As time nears for the 2012 NHL All Star game and draft we will be hearing stories about how the whole thing is just a popularity contest and only the leagues most popular players get enough votes to make the roster. This year the Boston Bruins have been on one of the NHLs most historic runs and are showing that they just might be able to accomplish the toughest task in professional sports-repeat as Stanley Cup Champions. This year, the Bruins will be represented in all three zones at the All-Star game: goaltender Tim Thomas earned his fourth All Star selection, defender Zdeno Chara will be going to his sixth All Star game, and second year forward Tyler Sequin will be going to his first all star game this year. All deserving of their trip to Ottawa this year, but the biggest snub of this year has to be one of the most under rated players in the entire league: Patrice Bergeron.
Patrice Bergeron is one of the key players to the Bruins success and although the people in Boston know who he is, it seems like most Bruins don’t realize just how key he is to the team both on and off the ice. Bergeron, was the Bruins 45th overall draft pick back in 2003 and at 26 years old is one of the core players and leaders that this franchise can and will lean on for hopefully close to another decade. This year Bergeron has 36 points in the teams 40 games. He is only second to Tyler Seguin in points, but leads the team with 25 assists while racking up a +/- of +27 and leads forwards with time on ice.
While performing at such a high offensive level, Bergeron is widely known around the league for his defensive abilities and his ability to be a two-way forward. Bergeron’s talent and ability to remain level headed in heated situations, proven by his lack of fighting majors, earned him the position of “Alternate Captain” and by earning the respect of everyone in the world of the National Hockey League. Bergeron has been an All-Star snub for arguably his whole NHL career, over which he has 374 points in 497 games. He even managed to get 3 goals and 4 assists in a season in which he only played 10 games due to a major concussion after a check into the boards.
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