Patrice Bergeron Named Captain Of Boston Bruins

BOSTON (CBS) -- When Zdeno Chara left the Bruins, leaving the captaincy of the team vacant, there was really only one option for who would get that "C" on their sweater. On Thursday, it became official.

Patrice Bergeron is now the captain of the Boston Bruins. He is the 20th player to hold the honor.

The team shared the news with a video on Twitter:

Bergeron has spent all 17 of his NHL seasons with the Bruins, drafted by the team in second round of the 2003 NHL Draft. He's been nothing but professional on and off the ice, one of the best two-way players during his time in the league.

The centerman ranks third in Bruins history in games played (1089) and game-winning goals (67), fifth in goals (352) and assists (517), and sixth in points (869). Bergeron also ranks third in Bruins history in playoff games played (149), playoff points (111), playoff assists (69) and fourth in playoff goals (42).

Bergeron is a four-time Selke Award winner, given annually to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game. He's been nominated for the award for nine straight years.

He now joins an illustrious group of players to be named captain by the team, a list that includes seven Hall of Famers and seven players whose numbers hang in the rafters at TD Garden, including legends such as Ray Bourque (1985-2000), Terry O'Reilly (1983-85) and Milt Schmidt (1950-54).

Chara held the post of captain for all 14 seasons that he was with the Bruins, with Bergeron serving as an alternate captain. Now, the man who has been the face of the franchise for almost two decades will be wearing the C on his sweater.

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• Patrice Bergeron
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