Beyond the Rink | Bergeron’s Impact is About More Than Hockey

“We were all in awe because it’s Patrice Bergeron,” said Marchand. “Everybody knew he was the young stud and I remember I was battling with him in the corner, and I was just blown away because I thought at that time that I was an NHL caliber player. And that was the first real taste I had of meeting not only just an NHL player but one of the best. It was a real eye-opening moment.”

It was then that Marchand realized how much work was left for him to do to continue his ascension to the Black & Gold.

“I instantly had so much respect, because obviously I knew who he was and I had watched him play and stuff, but I really didn’t know how good he was,” said Marchand. “And that’s when you can really get a lot of respect for guys when you practice against them and play with them and see them every day.

“When I had to compete against him, I couldn’t get anywhere near that puck. I was trying to go hard, and I was trying to just show off…all the management were there, and he just embarrassed me out there.

“It was kind of a welcome to the NHL moment, competing against one of the best, so that was pretty cool.”

What’s even cooler is that some 15 years later, Marchand can say he was linemates – for over a decade – with one of the best all-around forwards in the history of the National Hockey League, as the pair became one of the most dynamic duos in the game, while also forming a unique bond both on and off the ice.

“Bergy and I…the more and more we played together, the closer we got,” said Marchand. “But I think the one thing that really helped bond our relationship was, Bergy was on the cover of NHL [15, the video game]. And we went out to [Los Angeles] – him, his brother [Guillaume], myself and we did some commercials but then we just spent a couple days together in L.A., and I think we really bonded.

“It was the first time we didn’t have any hockey to focus on, it was summertime…we had an absolute blast out there together and I think those were some pretty strong moments for us to bond outside of the rink and outside of hockey and really just become better friends.”

Despite Bergeron’s announcement earlier this week that he would retire after 19 seasons with the Black & Gold, it is a bond that will, no doubt, endure. As will Bergeron’s indelible impact on the Bruins organization and all of those who played with or worked with him during his remarkable career.

And while his fierce competitive edge on the ice is what first caught Marchand’s attention on the ice all those years ago, there is so much more – beyond the ice – that has turned Bergeron’s career into one of the greatest in Bruins history.

“There’s only three people I call special, my kids and my wife…and I call Bergy special,” said David Krejci, who was the other half of Boston’s formidable 1-2 punch down the middle of the ice for the past 17 years. “Bergy’s like my brother. We’ve been together for so long…when you’re in the room with somebody and you don’t talk, and you still feel…