Patrice Bergeron and the Bruins locker room made their feelings clear: They did not support the team’s controversial signing of Mitchell Miller.
If there was any confusion about that before the signing was made official on Friday -- and there shouldn’t have been -- there certainly wasn’t after the fact.
Reacting to Cam Neely's press conference about Mitchell Miller
Bergeron told Sportsnet on Friday that he was “on the fence” about the move and had concerns that “it goes against a little bit of what we are as a culture and as a team and for me as a person.” Bergeron, Brad Marchand and Nick Foligno all further expressed concerns about the move on Saturday, both during their media availabilities and during a team meeting with general manager Don Sweeney and team president Cam Neely.
On Monday, Bergeron explained why felt the need to speak up.
“I think just to stay true to my values, really, is what it comes down to,” Bergeron said. “I think it’s important sometimes to stand up for what you think is wrong. I think that situation, it goes back to what we built here as an organization and as a team and as a locker room, is to be inclusive, to have a locker room of respect and integrity. I think it was just a matter of doing that.”
Bergeron said the players were pretty universal in their opposition to the signing, and that he’s glad the team has now reversed course and cut ties with Miller.
“In a way, yes,” he said. “Obviously, like anything, it’s not like everyone has something to say, but I feel like the general opinion was that. I’m glad that we were heard.”
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Bergeron also said that he understands why fans were so upset about the signing, but that he wants them to know that the players’ values have not changed.
“I understand them. That being said, for us nothing has changed as far as who we are as individuals and as a person and as a culture in this locker room and what our core values are, really,” Bergeron said. “So, as much as I understand them -- we hear you, and we feel like our values remain the same. That’s what we stand for.”
Marchand also said he appreciates the fanbase’s passion and support, as well as the front office’s acknowledgement of their mistake and decision to reverse course.
“One, we appreciate the support of the fans,” Marchand said. “They’re the reason we’re able to do this job. I think it just goes back to, management and the staff are trying to make the decisions that they best feel are gonna help the team now and down the road. No one’s perfect. We all make mistakes, and this was one of those mistakes that, again, they’re now going back to making the decision they feel is best for the team. At the end of the day, everything that happens here is because they feel it’s the best move, and same thing now.
“Again, we appreciate and love the fan support. I think the reason everyone’s so upset is because they feel so passionately about the group that we have, with the beliefs and how we handle the room and the type of people we want to have in here. That bleeds throughout the culture of not just the organization, but the fans as well. I think that’s why they care, because everyone expects to have good people in this room. So yeah, I can see why they’re upset. But hopefully we can all kind of move on now and get back to worrying about the season.”
Bergeron is also now looking forward to turning the page on this ugly chapter, as the Bruins host the St. Louis Blues at TD Garden Monday night.
“I think it’s what we have to do as a team, is refocus and reset,” he said. “I think it was an important topic to talk about and have your voice heard and have those discussions. And with that being said, of course you want to refocus and shift the focus back to what we can control in this locker room and play the best hockey we can play.”