As soon as former captain Zdeno Chara signed with the Washington Capitals, it was obvious.
There was no other choice, no debate. Patrice Bergeron undoubtedly would be named the next captain of the Boston Bruins, and on Thursday, the Bruins made that official.
While being named captain and trading the “A” on his sweater in for a “C” is a huge honor, it’s not going to change anything for Bergeron both on and off the ice. He’s going to continue to lead the very same way as he has.
“To me, it's to be myself. I think leadership is all about making sure you're able to surround yourself with great people, which I am. And also, being able to connect with guys and speak from the heart when it's needed. Lead by example,” said Bergeron.
Bergeron has become the 20th captain in team history after being an alternate captain since 2006.
The praise for Bergeron was high throughout the day Thursday. From head coach Bruce Cassidy to alternate captains David Krejci and Brad Marchand, describing how deserving Bergeron is of this honor was very easy.
"I can’t say nothing but positives about Patrice," said Cassidy. "Well deserved honor for him. We still got a lot of good leaders in that room, but we've identified him as the guy to wear the “C”, and rightfully so."
"He's a competitor, he's a warrior, and he's one of those guys that you look at that he never has a limit," said Marchand. "You know, there's no ceiling for that guy. And just for him to continue to get better, especially as he's getting older, he just keeps getting better and becomes a better leader, a better player. He has everything. He's not just a good player off the ice, not just a good guy on the ice. He's a phenomenal player."
"You can't say enough about this guy. He shows up every night to play games, shows up every practice, not just on the ice but off the ice,” said Krejci. “He's got the right things to say all the time."
What made Chara so special as a captain was that his say wasn’t the end all be all, and that everyone inside the room could speak up.
Bergeron wants things to remain the same.
"I’m going to try to communicate and make sure we connect as a team and create something special moving forward, but that being said, I think there’s a culture that’s been established here for many, many years,” said Bergeron. “There’s been tremendous and amazing leaders and captains over the years and Zee was one of those guys where there’s been a culture that’s been in place and we’re gonna try to carry that on."
Throughout his 17 years in the league—all as a Boston Bruin—Bergeron has been a role model on the ice, and even more so off of it. He leads by example, speaks up when he needs to and is present in the community, giving back anytime he can.
With Chara in Washington and Bergeron captain, not much will change from a leadership standpoint in Boston.
Boston Bruins Blogger • 
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