BOSTON -- Patrice Bergeron quietly reached a major milestone when he took the ice for the Bruins on Saturday night.
Boston's captain returned after a four-game absence due to an infection in his elbow and skated in his 1,200th career game. Bergeron amassed an assist in the Bruins' complete 6-3 win over the New York Islanders to help mark the occasion.
Bergeron has played his entire 18-year NHL career donning the eight-spoked B, and head coach Bruce Cassidy is hopeful to have the 36-year-old for quite a bit longer.
"I told him, 'We need you for 1,300 and beyond,'" Cassidy said after the win.
Bergeron is an unrestricted agree agent at the end of this season and has given zero indication about what his future holds, but he knows this milestone is something to be proud of.
"It means I've been around for a while," Bergeron said, before later adding, "It's special. Especially being an Original Six team. It's an honor that I don't take lightly what it means to be a Boston Bruin."
Here's to 1,200 more, captain.
