Patrice Bergeron Had Unsurprising Approach As Bruins Banner Captain

Patrice Bergeron was never known to be lackadaisical in his Bruins career, and he’s carried that over in his post-NHL days.

Boston’s former captain made an appearance at TD Garden as the fan banner captain before the B’s Game 7 matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round. Bergeron waving the flag to the roar of fans was a memorable image that was capped off by David Pastrnak’s game-winning goal in overtime.

The latest episode of “Behind the B” gave an inside look at Bergeron’s preparation. The 38-year-old took time to practice before he joined Bruins fans, and a staffer revealed to him it was the first time they had seen a fan banner captain practice their swing.

“I gotta practice, you know,” Bergeron said, per the Bruins. “Hey, I take this seriously. This is to set the momentum for the rest of the game.”

It shouldn’t shock fans to hear how seriously Bergeron took his role as fan banner captain. That’s not to say others before him did not, but it was a testament to how important Game 7 was, especially given Bergeron only is a season removed from being on the team.

The approach clearly had a positive effect, and the next fan banner captain could have a similar effect in Game 3 against the Florida Panthers on Friday.