We all knew it was coming, and on Thursday morning it became official.
Patrice Bergeron is the next captain of the Boston Bruins.
The team made the announcement with the following video posted to Twitter. Check it out below:
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Bergeron is entering his 16th season with the Bruins. He's been an alternate captain since the 2006-07 campaign. He takes over the "C" from Zdeno Chara, who recently left the Bruins to sign with the Washington Capitals after 14 years as Boston's captain.
Chara: Bergeron will be 'unbelievable captain' for Bruins
"It's a privilege to name Patrice the 20th captain of the Boston Bruins," Bruins president Cam Neely said 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."
Boston Bruins
Bergeron is perhaps the most-ready player to be a captain of an NHL team since Hall of Fame defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom took over as Detroit Red Wings captain following Steve Yzerman's retirement in 2006.