Bruins Coach Jim Montgomery Describes ‘Enlightening' Talk With Patrice Bergeron

Bruins coach Jim Montgomery describes 'enlightening' talk with Bergeron originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Jim Montgomery has been in touch with lots of his players since becoming the new head coach of the Boston Bruins a few weeks ago, and his first call was to captain Patrice Bergeron.

Montgomery very much enjoyed their conversation, which included a wide range of subjects.

"That was my first phone call. It was really good," Montgomery said Monday at his introductory press conference.

"It was enlightening. I felt like I was talking to a coach, not a player. Just how he thinks about the team first, he thinks about ways to get better. So, very impressed. It was a very open and honest conversation about how he's excited about what the Bruins family can do, and how I'm excited to be a part of it."

Jim Montgomery says Patrice Bergeron was the first player he called after getting the job as head coach. He gives details on that conversation here ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/dCgotxYKLh

— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) July 11, 2022

Bergeron reportedly is returning to the Bruins, but the 36-year-old center has not yet publicly announced his decision. He just wrapped up the final year of his contract. Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs said they're still waiting for "Patrice's word," but that "we're getting some positive feedback."

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There are so many reasons why Bergeron returning would be a huge benefit to the Bruins. His leadership and elite two-way skill set are two of the biggest ones. 

It's also impossible to overstate his importance to a Bruins team that's about to play under a new head coach. The Bruins have had only two head coaches since 2007. The previous coach, Bruce Cassidy, was behind the bench from February of 2017 through last month. 

Bergeron's command of the locker room, the relationships he has with the players and his ability to help Montgomery get settled in would be invaluable to this Bruins team. There's no doubt that Montgomery's transition to Boston would be much smoother with Bergeron back in the fold.