Have we seen the last of Patrice Bergeron? Shocking leak suggests Bruins captain might hang up his skates

Patrice Bergeron may have played his final NHL game. Last summer, whether or not Bergeron would play again was uncertain, but he decided to come back for one more season.

Bergeron played well for Boston and led the Bruins to the Presidents Trophy but Boston was stunned in the first round by the Florida Panthers.

After the loss, Bergeron stayed on the ice and hugged every single one of his teammates, and took in the crowd. Many assumed that meant he would retire, but there has been no word.

However, a new report from The Athletic suggests Patrice Bergeron will retire from the NHL.

"One teammate, who requested anonymity because of his respect for Bergeron and Krejci, told The Athletic he’s not counting on either being back."

Although Patrice Bergeron hasn't confirmed he will retire, he did hint at possibly retiring following the Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers.

“Again, thanks for the support all year,” Bergeron said after the loss. “It’s a special city. It’s a special fanbase and organization. It’s more saying, ‘thank you for the support all year.' It hurts right now. You know, I’m going to have to step back and give it some thought with my family.”

Patrice Bergeron's NHL career

If Patrice Bergeron does retire, it will only be a matter of time until he is in the Hockey Hall of Fame and has his number retired by the Boston Bruins.

Bergeron is one of the best players of this generation and spent his entire 19 NHL season with the Bruins. In his career, he has played in 1,294 regular season games and has recorded 427 goals, 613 assists for 1,040 points, and has added 128 Stanley Cup playoff points over 170 games.

The 37-year-old from Quebec won the Stanley Cup in 2011 and is a three-time All-Star, five-time Selke Trophy winner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, and also won gold in the World Cup, world juniors, and world championships.

Patrice Bergeron's leadership does not go missed as he has been a leader on and off the ice. With that, Bruins president Cam Neely said after the season they wouldn't be where they were without Bergeron.