Patrice Bergeron first sensed something remarkable about Brad Marchand while the future of his own career was uncertain.
It was the summer of 2008, and Bergeron had just lost the most of his season due to a severe concussion. He hadn’t won any of his record six Selke Awards. Bergeron had been skating toward the conclusion of the 2007-08 season but had never returned to the lineup, so he decided to join the young Bruin prospects at development camp. Marchand, who had just ended his junior season, gave Bergeron a good look.
“I saw him there the first time, and all I saw was a competitor, a guy who wanted to win in whatever way imaginable. “He was willing to do anything to get noticed, make a name for himself, and realize his childhood dream,” Bergeron told the Herald last week. “That is what we are all about.” That is what we are all attempting to accomplish. So, yeah, from the start, I saw something in him that was really telling, and you knew there was some talent, but there was also some grit, some character that you don’t see everywhere.”
Bergeron, of course, would eventually link up with Marchand to form one of the most enduring dynamic duos in hockey history, a partnership that lasted the better part of 13 seasons and helped the Bruins win a Stanley Cup in 2011 and two more Finals appearances in 2013 and 2019.
Bergeron retired at the end of last season, but Marchand, who turns 36 in May, is still going strong. He will become the eighth player in Boston’s 100-year history to suit up for 1,000 games on Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, assuming the weather cooperates.
While the 1,000-game milestone is frequently reached in the latter stages of a player’s career, Marchand has made no secret that he believes he is far from finished. Who could blame him? After having double hip surgery two summers ago, he looks much more like himself this season. With 30 games remaining, he has a chance to reach 40 goals for the first time in his career, with totals of 25-23-48.
He still has tasks to complete. Next season is the Four Nations competition, and in 2026, he aims to achieve a goal by representing Canada in the Olympics, an opportunity he has previously missed since the NHL has chosen not to attend.
Marchand appreciates the milestone he’s reached, even though it wasn’t something he considered.
“As a young player, you don’t think very far ahead. The only thing you’re worried about is getting here. Then, once you get a game and realize how difficult it is to stay here, you’re just more concerned with working on the following day to avoid being demoted,” said the Halifax, Nova Scotia native. “You come in and continue to impress and get a position. You’re so focused on the present moment that it’s difficult to imagine what a thousand games will be like. It’s pretty unique. Obviously, it doesn’t happen very often, but I try not to look at or think about it. The thinking has always been that it was a goal at one time, but not long ago it was no longer because I now have much larger aspirations. I intend to continue to play for many years. So 1,000 games appears to be a minor setback in comparison to 1,300 or 1,400 games, which is where it could wind up at the end of the day. Yeah, it’s something to be proud of, because I never expected to be here. I didn’t actually expect to be here. Now it is just another game. I intend to play much more and receive much more awards. I hope there are a few more Cups. Yes, it is exceptional, but I try not to get caught up in it. You don’t want to think you’ve accomplished anything. Every day, there’s something to prove, especially now that I’m older.”
Because he began his career in Boston as a fourth-liner, there is a belief that Marchand sprang out of nowhere to become the player he is now. Reality does not quite match the legend.
Marchand was named to the Canadian World Junior Team twice, which is designated for the top young players from the world’s most hockey-rich country.
“He started playing junior hockey at the age of 16. I did not play as a 16-year-old. “He was gifted,” Bergeron explained. “It’s not like he came in, didn’t know how to play, and ended up with his hands in a cereal box. He was a talented child who could make plays. And he stepped up his game.”
But, as the phrase goes, if you’re 6-foot-3, you must prove you can’t play. Marchand, who stands 5-foot-9, had to prove he could.
After being selected by the Bruins in the third round of the 2006 draft, he played a full year in Providence before playing 20 NHL games the following season, recording just one assist. He swore to prove himself better than that, and the following season, he did. He started on the fourth line, but halfway through the season, former coach Claude Julien promoted him to Bergeron’s line. They’d pair up with future Hall of Famer Mark Recchi to form a line that helped the Bruins win their first championship in 39 years.
Bergeron claims Julien knew Marchand would fit in with Bergeron before the season began.
“Claude put us together in training camp in some exhibitions,” Bergeron remarked. “Claude approached me after the first game and said, ‘You and Marchand seem to have good chemistry.'” And I was like, ‘Yeah.’ I read off of him very well. He was constantly on the puck, producing something from nothing. He was constantly competing, which is the type of hockey I enjoy: keeping pushing forward and being good on the forecheck, a hard talent if you will, that is not excessively fancy but more important. Obviously, he has fantastic ability, but the way he plays is always rapid and high-paced.”
Marchand’s competitive nature, which has made him such a superb player, has occasionally gotten the best of him. He’s been penalized eight times for a total of 28 games, the most recent being a six-game ban for punching and high-sticking Pittsburgh goalie Tristan Jarry in 2022. He’s also been fined four times, totaling $24,500.
During his early years, the more level-headed Bergeron tried to keep him in check, to some extent.
“I’m not going to lie: it was occurring a lot. I think I’m quite excellent at maintaining composure and being calm during games. And Marchy lives on those emotions and energy, which you sometimes need,” Bergeron explained. “So I was trying not to get in the way of that and take anything away from him so he could perform at his best, but there was a line that he would occasionally cross, which would take him away from his game. Sometimes I had to remind him. However, as time passed, I found myself doing less of it. When I mentioned I had to do it a lot, it was still early, and I only had to utter a few things to calm him down.
Despite numerous toe-stubs throughout his career, Marchand continued to improve. When he played on a line with Bergeron and Sidney Crosby at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, he proved that he was an exceptional player.
Earlier that summer, Bergeron came up to Halifax to participate in camp with Nova Scotians Marchand and Crosby, as well as some other NHL players, and he noticed Marchand’s desire to shine.
“You could tell he was going into that World Cup to make an impression, make an impact and make a name for himself,” Bergeron recalled. “I observed the growth, and I especially noticed it during the 2016 World Cup. It undoubtedly spurred him to become – as I’ve repeatedly stated – one of the best left wingers of his generation.
Marchand developed as a leader before taking over as captain this season after Bergeron retired. When goalie Linus Ullmark initially arrived in Boston two years ago, Marchand taught him the value of maintaining a competitive edge on a daily basis.
“It all boils down to who he is as an individual. He’s really passionate, he has a fire in his soul, and he cares a lot,” Ullmark explained. “So anytime I had a bad day or was struggling to meet the quality standards, he was always on top of it. It didn’t matter if it was a regular practice, the day after a game, or a morning skate; he was always battling and striving to improve. When I first arrived here, I was a little relaxed in the mornings and didn’t care if I scored or not because I was more focused on the game. But he told me something extremely good. The men build on what the goalies do as well. So if we’re fired up and ready to go in the morning, the boys will feel much safer and more trusting of us because they know we’re on. So that was a small eye-opener.
Parker Wotherspoon did not grow up as a Brad Marchand fan. Far from it. He was in the Rogers Arena stands when Marchand scored two goals in the Bruins’ Cup-winning Game 7 triumph in 2011. But Wotherspoon, a 26-year-old AHL journeyman attempting to carve himself a role with the Bruins, claimed Marchand could not have been more welcoming when he was brought up. Marchand has no pretenses, he remarked.
“He’s The Man,” remarked Wotherspoon, smiling.
However, when it comes to practice, it’s game on.
“One time he got me pretty good with a reverse hit,” said Wotherspoon. “I told him later, ‘Man, I wanted to crosscheck you in the back after that.'” He said, “Do it.” “Go straight through me.”
Marchand attributes his work ethic to the players that established the blueprint before him, such as Zdeno Chara and Bergeron.
“I learned very early to follow the proper people. Claude really pushed me to accomplish this. “Look at Bergy and Z and the guys who took good care of themselves,” Marchand added. “There is a reason why players like them are the best in the league at what they do. It requires a great deal of commitment and sacrifice. This happens every year. Everyone who comes in nowadays is so skilled and talented that it’s almost more difficult to keep up than it was back then, and you have to work more. It truly depends on how much the men want to achieve and how long they want to play.”
It remains to be seen where Marchand fits into the game’s pantheon. It appears likely his No. 63 will eventually be raised to the Garden’s rafters. Induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto is the highest accolade a player can get. Charlie McAvoy recently stated that he belongs there, as did coach Jim Montgomery, who once had to game plan against him.
“You needed to be mindful of him. “Just a dominant player who had an impact on every game,” Montgomery explained.
When it comes to such issues, Marchand is torn. There’s still a lot he wants to do in the game, and one of his biggest fears is that looking back on his achievements may cause him to become too comfortable.
However, when questioned if the HHOF is a goal, he did not avoid the topic.
“Yeah, it is,” Machand replied. “Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is the pinnacle of player honor. Is it achievable? I’m not sure, but given the length of time, I believe I could still play. I’m not sure what it takes to get there, but I’m going to come to the rink every day and try to improve and play as long as I can. If anything happens, it happens. It’s more of a dream realized than a goal. But that’s one of those things where you just leave everything on the table and see what happens.”
And no one can argue that Brad Marchand hasn’t left everything on the table.
