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Next Man Up - Nov. 13, 2023 - By Ryan Kennedy
COMING OFF THE greatest regular season in NHL history, the Boston Bruins ended last season on a down note. The Presidents’ Trophy winners were upset by the Florida Panthers in the first round of the playoffs, and in the process, it became obvious that legendary center Patrice Bergeron had played his final game with the only NHL team for whom he had ever suited up. The team’s second-best center, David Krejci, also retired in the off-season, blowing what appeared to be a massive hole in the team’s depth chart. Not only would the Bruins have to replace those pivots’ minutes, but with Bergeron gone, they also needed a new captain.
The answer came in the form of Bergeron’s longtime left winger Brad Marchand, himself already a franchise legend, whose trophy case includes a Stanley Cup with Boston in 2011 and gold medals with Canada at the worlds, world juniors and World Cup of Hockey (where he played on one of the most devastating lines in history with Bergeron and Sidney Crosby).
While Marchand had big skate boots to fill taking over for Bergeron and, before him, future Hall of Famer Zdeno Chara, he certainly had the resume to wear the ‘C’ with distinction. But it was still a heady honor to wrap his brain around. “It still hasn’t really fully clicked in,” Marchand said. “Every time I see a picture or a replay and see it on there, it’s surreal. But shortly after I found out, I immediately started kind of panicking. I started thinking so much about the shoes I had to fill with ‘Z’ and Bergy being our past two captains and the players they were. They’re two of the best players to ever play their positions in the game of hockey, but also two of the best leaders to play hockey.”
But with another season beginning, Marchand got to work nonetheless. After all, internal expectations never dim in Boston, even if the pre-season pundits tabbed the Bruins for a bit of a fall. As it turns out, the Bruins went 9-0-1 before their first regulation loss in Game 11. So, yeah – don’t bet against a culture that began with Chara and ran through Bergeron and Marchand, even if Marchand is still getting his feet planted. “I tried to think a lot about the things they did that stood out to me, the things I gravitated to or learned a lot from,” he said. “My head was spinning a bit. And then there were things I never had to do before that they dealt with, meetings with all kinds of people, things guys brought to you because you’re the captain. But I’m really looking forward to going through it all.”
“IT STILL HASN’T REALLY FULLY CLICKED IN. EVERY TIME I SEE A PICTURE OR A REPLAY AND SEE IT ON THERE, IT’S SURREAL
– Brad Marchand on getting the ‘C’
Those who came before him are already on board with the move. “For me, it was very important that I always included other guys in the leadership roles,” Chara said. “It’s not something that you carry just for yourself. The best thing as a leader is to basically raise the other players as leaders. (Marchand) grew so much as a person, as a leader, and I was very happy that he got to be captain and carry on that legacy that we built for many, many years. That’s just a reflection of strong roots and the seeds that had been planted a long time ago. We just made sure those seeds grew into strong trees, which, obviously now, Brad is a great example of.”
Marchand, who was still technically a rookie when he helped the Bruins win the Cup in 2011, came up during a huge epochal shift for the franchise. Chara had joined the team in 2006-07 and was named captain the same season. The previous captain, Joe Thornton, had been traded to San Jose mid-season the year before in an infamous deal that saw ‘Jumbo’ become the first player to win the Hart Trophy the same season he was dealt. At the time, Boston had won just a single playoff round in the previous decade. That’s when Chara and the new culture took over. “He wanted to re-establish what it took to win,” Marchand said. “So, every single day, he brought the intensity, the work ethic and the compete level that you needed to win a championship. He led by example, and it’s not fun time when you get to the rink. It’s not playtime. It’s not a time to joke around or be nonchalant. Z’s mentality was that when you stepped into that building, you had a job to do. Be accountable and uphold the highest levels of compete, and every day, we tried to get better and build something together. We’re going to outwork and outcompete every other team, and there are no days off, on or off the ice.”
Sleep and recovery played into that as well, and Chara – who is now running marathons – made sure to set a good example in training and lead the way even in his twilight years with the Bruins.
When he departed and Bergeron earned the ‘C’ in 2021, the work-ethic culture had long been established, so the ultimate two-way center added his own layer off the ice. “Bergy was very similar with his compete level and details,” Marchand said. “What he did a bit differently was put an emphasis on building a tight-knit group and incredible chemistry off the ice. And for us, it really translated on the ice. We had some of the closest teams of my tenure when Bergy was captain. With both those guys, they always showed up in the big moments and always knew what to say in any situation.”
Now, it’s Marchand’s turn. Luckily, he has already long been a part of the Bruins’ leadership core, and his actions speak even louder than his thoughtful words. A couple years back, Marchand stopped by the Bruins’ rookie-development camp in the summer and even did the bike tests with the kids. The idea of a veteran taking time out of his off-season to do so was impressive enough, but when he was asked about his motivation, the answer was even more enlightening. “That goes back to the work-ethic piece and setting the right example,” he said. “I saw it first-hand when I was a younger guy. I was training in the summer with David Krejci, and I thought I was doing the right things, but when I trained with him, I realized how far I had to go to be at his level. Essentially, I was trying to show the kids that they think they’re working hard, and a lot of them are, but there’s a different level you need to go to for the NHL and a different standard.”
And to be up to the Bruins’ standard, they would have to exceed all expectations. In fact, Marchand dove deeper into his bike-test motivations, as he explained just how serious he wants Boston players – or even Boston hopefuls – to treat their opportunities. “For these kids to come in and make this team, they need to take somebody’s job,” he said. “That’s a job that provides a lifestyle, provides food for our families, puts clothes on our kids’ backs. A lot of guys don’t have much to fall back on outside of hockey, and if these kids think it will be easy to come in and take a job, especially my job, they have another thing coming. I will do everything I can to make sure they never take my position. And if our whole team feels that way and we create that internal competition, it will make everybody better. So, they need to understand there’s a whole different mindset to this bike test than just, ‘It’s a test you have to pass to be part of this group.’ It’s not. It’s a standard that will be set from the top down.”
Marchand also used the opportunity to see how good the next generation looked – which made him push himself even harder in training.
Once upon a time, Marchand was one of those kids. Looking back, he was an absolute steal in the 2006 draft, with the Bruins picking him in the third round (being just 5-foot-9 would do that back then). To date, only four other players in that draft class have more career points, and Marchand will pass one of them – Jonathan Toews – very soon.
While Marchand put up solid numbers in the QMJHL, he was no sure thing at the time. He was sent to the AHL’s Providence Bruins for his first pro season in 2008 and immediately made an impression on coach Rob Murray, who is now the bench boss with the ECHL’s Tulsa Oilers. “The guy you see today, the chirping, the intensity, everything he brings, he brought it, even his rookie year,” Murray said. “As a coach, you’re doing a drill and you gotta blow the whistle four times to get him to stop. I actually use him as an example with my guys still. I say, ‘When I had Brad in Providence, practice was as important to him as games. He wanted to win every little battle.’
Sure, there were rough edges to buff out – offensive turnovers were an early problem and retaliatory penalties came from undisciplined play – but as Murray points out, Marchand rarely takes bad penalties these days, while the turnovers were resolved quickly in Providence. What the coach saw was a player willing to seize whatever opportunities he was given. “He was a top penalty-killer for me and eventually got himself on the power play thanks to his performance,” Murray said. “He deserved to be there. We had a good team that first year, and he moved his way up the lineup as we went along.”
“IF THESE KIDS THINK IT WILL BE EASY TO COME IN AND TAKE A JOB, ESPECIALLY MY JOB, THEY HAVE ANOTHER THING COMING
– Brad Marchand
Marchand’s compete level was also obvious. Murray chuckled as he recalled one night in Springfield, 10 minutes from puck drop. The coach walked into the dressing room to announce the starting lineup, but when he scanned the room, he realized Marchand wasn’t there. Eventually, one Baby Bruin said Marchand was still on the ice: he had to be the last off after warm-ups, but so did Springfield’s Rob Schremp. The standoff finally ended when Springfield’s coach screamed at Schremp to get off the ice. Murray then told Marchand he’d be starting that night.
Marchand played a year-and-a-half in the AHL before getting called up to Boston, and success didn’t come right away. He tallied just one point in 20 games with the Bruins in 2009-10, but he also knew his time in Providence would pay off. “I had a lot of growing up to do, and I don’t think guys realize how great it is for your game to go play in the minors,” Marchand said. “Everybody wants to jump right to the NHL, but a lot of us are raw at that age and need a lot of work. I was very disappointed to be cut and sent down, but it’s one of the best things that ever happened to me to improve my game. I changed a lot from that point of my career to now. It made me want it that much more. I’m very thankful I had that opportunity. I learned a lot there.”
Marchand started off as an energy guy in Boston but kept improving and working his way up the lineup until he was a star on Bergeron’s first line. Now one of the oldest players on the team at 35, he can help nurture the next generation of leaders in Boston while remaining one of the best forwards on the team. “The next guys that are around him will realize Brad’s not going to play forever,” said GM Don Sweeney. “There’s going to be a next captain of the Boston Bruins, and somebody will emerge as that next leader. Brad was the right person at this time to bridge that, to continue to be an extension of what was and what needs to be.”
For Marchand, it all starts with the pride and accountability of being a Bruin. Work ethic is non-negotiable, and the standard is likely higher than whatever team a new player came from – but it’s also why a lot of NHLers want to play in Boston. The mission is to always contend for the playoffs and continue a culture that can deal with the pressures of playing in an Original Six city. “When somebody is offered the captaincy in Boston, they know what it means,” said franchise icon Ray Bourque. “They had Chara, then Bergeron and now Marchand, and every one of those guys have created a culture and been a part of that. As they take that leadership position in a bigger way, they know what’s expected, and I think Brad is going to do an amazing job.”
4 Former Bruins Who Boston Misses Big Time
The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins">Boston Bruins</a> have gone through a plethora of roster changes since their historic 65-win season during the 2022-23 campaign. Several former core players have found new homes, whether through trades or free agency, and it is a significant reason why the Bruins took such a notable step in the wrong direction this past season.