Tom Brady no longer plays here.
Neither do Rob Gronkowski, Mookie Betts, Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug, to name just a few. Boston has been spoiled over the last two decades with championships and star players. The cupboard isn't bare, though. It's time to fully appreciate the career of Bruins center Patrice Bergeron, now in his 17th season. The 35-year-old, whose career was put in jeopardy due to a serious concussion in 2007, seems to be getting better, not older.
Facing a 3-1 deficit Wednesday against a strong Flyers team, Bergeron does what he always seems to do. He elevated his play in crunch time. He picked up two late assists and then handed the Bruins a 4-3 win when he scored in overtime. He finished the night with 1-3-4 totals. Ho-hum. Another night at the office.
Long considered one of the NHL's premier defensive forwards (and a faceoff magician), Bergeron is on pace to surpass 30 goals for the seventh time in his career. He begins Thursday with 15 points, tied for third in the NHL. His next game will be the 1,100th of his regular season career. Counting playoffs, Bergeron has 995 career points.
Bergeron's career was almost ended before it really began. On Oct. 27, 2007, he was hit from behind by Flyers defenseman Randy Jones. He suffered a broken nose and serious concussion. He missed the final 70 games of the 2007-08 season as well as the playoffs. His career was in jeopardy.
Luckily, Bergeron recovered and returned for the 2008-09 season. Bergeron is everything fans want in an athlete. Accountable. Hard-working. A leader on and off the ice. Consistent. Tough.
Boston has seen plenty of talent walk out the door in recent years. But Bergeron remains. And, somehow, he appears to be better than ever at age 35. That's something to celebrate.
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