For the first time since his hip surgery in the offseason, Brad Marchand participated in Bruins practice.
Boston held practice Sunday as it prepares to take on the Florida Panthers on Monday. Marchand is still expected to be out for the first few games of the season, and the winger plans on sticking to his recovering timeline, but Marchand still wanted to get out on the ice and be with his teammates.
“I feel really good,” Marchand said, per the team. “It was more of a mental victory than anything. It’s been a long four months, and it was gonna be an easy practice for the guys, so I begged them enough to let me jump in there with them. It gets tiring and old being out there by yourself. (Charlie McAvoy’s) out there. But having a group of guys and being back with the team is completely different feeling.
“Just with it being an easy day, was able to get back out there and do everything that they did. It was just skating stuff, the same thing I was gonna do by myself. Put a couple by (Jeremy Swayman).”
The 34-year-old took in a light practice Sunday, with very little contact, but as he said, he was itching to get out there and take another step forward in his rehab process.
The Bruins hope Marchand can return and play with the team in late November. The Jim Montgomery era has gotten off to a strong start, and fans are surely excited to see Marchand in the head coach’s system.
