Anticipation built following the speech Brad Marchand delivered this summer during Boston Bruins development camp at Warrior Ice Arena.
The development camp brought a number of invitees, including most of the Bruins' 2021 draft picks, to rally around what's to be expected on and off the ice as a member of the franchise.
Not knowing exactly what Marchand said initially was suspenseful. But the Bruins on Thursday released a clip from the Season 9 premiere of "Behind The B," highlighting part of Marchand's speech.
Check it out:
Having access to the star winger's driven remarks, Boston fans should be pumped to hear his desire for young players in the organization to succeed.
"We expect everyone, every day to come in and compete hard, because at the end of the day we're not just trying to be a part of this group," Marchand said. "We are trying to win the Stanley Cup."
Marchand spoke to the importance of being a good teammate and working hard leading up to the 2021-22 season, but he also was empathetic toward the new guys in camp.
"I've been in your shoes," he said. "I know it's a nerve-racking time, (but) there's a lot you can learn from being here."
Words of encouragement from Marchand -- who's played in over 800 regular-season NHL games and scored 319 goals in his career -- isn't something to take lightly. He obviously knows what he's talking about and has the résumé to prove it.
The Bruins' season opener is Saturday, with puck drop at 7 p.m. ET against the Dallas Stars. NESN will have full coverage beginning with an hour of pregame coverage at 6 p.m.
