Boston Bruins' Patrice Bergeron sits down with Kidsday
Kidsday reporters Thomas Piazza, Kai McKnight, Alex Taylor and Jack Smith, all from Babylon and West Babylon at the NHL store in Manhattan with Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron. Patrice is on the cover of EA Sports video game NHL 15 on Sept. 9, 2014. Credit: Newsday / Pat Mullooly
We met Boston Bruins center and star hockey player Patrice Bergeron at the NHL Store in Manhattan recently.
How do you like being chosen for the cover of the game NHL 15?
How do I like it? I think it's great. It's definitely something that I wasn't expecting. Very surprised, but I'm grateful for the response I received from the fans during the whole campaign. It's definitely something very special. When I was your age, I used to play that game a lot back then, and I never imagined one day I would be on the cover of it. So it's very humble to be that guy.
How is NHL 15 different than other hockey games on the market?
First of all, I think just the graphics -- it's so realistic, it looks exactly like the actual buildings that we're playing in. They've added a lot of cool features now. You can make up your own players and make up teams. Lots of great features that makes it stand out.
What is it like to be in a video game?
It's different. The first time I saw myself on the game that I used to play back in 2004, like 10 years ago, it was kind of different, but I guess you get used to it after awhile. You don't really think about it.
When do you think was your best career goal?
Best career goal was probably when I scored in the Stanley Cup Finals in . . . Game 7 to win it.
Can you hear the fans cheering and booing during the game?
I'm trying to only hear the ones that cheer and not the ones that boo to make it easier for us and try to stay focused. But honestly during a game, you try not to think about it too much and just play. And just focus on the game and don't think about what's going on outside of it.
When did you start playing hockey, and who introduced you to the sport?
I started playing when I was 5 years old, and I got introduced by my brother, because my brother was playing. He's two years older, so I wanted to do whatever my brother was doing. So he played soccer, I played soccer. But that's how it started. After that, I just loved it. I kept playing on my own.
Do you want your kids to follow in your footsteps?
I want my kids to do whatever they want, I guess, and just, if they have a passion, whatever it is, just to follow that. It doesn't necessarily have to be hockey. If it is, I'll support them, but I just want them to be happy. So we'll see what happens. It would be cool right? But it doesn't have to be that.
When do you think was your best season?
I will go based on 2011: We won the Stanley Cup, so I'll go with that. It's always fun to win.
What part of your game needs the most work?
There's always lots of areas you want to work on. I think I want to work on my offense, try to work on my speed also and my shot. Probably the best shots, I want to work on.
What's the most goals you scored in one game?
In one game, like when I was a kid, I scored six one time, but in the NHL only three. I'm still happy with it, though.
What do you do off-season?
I go back home to Canada. I work out, and I fish a lot. A lot of boating and stuff like that. Hang out. I have a lake house -- just try and enjoy the rest.
