Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron, who turned 38 on Monday, is walking away from the NHL. The Bruins captain announced his decision to retire after 19 seasons in the NHL via a statement posted on Boston's official website.

“It is with a full heart and a lot of gratitude that today I am announcing my retirement as a professional hockey player,” Patrice Bergeron wrote. “As hard as it is to write, I also write it knowing how blessed and lucky I feel to have had the career that I have had, and that I have the opportunity to leave the game I love on my terms. It wasn't a decision that I came to lightly. But after listening to my body, and talking with my family, I know in my heart that this is the right time to step away from playing the game I love.”

Bergeron is a true Bruins legend and his time in Boston uniform will forever be cherished by the team's fans. He spent his entire NHL career with the Bruins from the 2003-04 season to the 2022-23 campaign.

In what turned out to be his final season as a player for the Bruins, Boston looked as though it was going to win it all and raise the Stanley Cup, but a first-round upset at the hands of the Florida Panthers took that chance away. While Bergeron was not able to get a fairytale ending with the Bruins, he still is retiring with a Stanley Cup title, as he helped the team win the greatest trophy in sports in 2011.

Bergeron also won the Frank J. Selke Trophy a total of six times, including in each of his last two years in the NHL. He ends his NHL career with 427 goals, 613 assists, and 1,040 points.