Has Boston Seen the Last of the Hockey Star Patrice Bergeron?

Patrice Bergeron’s ultimate hug on the ice on Sunday was reserved for Brad Marchand, his longtime linemate and good friend. It was longer and tighter than the opposite hugs he shared with every of his teammates, and it introduced Bergeron to tears as somber followers stood and cheered.

If it was Bergeron’s ultimate second in a Boston Bruins uniform, so ends a powerful 19-year profession that locations him within the pantheon of nice Boston athletes. He didn’t win as many championships as Bill Russell or Tom Brady. He was not a three-time most precious participant like Larry Bird. He was not as clutch as David Ortiz and didn’t change the sport the best way Bobby Orr did.

But someplace on that glittering listing stands Bergeron, one of many best two-way facilities in hockey historical past. He is maybe a couple of spots increased than he in any other case is perhaps due to his unmistakable class and the truth that he performed his complete profession, at the least, to this point, for the Bruins.

“He is one of the best to ever play the game,” Marchand mentioned in March, when the Bruins appeared invincible. “He’s also one of the best leaders ever. It’s hard for anyone to drag their feet when your best player and oldest guy is out there setting the example.”

Marchand and his teammates, together with David Krejci, spoke brazenly all 12 months about how this season was deliberate and arranged by the Bruins to win the Stanley Cup for Bergeron in what could be the beloved captain’s ultimate season. His age matches his iconic quantity, 37, which can ultimately dangle above the ice at TD Garden in Boston. He can even actually be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame sooner or later, however maybe it is going to be with a tinge of disappointment — as there was with Orr — that there may have been extra success, together with this 12 months.

Bergeron received a Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011 together with Marchand and Krejci, and that’s greater than some nice gamers obtain. But the Bruins additionally misplaced within the finals in 2013 and 2019, and now there’s this, a very sorrowful and painful ending.

Perhaps he was crying Sunday night time due to the speedy and colossal disappointment, and never as a result of he knew it was his ultimate N.H.L. sport. Bergeron and the Bruins skated off the ice after a surprising, season-ending additional time loss to the Florida Panthers at dwelling in Game 7 of their first-round playoff collection. Afterward, Bergeron indicated the choice on his future had not been finalized.

“It hurts right now,” he mentioned. “I’m going to have to step back and give it some thought with my family.”

Bergeron and his teammates had hoped, perhaps even anticipated, to see their names carved into the Stanley Cup on the finish of the playoffs. Instead, their names will probably be added to a brief listing of probably the most bitter Boston sports activities disappointments in current reminiscence, together with their very own Game 7 loss at dwelling to the St. Louis Blues within the 2019 finals.

But as a result of they’d been so good and had the very best of expectations, this beautiful final result was barely harking back to the lack of the undefeated 2007 Patriots to the Giants within the Super Bowl. This one got here lengthy earlier than the ultimate stage, nevertheless it was devastating, nonetheless.

In the common season, the Bruins received 65 video games, greater than some other crew in N.H.L. historical past, a report that now taunts them and their followers. On Sunday, after constructing a three-games-to-one lead of their collection with Florida — and holding a 3-2 lead with one minute left in regulation — the Panthers pulled their goalie for a sixth skater and Brandon Montour scored to ship the sport to additional time. There, Carter Verhaeghe scored the winner for Florida, and the Bruins turned the newest sufferer of the curse of the Presidents’ Trophy.

Since Chicago received the Stanley Cup in 2013, no crew that led the league in wins (an accomplishment for which that doubtful trophy is awarded) has received the Stanley Cup. Only 4 occasions has a crew received each for the reason that 2000-1 season, and the Bruins turned the eighth straight Presidents’ Trophy winner to lose within the first or second spherical.

Perhaps all of them suffered from unhealthy luck, or maybe there’s something extra substantive in these numbers. For some groups, it could possibly be the dearth of aggressive video games towards the tip of the season. For others, it may have been overconfidence.

For the Bruins, it might have been the pursuit of historical past that did them in, and the load of expectations. They led the league from starting to finish and secured a playoff spot earlier than some other crew. The Bruins received 16 of their final 17 regular-season video games, and misplaced solely 5 after the All-Star break. They pushed to the ultimate sport, maybe so as to add to their historic report, or in an try to remain sharp.

But come the playoffs, Florida was sharper, meaner and had extra intent. The Bruins, with arguably the most effective and deepest defensive core within the league in the course of the common season, regarded tentative and tight. They had issue breaking the puck out of their zone and made quite a few uncharacteristic turnovers that led to targets.

Bergeron, who performed in 78 of 82 video games within the common season, didn’t play within the first 4 video games of the collection due to a herniated disk that he could have suffered within the ultimate regular-season sport in Montreal on April 13. In the three playoff video games he did skate, the Bruins misplaced.

“Obviously, it’s extremely disappointing,” he mentioned, “especially with the team that we had.”

Bergeron, a second-round draft decide in 2003, joined the Bruins at age 18 and has performed in 1,294 regular-season video games. He has amassed 1,040 factors within the common season, together with 427 targets, and he in all probability prevented a thousand or extra by opponents (he had a plus-minus score of +289).

He additionally had 128 factors in 170 playoff video games, and Zdeno Chara, the previous Bruins captain, usually lauded Bergeron as his efficient co-captain.

Best recognized for his offensive and defensive wholeness, Bergeron received a report 5 Selke Trophies because the league’s greatest defensive ahead, most not too long ago in 2022, however can also be one in all league’s most knowledgeable face-off males. According to NHL.com, he received 14,837 faceoffs in his profession, greater than some other participant since 2005, and his 58.7 successful share is eighth greatest in historical past and highest amongst lively gamers.

He additionally received two Olympic gold medals with Canada, in 2010 and 2014, and received a world championship in 2004, all whereas setting a shimmering instance of professionalism.

After Sunday’s loss, Marchand was requested about Bergeron and the chance that his good friend’s profession was over. Marchand grew emotional, showing to combat again tears.

“There’s obviously too many memories to list,” Marchand mentioned. “But the friendship we’ve built and the relationship we have has been special. So, hopefully, it’s not.”