Bruins name Patrice Bergeron captain

The Boston Bruins named forward Patrice Bergeron the team's 20th captain in franchise history on Thursday.

Zdeno Chara, who recently departed in free agency, had been the team's captain since 2006. The towering defenseman helped lead the Bruins to a Stanley Cup victory in 2011 and had been a staple of the club for the last 14 years.

David Krejci and Brad Marchand will serve as alternates.

Bergeron, 35, has spent his entire NHL career in Boston since being selected by the team in the second round of the 2003 draft. Entering his 17th season, he's appeared in 1,089 career games while totaling 352 goals and 517 assists.

"Patrice Bergeron exudes leadership, character, talent, will, and empathy. We all know Bergy embraces the legacy of the Boston Bruins, as he will with the captaincy," general manager Don Sweeney said. "Bergy has earned the respect of all of his teammates, coaches, and everyone in the Bruins organization."

Throughout his career, Bergeron has been among the league's premier two-way forwards. He's been nominated for the Selke Trophy for the last nine consecutive seasons and won it in 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2017.

He's also been recognized for his contributions away from the rink. He won the King Clancy Trophy in 2013, which is awarded annually to an NHL player who best exemplifies leadership qualities both on and off the ice, and he took home the NHL Foundation Player Award in 2014.

"For 16 seasons we have all watched Patrice grow not only into an elite player but also a tremendous leader," Bruins president Cam Neely said. "Patrice represents the Bruins organization and our fans with integrity, determination, and class."