After facing some uncertainty and pondering possible retirement, the Boston Bruins announced on Monday that Patrice Bergeron is returning to the team on a one-year deal for the 2022-23 season. And just a few hours later, it was revealed the team is also getting David Krejci back from his native Czech Republic on a one-year contract.
Bergeron gets $2.5 million with $2.5 million in incentives, while Krejci will earn $1 million with the potential for $2 million more. Bergeron is fourth on the all-time Bruins scoring list with 982 points, while Krejci is ninth with 730. The two led Boston to the 2011 Stanley Cup Championship over Vancouver, and also have two other appearances in the Cup Finals in 2013 against Chicago and 2018 with St. Louis that ended in losses. The team is coming off a first round playoff loss to Carolina in seven games this past spring, in which they fired head coach Bruce Cassidy three weeks later. Jim Montgomery was hired to replace Cassidy, who has since moved on to become the head coach with the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
Bergeron earned his fifth Selke Trophy this past season and has been a Selke Finalist 11 straight years, the longest streak of top three finishes for an NHL award breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 10 straight as an MVP candidate. He scored 25 goals and had 40 assists in 2021-22. Bergeron is third in Bruins history with 1,216 games played, and fourth in goals, assists and points. He is second all-time for the Original Six franchise with 47 playoff goals and 123 points.
Krejci has 215 goals and 515 assists in 15 years in the NHL — also all with Boston — and led the Bruins in scoring during the 2011 Stanley Cup run with 12 goals and 11 assists in 25 games. Playing for HC Olomouc in his homeland last year, he led the team with 20 goals, 26 assists and 46 points in 51 games. He last played for Boston in the 2020-21 season where he registered eight goals in 36 assists in 51 games in the COVID shortened year (56 game season), before announcing on 7/31/21 that he was returning to the Czech Republic to continue his playing career.
The team also avoided arbitration with center Pavel Zacha, inking him to a one-year deal worth $3.5 million. Zacha is an unrestricted free agent after this coming season, but won’t be a top-6 center with the Bruins this year with Bergeron and Krejci now signed. The 25-year old had 15 goals and 21 assists in 70 games with the New Jersey Devils in 2021-22, and was acquired by Boston at the July 13 opening of NHL free agency in exchange for defenseman Erik Haula.
