Patrice Bergeron‘s Stanley Cup Final injuries will no doubt be inflated and overblown as time goes on. and for good reason. That’s just the way it goes with these types of things, and they become larger than life. However, the fact that we’re still talking about them — and his decision to play through them — says a ton about what kind of effort it really was.
CBC.ca has shed a little more light on the situation now, too. It goes without saying that fans were impressed by Bergeron’s ability to play through cracked ribs, a punctured lung and a separated shoulder in the Stanley Cup Final. His teammates were also impressed, but at least one of them was a little bit concerned for his teammate.
“I remember being on the bench a few times and being worried about him,” Bergeron’s linemate Brad Marchand told CBC. “I told him, ‘Bergy, you have to go. You can’t stay out here with the amount of pain you’re in.'”
Bergeron, of course, did stay out there in the amount of pain he was in. In fact, Bergeron played almost 18 minutes in the deciding Game 6 and eventually had to spend time in the hospital after the game ended.
“I was worried about his health,” Marchand admitted. “He was in so much pain. To see a guy like him stay out there for the team and battle through the pain was amazing. It shows his character. It’s why he’s such a good player, a leader and such an elite athlete. He’ll do anything for the team.”
Bergeron admitted to CBC that he could feel “my chest was closing in on me,” but couldn’t exactly tell what was wrong. He eventually found out, and the myriad injuries will likely be what defines Bergeron’s career with the Bruins, especially considering how much he risked to try and bring another Stanley Cup to Boston.
“Honestly, I’ve never thought twice about it,” Bergeron told CBC. “I wanted to be part of that game. I didn’t know it was that bad. But I wanted to play. I wanted to help my teammates. I have no regrets nor have I second-guessed staying and playing. But I guess I had my share of injuries that series.”
Bergeron is still hopeful he’ll be cleared and ready to go when the Bruins open training camp Wednesday.
