NHL Insider Predicts Bruins Legend Is Next In Hall Of Fame

Former Bruins captain Zdeno Chara will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November, but who will the next Bruin be?

In 2026, Patrice Bergeron will be on the Hall of Fame ballot in his first year of eligibility. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski believes the former Bruins forward and captain will be voted to the class of 2026 in his first year.

“An extremely easy call for the selection committee,” Wyshynski wrote.

Bergeron was drafted by the Bruins in the second round of the 2003 NHL Draft, spending his 19-year career in the black and gold. He skated in 1,294 games, totaling 1,040 points on 427 goals and 613 assists.

Bergeron won the Selke Trophy as best defensive forward an NHL record breaking six times. He was also a finalist for the trophy for 12 consecutive seasons, the longest streak for any player being nominated for an NHL award.

He won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, given to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and the Mark Messier Leadership Award.

To add to his trophy case, he was on Boston’s 2011 Stanley Cup winning team. Bergeron has won Olympic gold in 2010 and 2014 and world championship gold in 2004. He also won world junior gold in 2005 and the World Cup of Hockey in 2016 with Canada.

With how much the center has won, he is a member of the NHL Triple Gold Club, made up of players who have won a Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal, and gold at the World Championship. Only 30 players are in the club with names that include Sidney Crosby, Joe Sakic and Jaromir Jagr.

While nothing will be confirmed about if Bergeron will make the Hall of Fame class of 2026 until next year, he makes a strong case for himself.