Brad Marchand joins the legacy of Bruins captains which features Zdeno Chara and more recently Patrice Bergeron. The former B's captain was asked how he felt about the current captain's on-ice antics.
His answer would surprise you as he offered an opinion, but what it came to was his friend's personality.
Not the agitator, and "rat" we all know and love as Bruins fans.
Bergeron joined Nate Thompson and Julie Binks on their first episode of the hockey podcast "The Energy Line with Nate and JSB" on Tuesday.
He'd offer his perspective on someone who is liked by his teammates and constantly been a source of agitation for opponents.
"What would surprise a lot of people is he is a really good guy," Bergeron said. "A lot of people have a lot of hatred towards him, but obviously, I understand that side when you look at him on the ice and the way he plays. He plays with his heart on his sleeve, and he wants to do whatever it takes to get the result.
"But if you take it back and really get to know him as a person, you see in the locker room, the leadership and the connections that he has with the guys. Also, the family man that he is, and the energy that he brings every day. He's always lights up the mood. He's a special guy to be around. He's a really good friend of mine. You would love to get to know him." (via NESN)
Deep down he feels the current Bruins captain is a really good guy and a good person who treasures his relationships with his teammates.
Given that he's the leader of the B's at the moment, it'd behoove him to act in a way that yields influence up and down the lineup.
Marchand started his career with the Bruins in 2009, and his second year in the league he'd win a Cup with Bergeron.
The two have grown really close and were teammates up until Bergeron's retirement in 2023.
Obviously, he'd admit that Marchand has crossed the line multiple times. But he still has his admiration, as a human being and hockey player.
"There's more than one time that he took it too far," Bergeron said. "He'd be the first guy to say that he took a few things too far. And he's still learning. I think sometimes, it just gets the best of him, and he can't really control himself. But, I think he's done a lot of work on that."Obviously, there's a few things that you get back to the locker room, you shake your head. 'Buddy, like, what was that?' In the heat of the moment, that's just who he is. And that's the type of guy you want to go and battle with and go to war with. Let's be honest, all the other teams want him on their team."
Bergeron repeated an ultimate truth for many fans in the league. Marchand is a player who you hate to see your team play against, but would love him if he ever suited up for your team.
Marchand could be a Hall of Famer when he retires, but for now he still has this season to finish, and possibly another Cup to compete for.
This article first appeared on Bruins Insider and was syndicated with permission.
