Despite Reputation, Bruins ‘Love’ What Brad Marchand Brings As Captain

Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand has built a bit of a reputation throughout his career.

In 14 seasons, the 35-year-old has not only been a tremendous contributor on the ice — making four All-Star appearances — but has also been known to get under the skin of his opponents. Marchand’s antics have ranged from funny (he has licked people on multiple occasions) to… well, against the rules (he’s missed 28 games due to suspension in his career).

That’s possibly one of the reasons why people had questions about outside perception after the Bruins named Marchand as the 27th captain in franchise history. Boston head coach Jim Montgomery isn’t concerning himself with those questions, though.

“I would say that he’s ours and we’re happy to have him,” Montgomery said Wednesday, as seen on NESN. “That’s what I would say. We don’t concern ourselves with (outside) opinion or their thoughts. We love what we have, and so do our fans.”

There’s no doubt Bruins fans love Marchand, as he’s become a favorite around Boston over the course of his career. He’ll be joined by fellow fan favorites Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak in the leadership corps, as both were named alternate captains.

Marchand’s first regular-season game as captain is scheduled for Oct. 11 when the Chicago Blackhawks visit TD Garden.