Although Bruins star center Patrice Bergeron was at captains practice on Friday morning, it was reported by NHL.com's Amalie Benjamin that Bergeron will not be traveling to China to participate in the teams preseason games against the Calgary Flames.
--Patrice Bergeron hit the ice for captains' practice on Friday. And after the skate he provided an update on his health and looked ahead to the 2018-19 season: pic.twitter.com/Zqrtuq29Th
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) August 31, 2018
Bergeron will stay behind and continue his rehab after undergoing groin surgery in June. Bergeron was expected to be back at full strength by early August, but now he's focusing on being in the lineup on opening night against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals on October 3. Bergeron's main focus is to be fully healthy by the start of the season and maybe jump into some preseason games as training camp winds down.
The Bruins and Flames will face-off on September 15 in Shenzhen and September 19 in Beijing as part of the 2018 NHL China Games (both reportedly will be televised).
The heart and soul of the team, Bergeron compiled 63 points (30 goals, 30 assists) in 64 games played last season and also added 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 11 playoff games.
