Brad Marchand On Winter Classic: ‘I Don’t Want To Play Until That Game’

Brad Marchand is going to do everything in his power to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself Jan. 1.

The Bruins winger was suspended before Boston’s Winter Classic tilt with the Montreal Canadiens at Gillette Stadium in 2016 for a hit the NHL Department of Player Safety deemed late and low to Ottawa Senators’ Mark Borowiecki. Marchand said his family was disappointed and him not playing “kind of ruined the trip” as his mom, among many others, flew into town to ultimately not watch Marchand take the ice.

Three years later, however, Marchand vows to not have a repeat of 2016 when the B’s take on the Chicago Blackhawks at Notre Dame Stadium on New Year’s Day.

“I might (get a) phantom injury for the next two weeks,” Marchand said, via NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin.

The 30-year-old said added he was unsure if Boston ever would play in the Winter Classic again, so he wants to make sure he’s able to play in front of his friends and family this time around.

“To miss such a big event (in 2016), potentially a once-in-a-lifetime thing, I was pretty upset about it. I never thought that I’d have another opportunity to play,” Marchand said. “So I’m really looking forward to this one. I don’t want to play until that game so I don’t do anything to miss it this time.”

Marchand also missed the 2009 Winter Classic against the Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park due to a combination of being sent down to the Providence Bruins then getting injured.

So we’re sure he will be on his best behavior for the next two games against the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres before next Tuesday.