The NHL’s reigning Frank J. Selke Trophy winner is ready to pick up where he left off last season.
Fresh off a sports hernia operation in May, Boston Bruins pivot Patrice Bergeron is back on the ice and preparing to start the 2017-18 campaign without any hindrances.
“Still doing some rehab. I’ll be ready for camp,” Bergeron told NHL.com’s Matt Kalman on Thursday. “I feel good on the ice, I feel good in the gym. We still have to definitely do some treatments, but definitely I feel good and I know I’ll be ready for camp.”
Bergeron’s 2016-17 injury issues began at last summer’s World Cup, where Bergeron won gold while featuring on one of the tournament’s most dominant lines.
Despite the top-ranked finish, the veteran was forced to sit out the first three games of the Bruins’ season, leaving him a step behind for much of the first half of the campaign.
However, it seems the mental impact of Bergeron’s injury may have in fact been the most trying aspect of the situation.
“That was the one thing that was just difficult,” Bergeron said. “You know (the injury is) there and it’s annoying, and it’s one of those where you have to battle through it, but you still know that no matter what the next day it’s still going to be there.”
Bergeron picked up his offensive pace considerably as the season wore on. After posting just 15 points through his first 40 games, he amassed a dominant 38 points through his final 39 games of 2016-17, helping the Bruins claw their way to a post-season berth.
Accepting his injury and adapting to its effects appear to have spurred that late scoring surge.
“It was in my head also, but once I was past that hurdle of realizing it’s going to be there for the whole year and just kind of not worrying about it, I felt better,” Bergeron said. “But that being said, it’s still one of those where – it’s not an excuse for the slow start I had and missing some chances – but still it was slowing me down a bit and was just annoying.”
Set to begin the 2017-18 campaign at full health, Bergeron will look to bounce back from last year’s injury-riddled season, hoping to replicate the superb 68-point effort he produced in 2015-16.
Some familiarity regarding new head coach Bruce Cassidy – who took over the job in February – should certainly help.
“We know what Bruce is all about,” Bergeron said. “His system, and the change that he wanted to make last year. So it’s definitely going to be helpful for us to start the year with him and carry what we’ve done last year.
“Hopefully we can do some great things as soon as the season starts.”
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