Boston Bruins centre Patrice Bergeron will spend this season playing out the last of the eight-year, $55 million contract he signed with the club back in 2013 before weighing his future.

Named captain of the Bruins prior to last season, Bergeron has spent his entire 17-year NHL career with the team. He turned 36 earlier this summer.

"I'm going to play out this year, and then talk about that after," Bergeron said Wednesday.

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney previously said the team intended to open extension talks with Bergeron, who is slated for unrestricted free agency next July. 

Bergeron said he's solely focused on chasing a Stanley Cup this season and not looking ahead to his playing future beyond that.

"That's something that a lot of people have asked me this summer," Bergeron said. "I think for me, the way that I approach this year is I want to concentrate on this year. I have a year left on my contract, and I think it'd be useless of me to think about the future.

"I think I want to create something special, as I said. We obviously want to work towards winning a Stanley Cup. I know everyone says that, but it's definitely our goal as a team. And I think we always are competitive to be in that group of teams. So, I think that's where that's where my focus is at right now."

The L'Ancienne-Lorette, Que., native scored 23 goals and posted 48 points in 55 games last season, adding four goals and nine points in 11 playoff games. 

A Stanley Cup champion with the Bruins in 2011, Bergeron has 375 goals and 917 points in 1,143 career NHL games.