Bruins prank Bergeron by giving Marchand the “C” in front of the entire team

To the surprise of absolutely no one the Boston Bruins officially named forward Patrice Bergeron as the 20th captain in team history earlier today.

Check it out:

But, before officially handing over the "C" to Bergeron the Bruins decided to have a little fun with their new captain. Head coach Bruce Cassidy and forward Brad Marchand conspired on a little plan to prank Bergeron in which the team would announce Marchand of all people would take over the vacant captaincy from former Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara. In other words: They punked Bergy.

Check it out:

Priceless... absolutely priceless!

Honestly though, if the Bruins didn't have an absolute slam dunk captain in waiting like Bergeron it's not out of the realm of possibility to see Marchand with the "C" in Boston. Love him or hate him, he's an absolutely beloved figure in Boston and he'd do anything for the Bruins franchise. Nevertheless, Bergeron is the captain and by everyone's account he's the correct choice.

"To be Captain of an Original Six franchise is an honor, and a role that comes with much responsibility to his teammates and the fans," said Bruins Owner Jeremy Jacobs in a prepared statement. "There is no doubt in my mind that Patrice is the natural successor to the Captain role, and he will represent this franchise very well. He has consistently and reliably contributed to this team's advancement and has been an adept leader for many years, both on and off the ice. His tenure as Captain will be one of great success." 

Bergeron, of course, takes over the captaincy from the now departed Zdeno Chara who signed a one year contract with the Washington Capitals this past offseason. With Chara's departure from the team, Bergeron was the obvious choice as his successor. The 35 year old career-long Bruin is entering his 17th season with the team and has seen more ups and downs with the franchise maybe moreso than any player in franchise history. He has been there for the poor seasons, the playoff disappointments, but also for three Stanley Cup Final runs and scored the game winning goal to secure a Stanley Cup championship in 2011. He's one of the most respected players in NHL history and, frankly, his captaincy only adds to a long list of NHL accomplishments.