Bergeron explains why he’s ‘super excited’ Krejci is back with Bruins originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Bruins are getting the band back together.
They announced Monday morning that captain Patrice Bergeron has signed a one-year contract to return for his 19th season with the Original Six franchise.
The good news for Bruins fans didn’t end there.
A short while later, the team announced that David Krejci was coming back on a one-year deal of his own. Krejci left the Bruins in 2021 after 15 seasons with the team. He returned home to play in the Czech Republic in front of family and friends.
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The center duo that carried the Bruins offense for more than 10 years and helped the organization win the 2011 Stanley Cup is whole again, and Bergeron is pretty pumped about it.
“(I’m) super excited. Super excited we could make it work,” Bergeron told reporters on a Zoom call Monday when asked about Krejci’s return. “As we all know, I keep Krech in high regard here. I think he’s an amazing person, first and foremost, but also an amazing player that still has it in him. I think he wants it.
“I think he was in the same situation as me as far as (having) family decisions to make and what he really wanted for this coming year. But we had a few conversations, obviously, we’re great friends and we go way back . It was nice for him to take that time and make that decision. I’m super excited and thrilled to get going with him and also the rest of the guys.”
Bergeron and Krejci give the Bruins one of the best 1-2 punches at center in the NHL.
Bergeron won the Selke Trophy for a record fifth time last season and extended his streak of scoring 20-plus goals to nine years. Krejci tallied 44 points in 51 games for the Bruins during the 2020-21 campaign. His return addresses a huge weakness at second-line center.
The Bruins will face some adversity to start the season with left winger Brad Marchand, plus defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk all sidelined for at least the first month of the season as they rehab from offseason surgeries. The presence of Bergeron and Krejci down the middle of the lineup will give the B’s some much-needed stability until those three players return to the ice.