Bergeron joins Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto
The former Bruins center is inducted for his record six Selke Trophies and three gold medals with Team Canada.
By Elena Greco ·
Patrice Bergeron will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on Monday. The ceremony marks the 2026 class of inductees and recognizes a career defined by consistent team success across multiple leagues and tournaments.
Bergeron made his National Hockey League debut for the Boston Bruins in the 2003-04 season. During the next 19 years, the Bruins secured 834 regular season victories, the highest total for any team during that stretch. The franchise also won 96 playoff games and 16 playoff series. Boston captured one Stanley Cup championship during his tenure, ending a 39-year drought in 2011.
His impact was most visible in high-pressure situations. In the deciding game of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final against the Vancouver Canucks, Bergeron scored first and added a shorthanded goal to give Boston a 3-0 lead. The Bruins won that game 4-0. He also scored the equalizer in the final two minutes of regulation and the winning goal in overtime during a 2013 first round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 14 career Game 7 matches, he recorded 11 points, a total surpassed by only five other players in history.
Off the ice, Bergeron received individual honors that reflect his defensive reliability and leadership. He won the Selke Trophy, awarded to the NHL's top defensive forward, a record six times. He also received the Mark Messier Leadership Award and the King Clancy Memorial Award. He was selected to three All-Star Games and appeared on the NHL 2010s All-Decade Second Team.
Bergeron represented Canada at the senior international level, collecting 30 points in 41 games. He won gold medals at the 2004 World Championship, the 2010 and 2014 Olympic Games, and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He also won gold at the 2005 World Junior Championship and the 2012 Spengler Cup. This collection of medals places him in the Triple Gold Club, a group of 30 players who have won a Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold, and a World Championship gold.
Mike Babcock, the former Canada head coach and current Edmonton Oilers head coach, spoke to reporters last month about Bergeron's influence. Babcock noted that he did not know the player when he arrived for the 2004 World Championships but watched him evolve into a key player on special teams. Babcock said Bergeron made the players around him better and called him a great man. "Every time you hang out with him, you win," Babcock said.
Bergeron's career spans from his debut in 2003 to his induction in 2026. His record includes six Selke Trophies, three international gold medals, and a Stanley Cup title with the Bruins. He is one of 30 players to achieve the Triple Gold Club distinction.
