Brad Marchand moved to Boston more than ten years ago.
When he did, he paid attention to the Bruins icons who contributed to the development of a winning, respectful, passionate, and winning culture.
Marchand had many Black & Gold icons to look up to, including Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron, as well as Milt Schmidt, Johnny Bucyk, Bobby Orr, Ray Bourque, and Cam Neely, the winger.
However, he never once imagined that he would be with them.
“It goes without saying that you know all those guys and have witnessed what they’ve done and left behind when you come here, but you never imagine that you’re going to be in those lists or conversations when you walk into an organization like this,” Marchand said.
But Marchand has been heavily involved in those discussions—more and more, it seems, every week that goes by.
The 35-year-old scored the game-winning overtime goal in Boston’s 3-2 victory over the Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday night, moving him up to fifth place on the Bruins’ all-time goals list with his 396th goal of the career.
Marchand remarked, “I try not to think about it too much, but it is special.” “I never imagined that my profession would go to this point and that certain events would have occurred. Being a member of a group with amazing individuals to learn from and a lot of achievement under our belts has been an immense blessing.
“That starts with the guys who have established a culture here that you want to come and be a part of, the previous generations.”
Prior to this season, Marchand was appointed the club’s 27th captain. This season, he has accomplished a number of other notable feats. Earlier this month, the product of Nova Scotia rose to the fifth spot on the B’s all-time scoring list. Shortly after, he became the fifth player in club history to reach 900 career points. In November, Marchand also made club history as the ninth player with 500 assists.
Marchand, who is currently just seven goals away from overtaking Rick Middleton for fourth place on Boston’s all-time list and four assists away from seventh place on the team’s all-time list, remarked, “It is special to see.” “But once more, it’s just that you kind of kind of just happen to fall in there when you’re fortunate enough to be a part of great teams and an organization for this long.”
Throughout his 15-year tenure with the organization, the Boston captain has given respect to those who came before him for establishing a standard that has enabled the Bruins to enjoy such success.
Marchand stated, “One of the things you learn very early here is you come in and you buy in and you do the right things, be a part of a winning team, a winning culture. You learn to buy in and it allows everyone to have success.” “Visiting the rink every day is enjoyable. You’ve been really successful all the way through the lineup.
Boston’s success, according to coach Jim Montgomery, starts with number 63.
Regarding Boston’s response in their overtime victory in Ottawa, Montgomery remarked, “It’s the character and the culture of we complete hard, we have great second and third effort.” “Our captain embodies the definition of diligence.”
Marchand continued by saying he is honored to have cultivated friendships with the famous players he has joined in the Bruins’ all-time roster.
Marchand stated, “I grew up idolizing them and I still do. As I’ve gotten to know them, I’ve grown to love the way they carry themselves, the legacy they’ve left, and how important it is for them to stay in the organization and continue to give back and teach the young guys.” “Just a few of the chats I’ve had with some of those men tell you a lot about their character and what makes them excellent players and leaders.
“You are able to observe their competitive advantage. It’s amazing to be able to sit down and talk to these men while also seeing their names on the list because they talk about their experiences and the way they performed.
But ultimately, individual statistics are not the most important thing to Marchand; his focus is on his ultimate objective.
Marchand remarked, “I’m really proud of [the goal milestone], but I just don’t get caught up in it because I feel like I have a lot of time left.” “At the end of the day, when I hang them up and retire, I might look back and see what’s been accomplished, but every year, winning the final game is the main objective—winning specific scoring totals is not.
“It’s a necessary step in the process, but it’s amazing when you take a step back and observe it.” Indeed, I consider myself really lucky.