During his introductory press conference last week, new Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said that his first phone call after getting hired was to Patrice Bergeron, and he called their conversation “enlightening.”
It appears the two have talked again since then, all while Bruins nation awaits official word from Bergeron on whether or not he’s returning.
Skate Pod: What's taking so long with Bergeron and Krejci?
During an interview with TSN 1200 in Ottawa on Tuesday, Montgomery revealed that he has talked to Bergeron “a couple of times now,” and said he’s learned something important from those discussions.
“It is [different],” Montgomery said when asked about Boston’s situation compared to Dallas’ situation when he got his first NHL coaching job. “Every time you go into a situation, every player’s wondering with a new coach, ‘Where do I fit in this guy’s plans,’ and they’re waiting to see what you can do as far as preparation, as far as motivation, and as far as how you can help them be the best version of themselves.
“Ultimately as a coach, what you’re trying to do is push players to be their best individually, so collectively we’re as good as we can be. The thing that I know, after talking to Patrice Bergeron a couple of times now, is there’s no question I don’t have to worry about what’s going on in the locker room.”
Host John Rodenburg then pressed Montgomery: “Well I’m assuming by that then, that you’ve pretty much told us he’s coming back then, right?”
“Good try,” Montgomery responded.
While everyone was having a good laugh by that point, it is fair to say that Montgomery certainly sounds like someone who fully expects to have Bergeron as his team captain this season.
Montgomery and Bergeron probably wouldn’t be having multiple conversations if Bergeron wasn’t planning to return. And Montgomery would probably be a lot more concerned about what’s going on in the locker room if he thought Bergeron might not be in it.
Of course, this is just the latest little tidbit that tells us that Bergeron is very much still acting like the Bruins’ captain, even if his return is not yet official. We know he texted at least one Bruins draft pick and was one of the first people to call Pavel Zacha after Boston acquired him from New Jersey.
Related
