A few weeks ago, ESPN released its top 25 athletes of the 21st century. Only three hockey players made the list: Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and Connor McDavid. Last Friday, the sports media company released its top 25 NHL players of the century, with former Boston Bruins captains Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara at 11th and 12th place, respectively.
Both players were vital to the franchise ending a 39-year championship drought by winning the Stanley Cup in 2011, with Bergeron scoring two goals in Game 7 against the Vancouver Canucks. Meanwhile, Chara became the first Slovakian-born captain to hoist the Cup. Together, the pair were part of the leadership group that returned to the Final in 2013 and 2019.
Collectively, they were captains from 2006 to 2023, with Chara serving for 14 seasons before Bergeron took over and wore the “C” for three seasons before retiring in the summer of 2023. Together, they donned the Spoked B sweater for 14 years as teammates, with Bergeron outlasting Chara with a career from 2003 to 2023.
Patrice Bergeron – “Mr. Selke”
Bergeron played his entire career in the 21st century, winning an NHL record six Frank J. Selke Trophies as the league’s best defensive forward. From 2011-12 until his retirement after 2022-23, the native of Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec, was a finalist for the Selke six other times, earning his reputation as one of the greatest of all time.
Even though Bergeron never scored 100 points or even netted 40 goals in a single season, with 427 goals, 613 assists, and 1,040 points, he ranks in the top four in every category in team history. Additionally, he skated in 1,294 games, ranking third behind Ray Bourque (1,518) and Johnny Bucyk (1,436).
In addition to winning the Selke, Bergeron also won the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2020-21 and the King Clancy Award in 2012-13 and played in three All-Star Games. As captain of the Bruins in 2022-23, the club set the NHL records for most wins (65) and points (135) in a single season.
Zdeno Chara – “Big Z”
Unlike Bergeron, who played his entire career after 2000, Chara was a third-round pick (56th overall) for the New York Islanders in the 1996 Entry Draft. He debuted in 1997-98 and, at 6-foot-9, became one of the tallest players in NHL history. Chara played on Long Island until a trade in June 2001 sent him to the Ottawa Senators. Four years later, he became a free agent and relocated to Boston, where he would play the next 14 seasons.
With 1,023 games in a Bruins sweater, Chara is one of eight players to ever reach that milestone with the club before departing as a free agent in 2020. During his tenure with Boston, he won the Norris Trophy in 2008-09 and then the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2010-11.
Chara collected one hat trick (2011) and skated in six All-Star Games. His plus-335 rating over the past 24 seasons is the highest among skaters, 43 points ahead of Brad Marchand (plus-292) and Bergeron (plus-289). The native of Trencin, Czechoslovakia, would play with the Washington Capitals and finish his career where he started with the Islanders in 2022.
He collected 209 goals and 471 assists for 680 points in 1,680 games with 2,085 penalty minutes. Regarding his place in the record book, Chara ranks first in games played by a defenseman and 14th in penalty minutes. With a career plus-301 rating, he ranks 17th. Overall, he is seventh in games played by any player in NHL history.
Bruins Connections in the Top 25
Besides Bergeron and Chara, a few other players cracked the top 25 and spent some time with the Bruins. Former first-overall pick (1997) and captain Joe Thornton came in at 14th overall, while Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla ranked 20th.
Thornton played the first eight seasons of his career in Boston before a midseason trade in 2005 sent him to the San Jose Sharks. He remains the only professional athlete in North American sports history to win an MVP award in the year they traded. His 1,714 games played ranks sixth ahead of Chara, while his 1,539 points rank 14th.
Iginla played 16 seasons with the Calgary Flames before skating with four teams, including the Bruins in 2013-14. He finished his career with 626 goals and 1,3000 points, good enough for 17th and 36th all-time.
Interestingly, David Pastrnak did not make the list despite having more points than Auston Matthews, more goals than Leon Draisaitl, and almost triple the plus/minus of the latter. But based on NHL awards, Pastrnak ranks behind everyone with just one Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy on his mantle. However, when ESPN redoes their top 25 list, and hopefully, the Czechia native nets his 500th goal and wins the Stanley Cup by then, he’ll somehow have to find his way onto the list.
