher asked everyone in my class to write about our dreams. For me, my dream was already clear: to become a professional hockey player," the 38-year-old said in a statement Tuesday. "I was probably a little naive growing up, because in my mind this dream was never a question of if, but when it would happen. The path to making my dreams come true was not easy. I faced adversity and made so many sacrifices, but throughout it all my love for the game only grew and my determination to achieve my goals always remained strong.

RELATED: [Bergeron was 'whole package' for Bruins | Bergeron's career by the numbers]

"For the last 20 years I have been able to live my dream every day. I have had the honor of playing in front of the best fans in the world wearing the Bruins uniform and representing my country at the highest levels of international play. I have given the game everything that I have physically and emotionally, and the game has given me back more than I could have ever imagined.

"It is with a full heart and a lot of gratitude that today I am announcing my retirement as a professional hockey player.

"As hard as it is to write, I also write it knowing how blessed and lucky I feel to have had the career that I have had, and that I have the opportunity to leave the game I love on my terms. It wasn't a decision that I came to lightly. But after listening to my body, and talking with my family, I know in my heart that this is the right time to step away from playing the game I love."

The Bruins set NHL records for wins (63) and points (135) this season but were stunned by the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference First Round. After their Game 7 loss, Bergeron said that he would have to speak to his family in the following days, as he determined whether he had played his final game in the NHL.

"I'm going to take some time, talk with the family, go from there," Bergeron said. "Right now it's hard to process anything. Obviously we're shocked and disappointed, and so that's it."

After the game was over at TD Garden, Bergeron stood at the entrance to the tunnel and hugged each of his teammates, with tears in his eyes. The last and longest was reserved for Brad Marchand, the forward who has played more than a decade by his side.

He finished by lifting his stick to the crowd, thanking them for the support.

"It hurts right now, so I'm going to have to step back and give it some thought with my family," Bergeron said.

The Bruins prepared for the possibility that Bergeron would retire. The same held true for center

David Krejci

, who's 37 and retired Monday.

"We've got to really plan that they're not coming back until we hear otherwise," Bruins president Cam Neely said June 27. "We would not be doing the organization a service if we planned that they are coming back and then we're told that they're not."

It hurt literally too.

Bergeron revealed that he had a herniated disk, which limited him to three games in the series against the Panthers. He missed the first four games before returning in Game 5.

"It's hard to tell right now," he said, of his health. "After a series like that, obviously missing four games was disappointing, tried to hurry to come back. … I have a herniated disc in my back. That's why I missed the four games and tried to rush to come back.

"Obviously, it's stiff. It's definitely not something I'm going to use as an excuse. It is what it is. Everyone battles with a lot of things during playoffs. It's just unfortunate the way that it happened on a fluke play."

Bergeron said he would not need surgery on his back.

Asked how emotional it was with Bergeron, Marchand said, "Yeah, it's emotional. You don't know about those guys' future. It's tough. We were hoping to make a good long run here all together. It's tough for everybody."