BOSTON– Bruins captain Brad Marchand showed the young guys how it’s done, Tuesday morning at Warrior Arena.
The grizzled 36-year-old left winger set a highly impressionable tone during the team’s first captain’s practice of the season.
The 5-foot-9, 176-pound NHL All-Star was the very first Bruin to hit the ice, a full hour ahead of the team’s initial workout.
He was also one of the last to leave, treating the practice almost like it was his rookie year.
“It’s good to be back,” said Marchand. “It’s nice to see everyone. This is a fun time of the year getting back to the rink. A lot of guys are coming back into town. You see guys periodically throughout the summer, but everyone is excited to get going.”
Marchand is coming off another stellar season scoring 29 goals and 67 points in 82 games. He spent much of the summer on the mend, however, undergoing three surgeries to his elbow, abdomen and sports hernia. Tuesday’s skate around was his first full-fledged workout, as he gets back into game shape.
Roughly 30 players participated in the practice. Marchand quickly reacquainted himself to teammates and newcomers alike, from linemate Charlie Coyle and defenseman Charlie McAvoy, to rookie right winger Fabian Lysell. He’s also looking forward to introducing himself to the two big offseason acquisitions in center Elias Lindholm and towering defenseman Nikira Zadrov in the days ahead.
“I’m excited,” said Marchand. “There’s a lot of new additions this year that fit the mold that we try to play. They’re all really good guys which is a huge factor whenever a team gets anybody. The size, strength and speed that they brought in, I’m really looking forward to seeing how it comes together. That’s the toughest part when you have a lot of new bodies. You try to find a game plan that allows you to have success within the structure of the team. It’s something to start building on now.”
The Bruins captain led the fast-paced albeit light hour-long workout, with several shooting and skating drills. The regiment has become second nature for Marchand as he enters his 16th NHL season.
“It’s completely different, but in a lot of ways the same,” said Marchand. “As you get older, I feel like you almost need to establish yourself like a young guy again.”
Marchand has certainly done that, earning his keep on Causeway Street since first breaking into the league during the 2009-10 season.
A key cog in the Bruins 2011 Stanley Cup championship, Marchand already cemented his legacy as one of the team’s all-time greats. He elevated his play with relentless precision. The grinding winger went from 41 points in his first full season, to that of a 100-point scorer in 2018-19. Throughout it all he maintained a tireless work ethic that has been the cornerstone of his success.
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A member of the Bruins Centennial Team, Marchand enters the new season in the top 10 of nearly every statistical category in franchise history. He has 401 career goals (fifth), 528 assists (seventh) and 929 points (fifth) in 1,029 regular season games (sixth). Not a bad track record for a player taken 71st overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
But success didn’t come overnight for the ‘Little Ball of Hate.” He spent his first full season as a pro working on his craft with the AHL affiliate Providence Bruins in 2008-09.
“You needed to earn your spot every day,” said Marchand, who played 20 regular season games with the parent club in 2009-10. “Then you get here and as you get older they’re trying to push you out. A lot of young guys are looking to take your job, and teams are looking to go young. You need to show that you can still play and keep up with the younger guys, the new talent and the new speed.”
“In a lot of ways, I’m definitely more comfortable coming in,” he added. “Knowing what it’s like, what is expected, but in the same sense you need to reestablish yourself. You still must toe the line, otherwise these young bucks will take our jobs.”
Marchand still remembers his first training camp, skating on a line with Marc Savard. The rookie felt compelled to do something special every time he touched the puck from the star center. In retrospect, he feels that added pressure can be too much especially for a youngster not playing to his strengths.
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“You’ve got to find a way to stand out,” said Marchand. “The biggest thing is your compete level. Play the way that allowed you to have success. You can’t come in and try to change to be someone else. You’ve got to play within the confines of your game.”
And always remember the eyes of the organization are always upon you.
“The biggest thing I see with young guys is they treat practice like practice,” said Marchand. “It’s a tryout. You’re being watched. Sometimes guys don’t finish drills or push hard enough. They treat it like practice, but no matter where you are you’re being watched. Whether it’s in the gym, the way you clean up after yourself when your eating, the way you walk into the dressing room, what you are wearing, everything leaves an impression. Maybe you don’t make the team out of camp, but the impressions you leave here can dictate the opportunities you get in the future.”
“There’s a mindset and approach you need to have every day,” he added. “Guys that don’t do it right typically don’t last.”
It’s a work ethic that continues to serve Brad Marchand well.
“It’s tough,” said Marchand. “When you’re in the minors all those guys are your buddies. At the same time, you’re all fighting for a spot to make the team. I like those guys, but I don’t like them enough to let them take my spot.”
