Patrice Bergeron finally reveals the real reason why he announced his retirement

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MarcO
August 4, 2023 (9:35 PM)

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As we know, Patrice Bergeron announced his retirement last week.

After 19 seasons with the Boston Bruins, many hockey fans in Quebec consider number 37 as one of the best defensive players of his generation, and he will have the honor of having his jersey retired by the Bruins organization next season.

It was heartbreaking to see the images of the Bruins being eliminated by the Florida Panthers last spring when all of Bergeron's teammates came up to give him quite an emotional hug, as if the players knew it was his last career game.

It seems that was indeed the case because according to Kevin Dubé of the Journal de Québec, Bergeron had made his decision last January and according to the journalist, one of the main reasons that led him to retire is that at 38, he listened to his body.

That's the only true reason:

"Patrice Bergeron listened to the opinion of many of his loved ones but, in the end, it was his body that confirmed to him it was time to retire from professional hockey after enduring the rigors of the NHL for 19 seasons.

"I've spoken with a lot of people over the past year, I've had several very good conversations with people who had different opinions. What always came back was: "You will know when it's the right time to retire." I've always been someone who listens to their intuition and heart and I felt it was time to move on. Sometimes, the body sends us messages."

Since the Boston Bruins were eliminated in the first round of the last playoffs, the motivation to go to train and even to step onto the ice was less present for Bergy:

"My motivation was waning this summer and I felt like I was listening to the signs my body was sending me. I did not miss my workouts and when it had been a while since I had set foot on an ice rink, I did not miss it either. I was waiting to see if the motivation would come back, but it never did."

As we know, Bergeron has suffered many injuries during his long career and he has even often played while he was quite battered thank you.

Remember the 2013 finals against the Chicago Blackhawks. Despite a punctured lung, a fractured rib, torn costal cartilage, and a shoulder separation, he played the sixth game of the final that the Bruins lost and after the game, Bergeron was taken to the hospital.

If that's not synonymous with courage, I don't know what is!

That said, the former Bruins captain will be able to fully enjoy his retirement and lead a somewhat more normal life, waiting for the doors of the Hockey Hall of Fame to give him a place in a few years.

Credit: Go Nordiques.com