Patrice Bergeron has never been a player to highlight his personal accomplishments, but the Bruins did just that Saturday.
Prior to Boston’s 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Bruins honored their team captain for his accomplishment of 1,000 career points. Bergeron became the fourth player in franchise history to reach the feat after an assist on a Brad Marchand goal against the Lightning on Nov. 21 at Amalie Arena. Tampa Bay fans and a few Bruins fans in attendance gave Bergeron a standing ovation, but the 37-year-old now got to celebrate the feat at TD Garden with his family.
Ray Bourque, John Bucyk and Phil Esposito were featured in a video welcoming the five-time Selke winner into the 1,000-point club, and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker met with the 19th-year veteran before the pregame ceremony to officially declare Dec. 17 “Patrice Bergeron Day” in the commonwealth.
“It means a lot,” Bergeron told reporters, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “I’ve been around for a long time in this city, and playing in front of these fans, they’re appreciative. All the support I’ve had over the years from them, it was a nice moment. I was happy to share that with my family and my teammates as well. They’re a big part of why I was able to accomplish the milestone. Again, very thankful for all of them and obviously the fans as well.”
Bergeron didn’t light up the stat sheet, but his play defensively and as captain was key in the Bruins’ win against the Blue Jackets that earned him first star honors for Saturday.
