Patrice Bergeron reveals whether Montreal was a possible destination this summer
Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron (finally) signed a one-year contract extension with the team on August 8th, after a long summer of waiting for B's fans.
However, before that, there were rumours that Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes, his former agent, had been trying to bring Bergy to his hometown team.
In an interview with Jean-Charles Lajoie of TVA Sports on Tuesday, Patrice Bergeron set the record straight on if it was ever a possibility to sign with the Canadiens:
''Honestly, I didn't think about it. I owe a lot to Kent Hughes. We have a great relationship, we're still very good friends. I've seen his kids grow up, and now they're drafted to the National League, which is crazy to think about.''
''We talk about loyalty and mutual respect; it's the same thing with Kent. For us, we've known each other for 20 years, he also knows me as a person, what I want and my principles. I think he knew that. I had a reflection to make, he wanted to give me time to take that time. He knew that for me, it was Boston or it was to go back and spend more time with my family."
''We talk about loyalty and mutual respect; it's the same thing with Kent. For us, we've known each other for 20 years, he also knows me as a person, what I want and my principles. I think he knew that. I had a reflection to make, he wanted to give me time to take that time. He knew that for me, it was Boston or it was to go back and spend more time with my family."
The Bruins captain goes on to explain the exact reasons why Montreal was not an option for him:
''I understood the coincidence that Kent, who was my agent, came to Montreal as general manager. I'm a Quebecer. So it was the perfect storm if you will. I wish him luck, and I have confidence that he will do an exceptional job. But for me, my children grew up in Boston, they were born in Boston. I spent more than half my life in Boston. I wasn't able to see myself anywhere else but there.''
There's a good chance that this is the last season of Patrice Bergeron's career, but if it's not, it's safe to say he won't be playing anywhere else but Boston.
''I think there's a situation that's a little different on my end. It's important to me, there was a loyalty side that was mutual from the beginning of my career. I started with the Boston Bruins, and I wanted to finish with the Boston Bruins.''
NHL players in this story
Patrice Bergeron
Latest 10 stories
