This one was a long time coming.
The Boston Bruins on Thursday named franchise stalwart Patrice Bergeron their new captain. The decision comes after the departure of Zdeno Chara, who had been Boston's captain since 2006.
Bergeron is the longest-tenured player in the Bruins organization, drafted in the second round of the 2003 NHL Draft. He broke into the league later that year as an 18-year-old, and after a year on the wing, he became a mainstay up the middle of Boston's lineup.
He's reached at least 70 points in a season thrice in his career, all while cementing himself as an elite defensive forward and an ace in the face-off circle.
The 35-year-old is a 2011 Stanley Cup winner, a 2012-13 King Clancy Award winner and a routine finalist for the Selke Trophy, which he's won four times while being nominated as a finalist another five times.
During his 16 years in the organization, Bergeron has proven to be a tremendous leader. That's not just because he's worn an "A" on his sweater since 2006. But also because of the way he prepares and carries himself on and off the ice.
Along with Chara, Bergeron was instrumental in building the Bruins' highly regarded culture that exists today and will continue long after his retirement. Boston has become a free agent destination for a number of players in part because of guys like Bergeron, who not only are top-class players but top-class people, as well.
Ask any teammate of Bergeron's, and they'll rave about him and his impact on their playing career and lives.
Bergeron is a surefire Hall of Famer, and the new captainship is just another deserved feather in his cap.
