Boston Bruins sign Patrice Bergeron to three-year contract extension
The Boston Bruins have ensured that at least one of their star players will be playing in Boston for a little while longer. The team has announced the signing of centre Patrice Bergeron
of a three-year contract extension valued at $15 million.
Drafted 45th overall by the Bruins in the 2003 National Hockey League Entry Draft, Bergeron is one of the cornerstones of Boston’s offence. The native of L’Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec, made
the team soon after being drafted, and scored 16 goals and 23 assists for a total of 39 points in his rookie season.
Bergeron played for Boston’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Providence Bruins, during the 2004-05 NHL lock-out. When the NHL resumed regular play the following season, he would
score a career-high 31 goals and 42 assists for 73 points in 81 games. Bergeron followed that up with a 70-point (22G, 48A) campaign in 2006-07.
The 25-year-old would only play in 10 games for the Bruins in 2007-08, as he suffered a major concussion that kept him out of the line-up for the remainder of the season. On October 27,
2007, during a game against the Philadelphia Flyers, Bergeron was the recipient of a dangerous hit from Flyers defenceman Randy Jones. The hit knocked Bergeron unconscious, and he suffered a broken nose and third-grade concussion. Jones was suspended for two
games by the NHL as a result.
Bergeron suffered another concussion on December 20, 2008, when he collided with defenceman Dennis Seidenberg of the Carolina Hurricanes. The two players eventually became teammates when
Seidenberg joined the Bruins through a trade two years later.
Known for his superb playmaking skills, Bergeron has become a household name in Boston. In addition to his skill set, Bergeron also brings a great deal of leadership to the table. He was
rewarded for this by being named one of the Bruins’ alternate captains in the 2005-06 season, a title that he has held ever since.
In 376 career NHL games, Bergeron has scored 99 goals and 181 assists for a total of 280 points.
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