Patrice Bergeron Excited, Honored By First-Ever All-Star Appearance
BOSTON (CBS) -- Considering he's been in the NHL since 2003, has won a pair of Selke Trophies, hoisted the Stanley Cup, twice won an Olympic gold medal and has worn an "A" on his jersey on a high-profile team like the Boston Bruins for a number of years, it's hard to believe that Patrice Bergeron has never played in an All-Star Game.
Yet that has been the case up until now, as the 29-year-old was chosen as the Bruins' lone representative this year.
"It is a cool feeling. It's definitely an honor. It'll be an experience," Bergeron said. "It's a first for me, so I'm excited about that and having a chance to live a new experience and just to be able to say that I've been there and I know how it's like. It's good to sometimes have new experiences, and do something different. As I said, it's definitely one of those things that you've got to give the credit also to your linemates and your teammates, and I'm just happy to be representing the Boston Bruins there."
This season, Bergeron has 10 goals and 21 assists to go with a plus-8 rating. By his own standards, those numbers are a bit low, as he's coming off a 30-goal season. Yet each season brings its own challenges, and Bergeron has been assigned a number of tasks that don't always show up on the score sheet.
"I think Patrice has deserved that for a long time," Bruins head coach Claude Julien said. "A guy who's done so much, not just for his team but for the league, he was good enough to play in the Olympics. He's as good a two-way player as you'll find, so it's nice to see him being recognized."
As for Bergeron's own reaction, the ever-humble center said he didn't really expect to get the nod.
"I was surprised," Bergeron said. "I found out in Philadelphia, and we had a game to play and I was more worried about that. But like I said, it's an honor and it should be a fun weekend, so I'm looking forward to it."
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