Marchand: Captaincy ‘Means More Than Anyone Will Ever Know’

BOSTON – Brad Marchand was waiting...somewhat patiently.

As he sat down to dinner with the Bruins’ brass earlier this week at Sorellina in the Back Bay, he knew that something was on their minds. But as everyone made small talk around the table, Marchand began to get a bit anxious as he wondered whether it would be the conversation he was hoping for.

“I was trying not to get my hopes up,” Marchand said of being tabbed as the Bruins’ next captain.

“We kind of sit down at dinner and [I’m] anxiously waiting for [someone] to bring it up, and we're talking small talk and stories from the past and what not, just kind of having a conversation.

“And then [it got] a little quiet and I want to know what's happening, so I said, ‘What are we doing here?’”

It was then that Bruins president Cam Neely – who picked the dinner location, one of his “go-to” spots as Marchand called it – delivered the news that Marchand admitted he was eager to hear: he was going to succeed his longtime friend and teammate Patrice Bergeron as the club’s next captain.

“Cam spoke up and brought it up and kind of let me go,” Marchand said with a smile. “And then [Don Sweeney] and [Jim Montgomery] both spoke after that. I was extremely proud and honored – a little relieved. At the end of the day, we have a lot of guys that it could go to and that are deserving.

“But I did want it and was hoping to have the opportunity. When you look at the guys that have played for this organization, what they've done, again, the legacy that is built, I take pride in what I do, and I wanted the opportunity to be a part of that, that group, and to try to build something special with this team."

While he is now one of just 27 players to don the ‘C’ for the Black & Gold, Marchand still does not view himself in the same category as some of the men that have come before him – the likes of Bergeron, Chara, Bourque, and Bucyk.

“It's an incredible group of names,” said Marchand. “I've been adamant about this in the past – I don't put myself in that group. But I think the one thing that I have always done is that I've worked really hard at trying to accomplish everything that I set my goals on, and if I get something in my mind that I'll do everything I can to achieve it.

“And that's the same with this. I know that those guys are some of the best leaders that ever played our game, not just in our organization, and there's a lot of work to be done personally, off ice. But as a group – and I believe this wholeheartedly – we want to achieve what Bergy and Zee and Bourque and Chief have been able to do for this team…not through one person, it's going to be a collective effort.

“I have a ton of trust and belief in the group that we're going to assemble to kind of attack this thing together. So, it'll be a collective thing and we're all going to benefit from it. It’ll be fun."

And, no doubt, a challenge – though it’s one that Marchand is fully embracing as he enters his 15^th season with the Black & Gold.

“I am extremely proud and honored and it means more to me than I think anyone will ever know,” said Marchand, who has been full-time alternate captain for the past three seasons. “To be able to wear a 'C' for this team…I see the work that goes into doing that. I really believe that I've witnessed two of the best leaders of all time, being in this organization, leading this team [in Chara and Bergeron]. To do that, it is a full-time job.

“It was on their mind every single second of the day of how to improve the team and how to find different ways to bring groups together and to continue to build the culture that they started here.

“There's big shoes to fill, and I'm excited for the opportunity. It's an incredible gift to be part of this organization.”

Knowing the gravity of being captain of such a storied franchise, Marchand acknowledged that “it was surreal” the first time he saw his No. 63 with the ‘C’ adorned on the left side above the Spoked-B, while contemplating what a younger version of himself would’ve thought had he known he’d someday be the captain of an Original Six team.

“It almost felt weird to see the jersey,” he said. “The guys you see wearing the 'C' are the best to ever play the game, so sort of looked out at mine and put it on. It was a different feeling. I was kind of thinking about it the other day…when you grow up, you dream about being in the NHL and making it, and then you get here and just want to stay so you do everything you can to stay.

“I don't think at any point – maybe up until last year – did I ever think there was a possibility to be in a position to wear a 'C' and…those are almost like the unattainable things. There's like 30 guys in the league that wear one and that usually wear them for a long time.

“As a kid you never think that things like that are possibilities…for that to all become a reality…it's pretty special…people ask what it's like to win a Cup, you can't explain it and that's kind of another thing that goes into that category. It's tough to explain the feelings that I felt.”

The 35-year-old did recall his brother Kevin, upon hearing the news earlier this week, saying how much things have changed for Marchand over the past several years when it comes to his non-hockey reputation. Marchand noted that the infamous licking incident with Tampa’s Ryan Callahan during the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs was a bit of a turning point for him in that regard as he began to lean heavily on Chara and Bergeron for guidance.

“It's pretty incredible the way that things change,” said Marchand, who earlier in his career was more known for his antagonistic and sometimes pugilistic qualities. “Perhaps that incident with Callahan was kind of one of those moments where I realized that it kind of was getting away from me a little bit…it was part of the discussions about changing what my legacy was going to be and something that Zee taught me a lot about.

“And when Bergy became captain, I was alongside him every day. And that's really where I got to see what it takes to be at that next level. I spent a lot of time in Zee before that, but not the same amount. When I got to see, really, to another extent, what he was doing as a captain, how he carried himself and the things that he was making important for himself to focus on every day that were going to benefit the group, I realized that there were some things that I needed to work on myself.

“There's a reason that guys like [Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby] and Bergy and Zee and guys in the past who have played 15-20 years that have accomplished everything…it's because of the effort that they put in away from the rinks that nobody sees…as I started to see more and more of that, I started to care more about it and realized that I needed to implement that, too."

Marchand did admit that he will have to remain mindful of keeping his emotions in check as he begins the latest chapter in what has already been a remarkable career for the former fourth liner.

“It's going to be a continued work in progress,” said Marchand. “I definitely don't expect to step in and be perfect off the hop. But I do play with a certain type of passion and emotion, and I won't lose that, that's just who I am. And you continue to do that to be a good player in this league. It's allowed me to be successful, and I don't want to get away from that.”

Ultimately, Marchand said, he is aiming to help put the Bruins in the very best position to carry forward the foundation of winning and respect that has been built up over the past 15 years.

“There's been a lot of emotions the last few days and a lot of thoughts went through my mind,” said Marchand. “I just want to try to find our own path as a group…I really believe that the most effective way we're going to achieve things as a group is as a good leadership core…you want to want to win and you want to have success, but I think the way the guys view you as a leader and as a teammate is what's important, and that's what I want to try to do is build something special for our group."