Patrice Bergeron is back on the ice in Boston, and Jim Montgomery is quietly leaning on him as an extra voice behind the bench.

Not officially.

But it's happening.

Bergeron has been working with Fraser Minten and Morgan Geekie before practice, giving tips and running through details.

That's not ceremonial. That's hands-on teaching.

Boston taps into Bergeron's next phase

This isn't a one-off visit either. Marco Sturm confirmed Bergeron has been around more than people realize.

In other words, this has been building behind the scenes.

And it makes sense.

When a player like Bergeron walks into the room, you don't just shake his hand.

You listen.

Especially young centers trying to carve out roles in a tight playoff race.

Minten is one of them.

Geekie too.

Both are getting direct access to one of the smartest two-way centers the game has seen. That's an advantage most teams don't have. Sturm even hinted at the bigger picture.

He can see Bergeron coaching one day. Just not right now.

That tracks.

Bergeron isn't removed from the game. He's still connected to it, just without the full-time commitment.

But this kind of involvement usually leads somewhere.

It starts with occasional skates, small teaching moments.

Then it grows.

Right now, Boston is using him as an internal resource. A bridge between generations. And Montgomery is letting that happen naturally. Because in a playoff race, every detail matters.

Faceoffs. Defensive reads. Positioning. Bergeron built a career mastering those. Now he's passing them down.

And whether or not he ever takes a full coaching role, he's already impacting this Bruins team in a real way.

Just without a title.