The Boston Bruins have announced that forward brad Marchand has been named as the 27th team captain in franchise history.
Marchand, 35, succeeds former captain Patrice Bergeron who retired from professional hockey earlier this summer. The Halifax, NS native is set to enter his 15th NHL season, spent entirely with the Bruins organization since being drafted 71st overall by the club back in 2006.
“I am extremely proud of Brad and the hockey player he has become,” said Boston Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs. “Brad has been a Bruin for over 15 years and had the opportunity to learn from great leaders in Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron. He is ready for this opportunity and our whole team will learn from his competitive nature and tenacity. I am confident he will represent our organization with heart and grit.”
Over the course of a 947 game NHL career, Marchand has accumulated 862 points (372G, 490A), while also suiting up for another 146 playoff games. Amongst active NHL players, the 5’9” winger currently ranks 1st in +/- (+290), sixth in goals (372), and seventh in points (862).
A 2x NHL All-Star, Marchand helped Boston capture the franchise’s 6th Stanley Cup back in 2011. He also currently holds several club records including most OT goals in team history (16), most shorthanded goals (31), most goals in playoff elimination games (10), and fastest postseason OT goal (39 seconds).
Internationally Marchand has represented Canada on several occasions, most notably winning gold with their 2007 & 2008 World Junior teams. He’s also added an IIHF World Championship and World Cup of Hockey gold medal to his trophy case over the years as well.
Off the ice, the former QMJHL standout is the club’s ambassador for the Hockey is for Everyone initiative, and is a fixture at team events in the community.
With Boston naming a new team captain, that now leaves just 6 teams without a captain heading into the 2023-24 campaign: Anaheim, Arizona, Calgary, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Seattle.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: Sarah Connors. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.