Patrice Bergeron Jersey Retirement: Bruins to Raise No. 37 to TD Garden Rafters originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Bruins made official Thursday what many fans had long considered inevitable: Patrice Bergeron’s No. 37 is heading to the TD Garden rafters.
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The Bruins announced that Bergeron’s jersey will be retired, ensuring that no future Boston player will wear the number that became synonymous with one of the best two-way forwards in NHL history.
Bergeron spent his entire 19-season NHL career with the Bruins, helping the franchise win the Stanley Cup in 2011 before eventually succeeding Zdeno Chara as team captain. Once No. 37 is raised, Bergeron will become the 14th Bruins player to receive the franchise’s highest individual honor and the first since Chara’s No. 33 was retired in January 2026.
For Bergeron, the jersey retirement is the latest recognition of a career defined by winning, consistency, leadership and a level of defensive responsibility that changed how NHL centers were evaluated.
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Patrice Bergeron career highlights with the Bruins
Bergeron was never just a goal scorer, defensive specialist or faceoff expert. He was all of those things at once, which made him one of the most complete players of his generation.
Boston selected Bergeron in the second round with the No. 45 overall pick in the 2003 NHL Draft. He made the team as an 18-year-old that fall and remained with the organization until his retirement in 2023.
Here are some of the biggest accomplishments from Bergeron’s Bruins career:
Nineteen seasons with one franchise: Bergeron played all 1,294 of his NHL regular-season games for Boston from 2003 through 2023.
More than 1,000 career points: He finished with 427 goals, 613 assists and 1,040 points during the regular season.
Stanley Cup champion: Bergeron helped Boston defeat the Vancouver Canucks in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. He scored twice in Game 7, including the Cup-winning goal.
Three trips to the Stanley Cup Final: In addition to winning in 2011, Bergeron and the Bruins reached the championship series in 2013 and 2019.
Proven playoff performer: He recorded 50 goals, 78 assists and 128 points in 170 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
NHL-record six Selke Trophies: Bergeron won the award as the league’s best defensive forward in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2022 and 2023.
Twelve consecutive Selke finalist appearances: His run of nominations showed how consistently he remained among the NHL’s elite defensive forwards.
Bruins captain: Bergeron became the 20th captain in franchise history before the 2020-21 season and held the role through his retirement.
Recognized for leadership and community work: He won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2013 and the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award in 2021.
International success with Canada: Bergeron won Olympic gold medals in 2010 and 2014 and became a member of the Triple Gold Club by winning the Stanley Cup, Olympic gold and the IIHF World Championship.
The stats and accomplishments tell only part of Bergeron’s story. His defensive positioning, faceoff ability and attention to detail regularly matched him against an opponent’s best players while still allowing him to produce offensively.
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That complete approach made No. 37 one of the most respected numbers in Bruins history long before the team decided to officially remove it from circulation.
Which Bruins players already have their numbers retired?
Boston entered the Bergeron announcement with 13 retired numbers hanging above the ice at TD Garden. The group includes stars from nearly every era of Bruins hockey, from the franchise’s earliest seasons to members of the 2011 championship team.
Here is the full list of Bruins numbers that were retired before Bergeron’s No. 37:
No. 2 — Eddie Shore, 1947
No. 3 — Lionel Hitchman, 1934
No. 4 — Bobby Orr, 1979
No. 5 — Aubrey “Dit” Clapper, 1947
No. 7 — Phil Esposito, 1987
No. 8 — Cam Neely, 2004
No. 9 — Johnny Bucyk, 1980
No. 15 — Milt Schmidt, 1955
No. 16 — Rick Middleton, 2018
No. 22 — Willie O’Ree, 2022
No. 24 — Terry O’Reilly, 2002
No. 33 — Zdeno Chara, 2026
No. 77 — Ray Bourque, 2001
Bergeron will now join that exclusive group, placing No. 37 alongside some of the most important players in the history of an Original Six franchise.
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It is a fitting final destination for a number that Bergeron wore throughout a 19-year career spent entirely in Boston.
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