Patrice Bergeron was amused by the rumours that have been going around lately regarding his possible NHL comeback, which were first started around a month ago by the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast.
Every Friday, the future Hall of Famer and captain of the Boston Bruins had been practicing stick-and-puck with a group of local ex-NHL players, including Lee Stempniak and Adam McQuaid.
When asked about the conjecture at first, Bergeron responded as follows:
“You would know there isn’t going to be any NHL comeback if you were at the Friday skates.”
In actuality, though, Patrice Bergeron had taken up skating with pals to make up for the lack of companionship that his retirement earlier this summer had created.
Having played in 1294 NHL games (including playoffs) since his debut in 2003–04, Bergeron acknowledges that he misses the daily banter and camaraderie in the locker room, but he doesn’t miss the physical strain of getting ready for games.
In response to the talk of a comeback, Bergeron told Boston Sports Journal:
“I understand [the comeback talk]. I’d been working out every weekday and I’d started [doing] a little skate with former [NHL] players on Fridays. I guess I knew that it could generate some talk. Why would I be on the ice if I wanted to retire?
“But people need to understand that this is a passion. I’m always going to love the game. So, for me to go out and enjoy a skate and enjoy those feelings again, it’s great.”
Patrice Bergeron confirmed his decision is final
Patrice Bergeron reaffirmed that his decision to retire was definite and that it was in his and his family’s best interests, despite the rumours. The legendary Bruins player stated:
“I thought it was funny. It is what it is. You can’t change rumors and people will always talk. When I did retire, I knew that I could have played another year. But I made that decision for what I thought was the best decision for me and for my family.
“It’s a physical sport. There are a lot of body parts that, when I get up in the morning, they are very achy. When I made the [retirement] decision, it was very real … That’s why I took so long. Because once I made a decision [to retire], I wasn’t going to be going back on it. I listened to my heart and followed my inside voice. That’s something I’ve done my whole life.”
Patrice Bergeron has been acclimating to life off the ice since retiring. He recently watched Brad Marchand play in his 1000th NHL game while visiting a Bruins game.
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