Patrice Bergeron made history on Sunday, adding another record to his illustrious (and possibly ongoing) career.
The Bruins captain won his fifth Selke Trophy, an achievement that only he has accomplished. The award is given annually to the forward with the highest prowess for defensive aspects of the game.
Bergeron was asked how he’s maintained such a high level of play throughout his career, to the point where he won his fifth Selke at 36 years old.
“The structure of the way that we play as a team, that we’ve played for a long time in Boston has helped tremendously,” Bergeron said Sunday during a video conference with the media. “I’ll say it again… teammates, linemates, (have helped) but I think positioning, trying to read plays. No one is going to be shocked if I say I’m not the fastest skater out there. But, I like to put myself in a position where I don’t have to do the extra strides or waste the energy for no reason so I think over the years I’ve gained experience and I’ve learned to put myself in a position where I can be in the best position defensively but also able to go back on the attack. I think it’s really experience over time that you start reading plays and your brain works a certain way.
“I’ve been playing with (Brad Marchand) over a decade so that also helps a lot and amazing teammates as well in the backend. Obviously (Zdeno Chara) for a while and (Charlie McAvoy) to name a few but it’s one of those things where it’s hard to say one thing (led to his consistent elite play).”
As expected, the longtime B’s center was very complimentary of his teammates, having a team-first mentality, even in response to an individual award. He also noted a recent surgery during the media availability.
