Brad Marchand Really Loves Boston, But Makes ‘Painful’ Admission

Brad Marchand has spent his adult life in Boston as a member of the Bruins. He’d have it no other way.

But being one of the faces of the Bruins probably isn’t something Marchand envisioned growing up.

After getting his nose broken Monday, Marchand delivered one of his finest performances of the season Wednesday, tallying a hat trick in a pummeling of the Montreal Canadiens.

Marchand, asked if he ever thought while playing juniors in Quebec if he’d end up with the Canadiens, made an admission: he grew up a Toronto Maple Leafs fan.

“Montreal was never a team I had on my radar,” Marchand told reporters after the game over Zoom. “I was always a Toronto fan growing up, as painful as that is to say now, that was my team. Once I thought that the NHL could be a reality, Montreal really didn’t show any interest. So, it wasn’t a team I thought would pick me, and luckily I ended up here and it’s been a lot of fun. … When you get drafted to a team, you’re all in on that team. Being in Boston is the best thing that ever happened to me, so I’m very happy with the way it’s worked out.”

Ultimately, this is just a little surprising. Marchand is Canadian, but grew up in Nova Scotia, so technically the Habs and Ottawa Senators were closer to him than the Leafs — and there is a fair amount of Bruins fans in that part of Canada, as well.

Whatever the case, Marchand is all-in on Boston and the Bruins, and it’s clear both player and organization are thrilled about that.