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From NEHJ: One crazy year for Bruins' Marchand
When the first month of the 2010-11 season came to a close and
Brad Marchand found himself 28 games into his NHL career without a
goal, many began to wonder what exactly convinced the Bruins to
have the undersized winger break camp with the big club.
Those who didn’t foresee the impact of the forward’s
feisty ways or weren’t aware of his wealth of individual and
team success throughout his days in the QMJHL and the AHL were
simply perplexed when it came to coach Claude Julien’s
decision to pencil Marchand in on the fourth line — or
anywhere, for that matter — every night.
Among those befuddled by the presence of No. 63 was Michael
Felger, co-host of the afternoon sports radio show “Felger
and Mazz” on 98.5 The Sports Hub. One now-infamous caller,
who identified himself as “Rick from Natick,” shared
Felger’s sentiments.
“You’re gonna love me. I don’t like
‘Marshmont,’” the fan said, undoubtedly
intentionally mispronouncing the winger’s name in a thick,
Boston accent. “I don’t understand
‘Marshmont.’ I don’t even know why he’s on
the team.”
Felger’s co-host, Tony Massarotti, also chimed in.
“I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest that
if the Bruins somehow end up having a great year,” Massarotti
said, “that Marchand’s not going to be the reason
why.”
Swing. And. A. Miss.
Once he notched his first goal Nov. 1, Marchand took off and never
looked back. After a season in which he earned the Seventh Player
Award, established himself as one the game’s top agitators,
set a team record for playoff goals by a rookie and scored twice in
Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals to give the Bruins their first
championship in 39 years, Marchand has gone from forgettable spare
part to cult hero — all in less than a calendar year.
Last fall, the young forward was focused on getting acclimated to
the NHL. Now, he’s trying to get used to his rock-star status
throughout the Hub of Hockey.
“It’s been a lot different this year, coming in after
the Cup,” Marchand said. “No one in the city knew who I
was. I never got recognized. Now this year it’s a lot
different. It’s tough to go anywhere. I’m starting to
wear ball caps and stuff, just so I can get a little bit of
privacy.”
Anonymity is long gone for the 23-year-old, but he’s
certainly embracing his newfound fame.
“It’s a little different, but it’s a lot of
fun,” Marchand said. “At a time like this where the
fans are so wild and love our team so much, it’s just a great
time and I’m trying to enjoy it all.”
One particular night of enjoyment in June cast the national
spotlight on the Nova Scotia native and his teammates. After
capturing the Stanley Cup in Vancouver, the Bruins returned to New
England and ventured down to Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut to
celebrate their feat.
In a world where no soul leaves home without their smart phone or
their digital camera, it didn’t take long for pictures to
surface, including shots off a shirtless, fedora-wearing Marchand
with drinks in each hand, dancing up on the bar. The images were
soon fodder on numerous blogs and Facebook pages across the
globe.
But rather than try to distance himself from the events of the
evening, Marchand doesn’t believe there’s anything to
regret. If ever there was a night to party it up, that was the
one.
“That night was incredible,” he said. “We
deserved it. We deserved a night like that. We accomplished so
much. It was something that we all enjoyed. There’s no living
it down. It was a good time and good memories.”
Now that the season is in full swing, the number of nights he
spends gallivanting around Boston have been scaled back.
“Now they’re a little different,” Marchand said.
“Back when we won, they were pretty wild. We had some good
times. I just go out and have fun. I like to have fun, to enjoy
myself and be social and stuff. It’s such a short summer, and
it’s tough right now. Now I’m just trying to rest, so
it’s pretty relaxed right now.”
On nights in, Marchand enjoys lounging on the couch and playing
“Call of Duty” with his teammates. Tyler Seguin —
a fellow rookie last season — is among them, as the two have
formed a tight bond over the past year.
“We’re great buddies,” Marchand said of their
friendship. “He’s a lot of fun, a great kid, and he
means well. We get along great. We’re both young, having fun,
and we’re doing something we love for our job. There’s
nothing better. We’re very close and we have a lot of fun
together.”
While the 19-year-old Seguin — pictured right alongside
Marchand in those infamous Foxwoods photos — all but pleaded
the Fifth when asked about their adventures together, the
Bruins’ No. 2 overall pick at the 2010 draft certainly
didn’t mind doling out some good-natured ribbing.
Marchand was named to Boston.com’s list of the 25 Most
Stylish Bostonian’s for 2011, an accolade that blew
Seguin’s mind when he heard the news.
“I started laughing and said it must be April
Fool’s,” Seguin said. “Bradley has his own style,
but he shouldn’t be nominated as one of the top-dressed
people in Boston, that’s for sure.”
So how would Marchand himself describe his sense of style?
“I don’t know, unique I guess,” he said.
“I don’t have one kind of style. I like to mix a couple
things in so I just like to have fun with it.”
One of the elements he’s now known for mixing in is Ninja
Turtles attire, as Marchand always was a huge fan growing up and
can be regularly seen wearing hats and T-shirts that sport the
heroes in a half shell.
“Oh, forever,” Marchand said when asked how far back
his obsession goes. “Way back when I was a couple years old.
It’s funny because my parents and I were talking about it
last night, all the action figures I had. I love it. They were my
favorite TV characters when I was a kid.”
To no one’s surprise, the player that clenched the jersey of
Canucks forward Daniel Sedin and clocked him with four left-handed
jabs during Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals is quite the character
himself — both on and off the ice.
“I feel like he’s the same way off the ice. He’s
kind of a little rat,” a grinning Seguin said. “For you
to have a fun in life, you’ve got to be a good guy off the
ice. He definitely has all the boys’ support, and we’re
always going to have his back, even though he likes to talk trash
on the ice. It works out for him.”
The support for Marchand, of course, has spread far beyond the
Bruins’ dressing room. Fans across the region have an
unwavering appreciation for the winger’s uncanny ability to
get under his opponent’s skin, his tremendously clutch play
and his vibrant personality.
Ever-sarcastic teammate Shawn Thornton, however, certainly has his
theories about the widespread adoration for No. 63.
“Charlestown wears my jersey,” Thornton told
Boston.com on the eve of the Stanley Cup parade in June.
“Young girls wear Seguin’s jerseys, we figured that
much out. I’m assuming people with a screw loose wear
Marchand jerseys. I don’t know why you’d wear that
thing.”
For a town that’s become accustomed to the robotic,
mild-mannered nature of both the Patriots and Red Sox (before all
the fuss about fried chicken and booze, of course), someone like
Marchand that’s full of life and brimming with emotion is
easy to latch onto. This is, after all, the same city that was home
to the Big, Bad Bruins of the ’70s.
Marchand, who signed a two-year deal with the team in September,
may not possess the imposing stature of his cherished predecessors,
but he’s certainly “bad” in all the right ways.
With an edgy style of play that seems fueled by a pinch of
craziness, a penchant for chirping and undeniable flair for the
dramatic, No. 63 has won over every fan of the Black and Gold
— even the ones who so vehemently had written him off a year
ago.
“I think in Boston, people like hard-working guys and stuff
like that,” Marchand said when asked about his lasting legacy
down the line. “I just want to be known for that and be
someone these fans embrace and enjoy.”
On nights where he’s looking to avoid a hero’s
welcome, he might be able to pull the visor of his hat down low and
blend in. But for all that he’s done to endear himself to a
city that waited nearly four decades to revel in hockey glory,
Marchand likely will never have to pay for a drink in this town
ever again.
Surely even Rick from Natick must understand that.
This article originally appeared in the November 2011 issue
of New England Hockey Journal.
Jesse Connolly is the Bruins beat writer for New England Hockey Journal. He can be reached atjconnolly@hockeyjournal.com
