The Boston Bruins were not able to get over the hump in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, as they fell to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games. The Bruins' season ended Saturday night in a 3-2 home loss to the Canes, raising speculations about the future of center Patrice Bergeron.

Bergeron's postgame gesture to his teammates also fanned the flames of his retirement rumors, though, it should be noted that it's something that he usually does after a contest.

In the postgame presser, Bergeron tried to address the rumors, but certainly has not denied nor confirmed anything about his future plans.

Per Matt Porter of the Boston Globe:

Patrice Bergeron: too soon, “too raw” to decide whether he’s coming back.

Bergeron has been a cornerstone of the Bruins franchise for years, most especially in the last decade. He has not played for any other team in the NHL, and with his contract expiring at the end of the 2021-22 NHL season, it appears that he (and the Bruins) will have a big decision to make in the offseason.

The 36-year-old Bergeron signed an 8-year deal worth $55 million with the Bruins back in 2013 and repaid the franchise with excellent play — on both ends of the ice. He has won four Frank J. Selke Trophies (2012, 2014, 2015, 2017) and was part of the Bruins' 2011 team that won the Stanley Cup.