“I think he’s an example for the team now to see what it’s going to take.”
At 35 years old, Brad Marchand currently holds court as the elder statesman within the 2023-24 Bruins dressing room.
His leadership, lofty resume, and standing as one of the top wingers in the game are all validated by the “C” stitched onto his sweater.
But this week, some of that leadership dynamic has been flipped on its head — especially with several members of the 2010-11 Bruins reuniting in Boston.
Plenty has changed since Marchand helped the Bruins hoist their first Stanley Cup in 39 years.
But for several of his former teammates, Marchand remains the same pesky, 23-year-old menace who made life miserable for opponents during that Cup run.
“I’m still the guy that gets picked on. It’s funny — I’m the old guy in here, but when we all get together, I’m the young guy again,” Marchand said Thursday morning. “The bullying continues with the group. But yeah, it’s fun. Everyone has a lot of fun together and yeah, the excitement is definitely there.”
Marchand still plays with an edge every time he hops over the boards — embracing the mentality that allowed him to evolve from a fourth-line fly in the ointment into a franchise winger, destined to have his No. 63 sweater lifted to the TD Garden rafters.
Of course, he’s mellowed out some at this stage of his career, with the forward not engaging in post-whistle antics like using Daniel Sedin’s face as a speedbag.
Still, given his divisive reputation around the league and lengthy rap sheet on file with the NHL Department of Player Safety, Marchand’s ascension as Bruins captain is still viewed as a surprise to some — at least those outside of this market.
But even when Marchand was wreaking havoc against the Canucks in June 2011, his former coach, Claude Julien, saw the makings of a future leader in the NHL.
“To be honest, I wasn’t surprised,” Julien said of Marchand getting named Bruins captain. “When [Patrice Bergeron] retired and his name came up, I really thought he was going to be the candidate.
“Because what most people didn’t see from Brad is — from Year 1, when it came to game-time, he would show up to the rink. … He was always very professional and serious about his preparation for games. You would come in the room and he’d be stretching, videos, he’d be watching closely, and listening. He was a real pro.”
While Marchand’s own internal drive fueled his growth in the NHL ranks, his ability to command a room and get his teammates to buy in was also forged through many years spent in the same dressing room as veteran stalwarts like Zdeno Chara and Bergeron.
“I think he’s an example for the team now to see what it’s going to take, because he’s had the opportunity to learn from the Zdeno Charas of this world, the [David] Krejcis, the Bergerons and the [Mark] Recchis and all these guys that we talked about that have been great leaders,” Julien said of Marchand
“I know I’m leaving some names out, but he has a chance to carry that now into this group and hopefully build some players like the players before built him,” he added. “Short answer? Not surprised, and I think deserving.”
Marchand might stand as the only player on Boston’s active roster still in place from that 2011 squad, but in Chara’s eyes, the same hallmarks from his days in Boston’s room have carried on with Marchand at the helm.
“He’s obviously continuing to carry the culture and it’s great to see,” Chara said of Marchand. “It’s something that we took a lot of pride in to build and I’m just happy to see it still carry on.”
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