“Patrice’s election to the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026 is a more than worthy honor and I am proud to now call him a fellow Hall of Famer."
By Conor Ryan
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It’s shaping up to be quite the year for Bruins legend Patrice Bergeron.
Less than a week after the Bruins announced that Bergeron’s No. 37 will be raised to the TD Garden rafters at some point next season, the star center was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday in his first year of eligibility.
Bergeron — who holds court as arguably the best defensive forward in NHL history — is set to be inducted as part of the Class of 2026 on Nov. 9 in Toronto.
Other inductees for this fall include Brian Burke (builder), Cindy Curley, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, and Keith Tkachuk.
“We were fortunate in Boston to have a front-row seat to Patrice Bergeron’s remarkable 20-year career, watching him grow from an 18-year-old kid learning a new language into one of the world’s elite players,” Bruins President Cam Neely said in a release. “As he accumulated a stellar list of accolades – which includes a record six Selke Trophies, two Olympic gold medals, and, of course, the 2011 Stanley Cup – Patrice also became one of hockey’s most respected leaders, representing our organization with dignity and class in everything that he did.
“Patrice’s election to the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026 is a more than worthy honor and I am proud to now call him a fellow Hall of Famer.”
Bergeron left an indelible mark during his 19 years in the NHL, all with the Boston Bruins. The Quebec native quickly established himself as a key cog in Boston’s forward corps — helping the Bruins win a Stanley Cup in 2011 and pushing the team to two other trips to the Stanley Cup Final in 2013 and 2019.
He scored some of the more consequential goals in Bruins’ franchise history — be it his two-tally performance in Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final in Vancouver, or his two goals (including the overtime winner) in Boston’s improbable comeback win over Toronto in the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
By the time Bergeron announced his retirement in July 2023, he ranked third in Bruins franchise history in goals scored (427), overall points (1,040), and games played (1,294). Bergeron is just the fifth Hockey Hall of Famer to spend his entire career with the Bruins — joining Dit Clapper, Bobby Bauer, Woody Dumart, and Milt Schmidt.
Bergeron also took home the Selke Trophy — awarded to the league’s best defensive forward — a record six times. In total, Bergeron was a finalist for the Selke Trophy in each of his final 12 seasons in the NHL, also a league record.
Monday’s news stands as just the latest instance of Bergeron getting recognized for his standout career on the ice.
Last Thursday, the Bruins announced that Bergeron’s No. 37 will be the 14th number set to be raised high above the ice on Causeway Street — joining 33 (Zdeno Chara, 2026), 22 (Willie O’Ree, 2022), 16 (Rick Middleton, 2018), 8 (Cam Neely, 2004), 24 (Terry O’Reilly, 2002), 77 (Ray Bourque, 2001), 7 (Phil Esposito, 1987), 9 (Johnny Bucyk, 1980), 4 (Bobby Orr, 1979), 15 (Milt Schmidt, 1955), 2 (Eddie Shore, 1947), 5 (Aubrey “Dit” Clapper, 1947) and 3 (Lionel Hitchman, 1934).
A time and date for Bergeron’s No. 37 retirement ceremony has yet to be announced.
Bergeron was also inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame last month — with the standout center becoming the 25th member of the “Triple Gold Club” as the winner of a Stanley Cup, Olympic gold medal (2010, 2014), and an IIHF World Championship (2004).
There are plenty of local ties in this latest Hall of Fame class. Tkachuk hails from Melrose and played college hockey at Boston University before beginning his standout NHL career, while Curley is a Hudson native who played collegiately at Providence College. Burke also played college hockey in Providence and was born in Rhode Island’s capital city.
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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