Bergeron taking hits off the ice

WILMINGTON - Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli spoke with Patrice Bergeron on the phone for several minutes yesterday morning.

It was all Bergeron could stand. "He's still in rough shape," said Chiarelli. "He's foggy. After a certain amount of time talking to him, he gets tired."

Yesterday was the sixth day since Bergeron suffered a Grade 3 concussion and a broken nose when Philadelphia defenseman Randy Jones belted him into the end boards at TD Banknorth Garden. According to Chiarelli, Bergeron has trouble sleeping, waking up once or twice each night. During the day, Bergeron wears a neck collar. He is sedentary and can watch TV, but becomes tired and distracted easily.

This week, Bergeron had to be transported in a wheelchair from his home to the Garden for treatment. Bergeron, 22, lives nearby and usually walks to games and practices. He was scheduled to receive an award from Children's Hospital during a charity function Tuesday, but was not well enough to attend.

To Chiarelli and the Bruins, Bergeron's condition isn't a surprise given the severity of his injury. Jones drove Bergeron into the boards, and the center's face - protected by his visor, which absorbed some of the energy - careered into the wall.

"He was a fraction of an inch away from receiving an injury that was life-threatening," said Chiarelli. "I was told at one point that it was pretty certain he had broken his neck. He's very well-conditioned. He's strong up top with the [trapezius muscle], shoulders, and neck. But for that, he probably would have broken his neck."

Because of the severity of the concussion, there is no timetable on Bergeron's return. He missed his first full game Thursday against Buffalo, did not travel to Ottawa for tonight's game against the Senators, and is expected to be sidelined for at least a month - if not more. "He could be out a month. He could be out two months. He could be out a year," Chiarelli said.

While Chiarelli has moved on from the NHL's two-game suspension of Jones, the second-year Boston GM has fixed his crosshairs on media, NHL insiders, and fans who claim that Bergeron is to blame for the injury. Chiarelli has read the stories, watched the reports, and heard the talk-radio chatter - almost exclusively emanating from Canada - that put the fault on Bergeron for being in a vulnerable position.

Chiarelli's had enough.

"Those are the terms I've been using. Ludicrous and absurd," said Chiarelli. "I guess I'm angry at some of these takes. Commentaries, websites, talk radio - you should hear some of the talk radio out of Montreal. They're saying he's partially at fault for this. It angers me. It angers the Bruins organization that they would say it's his fault in this case. To say he should have been more careful retrieving the puck, to me, is absurd."

Chiarelli wouldn't single out any particular reports.

Two of the NHL's most widely known observers have commented on the play. Ex-Bruins coach Don Cherry, during a recent Coach's Corner segment on "Hockey Night in Canada," criticized Bergeron for entering the corner in the wrong manner. TSN analyst Bob McKenzie wrote that Bergeron "contributed to his own demise by turning away from the hit and going into the corner low," leading to the concussion and broken nose.

"I want to express our anger and dismay at these outlets north of the border," said Chiarelli, an Ottawa native. "And I'm from north of the border. I know what happens. They pick up these things and it becomes a consensus. I want to make sure they see our point of view, Patrice's point of view, his family's point of view. Patrice had nephews watching that game who thought he was dead.

"There's a large impact on the victim and his family that is going unnoticed."

Chiarelli said that on the play, Bergeron pursued the puck hard. Chiarelli said that had Bergeron skated after the puck in any other way (slowing down or looking left and right while being on the lookout for checkers), he would have been criticized for being afraid.

"This is a sport where you assume a lot of risk," said Chiarelli. "But you don't assume you're going to be driven from behind like that."

Manny Fernandez (left knee strain) did not travel to Ottawa. He will work out here today while Tim Thomas will most likely start in goal tonight and tomorrow for the rematch at the Garden . . . Ottawa center Jason Spezza signed a seven-year contract extension yesterday worth $49 million. Spezza sat out a 6-4 victory over Atlanta Thursday with a groin injury and is day to day.