In news that should surprise absolutely no one, the Bruins have officially named Patrice Bergeron the 20th captain in franchise history.
Bergeron was the obvious of all obvious choices to take over the "C" following Zdeno Chara's departure in free agency, having served as an alternate captain for the last 14 years alongside Chara.
"It's a privilege to name Patrice the 20th Captain of the Boston Bruins," said Bruins president Cam Neely in a statement. "For 16 seasons we have all watched Patrice grow not only into an elite player but also a tremendous leader. Patrice represents the Bruins organization and our fans with integrity, determination and class. On and off the ice he embodies what it means to be a Bruin, and we couldn't be prouder that he will lead our team as Captain."
"It is with great privilege that we present Patrice Bergeron as the 20th Captain of the Boston Bruins," added general manager Don Sweeney. "Patrice Bergeron exudes leadership, character, talent, will and empathy. We all know Bergy embraces the legacy of the Boston Bruins, as he will with the Captaincy. Bergy has earned the respect of all of his teammates, coaches and everyone in the Bruins organization. Congratulations to Patrice, Stephanie, Zack, Victoria and Noah."
Entering his 17th season with the Bruins, Bergeron ranks third in franchise history in games played (1089), fifth in goals (352) and assists (517), and sixth in points (869).
The Bruins have not yet announced who the alternate captains will be this season.
UPDATE: The Bruins have now announced David Krejci and Brad Marchand are the alternate captains for this season.