Brad Marchand, who stands 5 feet 9 inches tall, had to overcome several obstacles before he could be considered one of the league’s best players.
He was chosen by the Boston Bruins in the third round of the 2006 draft, to start with. Throughout NHL history, many late-round selections produced diamonds in the rough, but few scouts probably predicted Marchand as a top-six player.
Yes, in junior hockey, Marchand showed off his scoring ability. After that, he had two successful seasons in Providence during his first season with the team. But after he secured a full-time roster place in Boston under former coach Claude Julien during the 2010–11 season, anything more than a bottom–six energy role seemed improbable.
During his rookie campaign, his professional trajectory took an unforeseen turn. Marchand transitioned from wearing a Merlot practice sweater with Gregory Campbell and Shawn Thornton, two other fourth-liners, to a jersey of a strikingly different color next to Mark Recchi and Patrice Bergeron. Marchand’s work ethic, Bergeron’s two-way skill, and Recchi’s experience all contributed crucial moments throughout the Bruins’ journey to their first Stanley Cup victory in 39 years.
Jim Montgomery, the current coach of Boston, described Marchand as “the perfect example of when you have will and skill, you can really climb the ladder in this league.” “He began as a guy who played fourth line in Boston and Providence before moving up to first line and first power play [player].” It is all a result of his commitment to his trade and his tenacity. Being around such true pros is fantastic.
Despite his unwavering will to surpass his contemporaries, Marchand required some time to lose his negative reputation inside the league.
Ever since he infuriated the Canucks in the intense 2011 Stanley Cup Final, he had been scrutinized. One of the first hockey moments to emerge on social media during the social media era was when Marchand used Daniel Sedin as a metaphorical punching bag in Game 6.
Marchand then merely stated that he continued to punch Sedin because “he felt like it.” Marchand and the Bruins raised the Stanley Cup in an adversarial environment two days later.
Marchand was only 23 years old when he achieved the height of his career. His goal scoring output rose regularly; the only season he failed to reach 20 goals in a campaign was the 2013 season due to the lockout.
His assists and goals totals increased along with the fines, suspensions, and other contentious incidents.
Between 2012’s low-bridging Sami Salo and 2018’s head hit on Marcus Johansson, Marchand was suspended for 17 games and fined $22,500 in addition during that six-year period. Next came the licking events that happened between Ryan Callahan and Leo Komarov in the 2018 playoffs’ first two rounds.
Marchand realized then that something had to give. That’s when Marchand’s other former coach entered the picture.
Bruce Cassidy welcomed Marchand to his North Shore home for a thought-provoking conversation before to the start of his second full season behind the Boston bench. Among the subjects of discussion was Marchand’s desired legacy perception.
Marchand had, after all, had won enough awards during his career at that time. He became one of the best two-way wingers in the league and played for his nation in many IIHF world championships and the 2016 World Cup.
“We were able to communicate over the years, and we had a really good relationship when I got to be the head coach in Boston,” Cassidy remarked on January 12 following his current team, the Vegas Golden Knights, defeating the Bruins 2-1 in overtime.
It was thoroughly reported. One day during the off-season, he stopped by the house, and we had a conversation about his legacy and his goals for it. Since he was developing into a top player for Hockey Canada and winning a Stanley Cup with the Bruins, it was important to control some of the anger caused by his lack of discipline and direct it toward something constructive.
Marchand has evolved from being more of a liability to more of an asset since that talk with Cassidy. Even though the NHL Player Safety Department gave him two additional hearings, which led to two suspensions during the 2021–2022 season, the veteran winger changed his reputation from that of the “Little Ball of Hate” to that of a trustworthy figure inside Boston’s core.
Naturally, as Marchand grew into a leadership position, he learned a great deal from Zdeno Chara and Bergeron. Marchand experienced a complete circle moment when the Bruins affixed the “C” to his home, visiting, and alternate centenary sweaters for the 2023–24 campaign, following his education by two of the best captains in Boston team history.
However, Marchand acknowledged that he went through a period of adjustment in his early years as captain, just as he required time to lose his reputation. He eventually devoted himself entirely to his new position, both on and off the rink.
“At first, I was really overanalyzing things. Regarding his first adjustment to the captaincy, Marchand said, “I wanted to try to do a little bit too much.” Everyone goes their own way, which is, in my opinion, the main factor. In my opinion, Zee and Bergy led in a somewhat unconventional manner. I was attempting to emulate both of them a little too much.
Marchand went back to his origins in a sense.
His statements are significant enough on their own. However, Marchand’s hard ethic was evident in the Boston locker room.
Serving as alternate captains for the first time, Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak, like Marchand with Bergeron and Chara, have an excellent opportunity to observe and learn from two of the best wingers in Boston’s history.
“His career is very incredible. Because he worked hard for all he had, McAvoy stated, “I think his story is so incredible because he’s not the guy who went first overall who was destined for greatness.” And he was never content with how he got to be who he was, so what he is today is a result of that labor and sort of discovering what he can do. He continues to be the toughest worker I’ve ever had on a game.
“I’ve observed how diligently he works at it. It’s incredible that even after all these years, he still spends his days learning. It’s very Marshy of him to be attempting to learn something new every day, Pastrnak continued. “He has an incredible work ethic both on and off the ice, and you can always count on him to find a way to succeed—and he does it every day.”
Not just Marchand’s teammates have observed how his skill set complements his work ethic.
Marchand consistently embraced the adage “hardest working guy” even outside of Boston. Marchand’s mannerisms were observed by Avs forward Nathan MacKinnon during their off-season training in their native Canada.
Prior to the first Boston-Colorado game, MacKinnon remarked, “He’s the hardest worker I’ve ever seen.” “Obviously during the season as well, but I don’t see that stuff in the summers. However, he constantly keeps himself in excellent shape and values his work highly. I believe he has earned the right to be the captain there.
He’s one of those players that, although they would all love to have him on their squad, they detest playing against. Marchand can now support that with honors from the team.
Tuesday night, Marchand will skate in his 1,000th NHL game, barring a last-minute injury. He’s accomplished a lot in his first season as captain.