Patrice Bergeron is getting ready to play for Team Canada in the Spengler Cup tournament in Switzerland just after Christmas, along with Bruins teammate Tyler Seguin. Bergeron is also gearing up to head back home to North America at the beginning of January.
The 27-year-old center will fly back home following the invitational tournament and will be leaving his HC Lugano club, according to a NESN report.
The reigning Selke Trophy winner has 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists) in 21 games for the Swiss "A" League the past few months while playing alongside former Bruins forward Glen Metropolit. Bergeron sustained a hand injury in the first few weeks after arriving in Switzerland, but has been otherwise healthy throughout his stint in Lugano, while immersing himself in the Italian-influenced region of the country.
The Spengler Cup will be played in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday through Monday and will include teams from other European countries along with the Team Canada entry. There is expected to be a large exodus of players from Europe back toward North America at the end of December as NHL players will wait for a positive or negative resolution to the NHL lockout thats creeping up on Day No. 100 on Christmas Day.
Reports indicate that the NHL and NHLPA will hold a face-to-face meeting following Christmas, and players know the next few weeks will determine whether a 48-game regular season will be rescued from the lockout abyss. If the 2013 NHL season is cancelled by the middle of January, then many players such as Bergeron will find somewhere to play in Europe for the remainder of the season after some time at home.