The Boston Bruins captain, and arguably the heart of the team over the last several years, Patrice Bergeron announced his retirement today. He made the announcement in a statement that he issued on NHL.com.
He ends a 20-year career, all with the Bruins after being drafted in 2003.
He said that he was retiring "with a full heart and a lot of gratitude". He said that it was tough to walk away from the game. He said that he felt both blessed and lucky to have the kind of a career that he had.
"It wasn't a decision that I came to lightly." He said that after listening to his body and talking to his family he knew that it was time to step away.
He did not say anything about future plans.
Bergeron retires with 1,040 points in nearly 13 hundred career games.
He thanked the people of New England "for welcoming a young French Canadian who didn't speak great English and treated me as one of your own."
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images