Patrice Bergeron’s road back just became a bit bumpier.
The Boston Bruins center revealed Thursday he’s dealing with back spasms, something he’s not overly concerned about but described as “a little bit of a setback” in his recovery from offseason groin surgery.
“Sometimes it does happen, I’ve been told,” Bergeron told reporters at Warrior Ice Arena. “People who’ve dealt with groin and hip injuries, they’ve dealt with some back injuries as well. So, you know, a little bit of a setback, but otherwise kind of looking forward to being done and feeling good next week.”
So, where does this put Bergeron one day before the Bruins’ first on-ice session of training camp? Well, the 33-year-old is hopeful it won’t alter his schedule too much, meaning he still expects to be ready for Boston’s season opener against the Washington Capitals on Oct. 3 despite not being a full-go Friday.
“A little bit of setback that way, but still shooting for the same schedule for the end of camp and the start of the season, so nothing has changed that way,” Bergeron told reporters.
Bergeron is one of several veterans who didn’t make the trip to China, where the Bruins will play two preseason games against the Calgary Flames on Sept. 15 and Sept. 19. Instead, he’ll remain in the United States and focus on battling back from the groin surgery he underwent in June after it became clear the injury he dealt with throughout last season wasn’t going away on its own.
In total, Bergeron missed 18 regular season games and one playoff game last season because of injuries. He’s now entering his 15th NHL season. It might be a bit more difficult nowadays to manage the aches and pains, but Bergeron was nothing short of sensational when healthy in 2017-18, totaling 30 goals and 33 assists for 63 points while playing his usual stellar defense on Boston’s top line.
