The Boston Bruins have named forward Brad Marchand the 27th captain in franchise history.
Brad Marchand and Patrice BergeronThere's a new captain in Beantown.
The Boston Bruins took their first step into the post-Patrice Bergeron Era on Wednesday, officially naming forward Brad Marchand the 27th captain in franchise history.
The more surprising development would have been for anyone other than Marchand to be given the 'C.' Marchand is one of the most beloved players in recent Bruins history, winning a Stanley Cup with the club back in 2011 and spending all 14 seasons and 947 games of his NHL career in Boston since being drafted 71st overall back in 2007.
As a lifelong Bruin, Marchand has racked up 372 goals and 490 assists for 862 points to go along with 973 penalty minutes. He's also finished top-10 in Hart Trophy voting on three occasions, including two top-five finishes, and named to two first-team and two second-team all-star rosters.
With Bergeron and David Krejci both announcing their retirements this off-season, Marchand is one of the last members left over from the Bruins' original leadership core and always seemed like the inevitable successor. He's also the club's ambassador for the NHL's Hockey is for Everyone initiative and is actively involved in community initiatives, including Holiday toy shopping, hospital visits at Halloween and more.
"I am extremely proud of Brad and the player he's become," said Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs in a statement on Wednesday.
"Brad has been a Bruin for the past 15 years and had the opportunity to learn from great leaders in Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron. He is ready for this opportunity and our whole team will learn from his competitive nature and tenacity. I am confident he will represent our organization with heart and grit."
Marchand certainly has some big shoes to fill.