The 2015 NHL All-Star weekend wrapped up in Columbus last night. The Boston Bruins were well represented. While the B’s only had one member of the squad on the ice, it was Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins center is one of those players that can be both larger than life and completely unassuming at the same time.
It was a pretty good weekend for Bergeron. He finished fifth in the accuracy competition and had a rather solid performance in the All-Star game. He earned a goal, put in four assists, and was a +4. Bergeron’s team Team Toews defeated Team Foligno 17-12. That twenty-nine goal performance is a new record for scoring at an All-Star game.
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Bergeron is one of those players that is universally respected by the players in the league. His hard work, honest play, and positive demeanor is just infectious, and other NHL players happily acknowledge what a good person he is on and off the ice.
That respect was represented early in the All-Star weekend. During the Fantasy Draft, New York Rangers Rick Nash acknowledged Bergeron’s skill when Team Toews selected him. “One of the best players in the League, who does it all.” Bergeron was selected ninth overall.
“He’s a respected guy. I was teammates with him in Vancouver and Sochi and he’s an impressive player that sometimes flies under the radar, so I was happy to make that pick.” Rick Nash on Patrice Bergeron
Bergeron’s four assists proved there was still plenty of Team Canada chemistry on the ice. Bergeron’s lone goal showed there was still some magic between him and former Bruin Tyler Seguin.
Segs still loves Bergy at least ... GIF: Bergeron Scores off Feed from Seguin http://t.co/Qde87tuMXF-- via @bleacherreport
— Andrew E Thompson (@Godwentwhoops) January 26, 2015
“That’s what we said, ‘We still got it!'” said Bergeron after the game. “Chemistry’s still there. I saw him, he looked at me and waited for me to get in the zone, so that was pretty nice of him to do that and I knew he was going to try to give it back, so I was just trying to get open.”
“It was great to see that.”
Tyler Seguin offered glowing praise of his former teammate after the game. While Seguin has certainly blossomed on his own in Dallas these last two seasons, he’s certainly has fond memories playing wing for one of the best two-way forwards in the game.
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“With Bergeron, it’s really hard to pinpoint one thing that I learned,” said Seguin of Bergeron. “Overall, his general persona of a person, his leadership qualities and how he is on the ice, his two-way play. He never seems to be getting any slower, any worse at hockey – only seems to be getting better every year.”
While all the players had something nice to say about Bergeron, the strongest endorsement came from New York Islanders forward John Tavares. The Islanders’ captain (who put up an impressive four goal performance during the All-Star game) statement spoke volumes on the respect Bergeron has earned throughout out the NHL.
“I think you look at a player like him, and not just what he does well away from the puck, but leadership, character, just a tremendous person as well,” said Tavares.
“I’m fortunate to have been around him at an event like this and play with him at the Olympics. I mean, does so many things well. You have so much respect for him as a player and he’s such a tough matchup when you play against him,” he said. “It’s nice to kind of be on this end of it and play with him.”
“Just a tremendous person as well, his character and leadership. You can see why Boston every year has that kind of team that’s very resilient and always so good.”
The Bruins will come back off their mini-vacation to take on Islanders and Tavares(not to mention Johnny Boychuk and Chad Johnson)on Tuesday.