The new deal will make the veteran center the richest player on the team in terms of average annual value when his contract begins in 2015-16, and that is just fine with the team’s other top center.
Unsurprisingly, Patrice Bergeron responded to the news without a hint of jealousy, as he revealed that he’s worried less about the money and more about winning while participating in the Ray Bourque “Celebrities for Charity” tournament at the Golf Club of New England on Thursday.
“I don’t think about (the money), to be honest with you,” Bergeron said, per CSNNE.com’s Joe Haggerty. “When you look at the deals signed around the league this summer, I think (the Krejci extension) is a fair deal. I’m happy for him. I don’t stop and think about money. It’s about knowing that Krejci will be here for a while and that I’ll be here for a while. I’m happy about that. At the end of the day, it’s about being a team and finding ways to win.”
Bergeron added that he’s “happy” for Krejci, who now joins Bergeron and Tuukka Rask as members of the Black and Gold signed through the next seven seasons.
“I think it’s great, and I’m really happy for him. It’s well-deserved. I’m just happy we’re going to be teammates for a while,” Bergeron said. “(GM) Peter (Chiarelli) has always done a great job of keeping the core together. I think it speaks to us wanting to get better, to be better, to win and to get some more (Stanley Cups).”
Krejci was the team’s leading point-scorer in 2013, tallying 19 goals and 50 assists for 69 points.
