Patrice Bergeron woke up from his nightmare.
The Boston Bruins announced Monday that the team signed Brad Marchand to an eight-year, $49 million contract extension through the 2024-25 season. The deal has Bergeron’s stamp of approval, as you’d expect, especially since it ends speculation about whether Marchand would consider leaving in free agency after this season and signing with another team … like the Pittsburgh Penguins, perhaps?
“I’m really happy. He’s an amazing player I really enjoy to play with and we’ve created a lot of chemistry over the years. I was getting a little worried now with him playing with (Sidney Crosby),” Bergeron joked, according to ESPN.com, alluding to the chemistry Marchand has had with Crosby on Team Canada during the World Cup of Hockey. “I’m really happy it’s done and we can move forward for himself and also for us as a team. I can’t say enough about him. It’s well deserved and he’s an amazing player.”
Bergeron was just messing around, of course. He was aware that Marchand’s contract extension was in the works, according to NHL.com, so it’s not like Monday’s announcement surprised him or that he really was worried about his teammate bolting for Pittsburgh to join forces with Crosby after this season.
But losing Marchand, who finished with a career-high 37 goals and 61 points last season, would have been enough to lose sleep over. Bergeron and Bruins fans everywhere now can relax a little bit knowing one of Boston’s key cogs figures to be around for the foreseeable future.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
