Boston Bruins: Patrice Bergeron Wins Mark Messier Leadership Award

Five days ago, Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron was robbed of winning an NHL record fifth Selke Trophy when Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers was voted the winner by the Professional Hockey Writers Assocation (PHWA).

While Bergeron will have to wait another year to claim a record fifth Selke Trophy, Wednesday night, he won a much-deserved award. Bergeron won the Mark Messier Leadership Award, which was announced by the NHL.

The award is given to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities on and off the ice and who plays a leading role in his community growing the game of hockey. Messier announced the winner then interviewed Bergeron. You can watch the clip in the tweet below.

When former captain Zdeno Chara announced right before the New Year that he was leaving and signing a deal with the Washington Capitals, there was not much doubt as to who would be named the Black and Gold’s captain. I mean, the other option was Brad Marchand, but you get the feeling his time is coming once Bergeron is gone.

During his 17 years in Boston, Bergeron has been big not only on the ice and the locker room, but also in the Boston community. Early in his career, he raised money for the community through two separate programs. In 2008, Bergeron founded the Gagne-Bergeron Pro-Am, which gathered NHL players from around the league in Quebec. The fundraiser raised nearly $130,000.

In 2018, Bergeron, the Boston Bruins Foundation, and 98.5 The Sports Hub teamed up to host the Pucks and Paddles event. In three years, the event has raised $375,000. Bergeron also makes multiple hospital visits to local children during the holidays.

If there was ever a “leader” for a team, it’s Bergeron. He was a leader on and off the ice with Chara here. He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer and good luck finding a player to say something negative about him. A very well-deserved award to a classy player and leader.