Bruins Alumni Discuss Start To Brad Marchand’s Captaincy

BOSTON -- The Boston Bruins begin their 100th season with a new player wearing the captain's "C" on his jersey.

Brad Marchand will take the ice on Wednesday to start his first season as the 27th captain in franchise history. The 2011 Stanley Cup champion and four-time All-Star leads Boston back into a fresh start.

Boston's previous captain believes that the 35-year-old will be a great captain by sticking to his roots.

"My only advice was probably to just be himself," Patrice Bergeron told reporters on Wednesday during the Bruins opening night "Gold Carpet" event. "Leadership is by committee and letting other guys grow. Having that core with you and letting them take charge. Marchy has just been around for so long. He's got the experience. He's competitive as we all know. It's the perfect combination to be a great captain and a great leader. As I said before, he's an amazing friend. Happy for him. He doesn't need any advice from me."

Another recently retired championship teammate of Marchand's took time over his career to notice the effort he put in to improve on and off the ice.

"He definitely deserves it," David Krejci told reporters. "He earned it. I think he's the oldest guy on the team. He knows exactly what it means to be a Bruin. There's a lot of young guys coming in and new faces. I think he's the right person."

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From his early days with the Bruins, many of Marchand's teammates saw his drive to improve which led to him earning the honor of captain prior to this season.

"He's always had the desire and the work ethic," retired two-time Stanley Cup champion Shawn Thornton told reporters. "He's a character guy. Behind the scenes, as you guys know now, he did a lot of the right things. I texted him right after. I'm happy for him. That's a huge honor. He deserves it."

From his championship teammates to legends of previous generations, Marchand has the support of multiple Boston legends.

"I think that he's certainly earned it," former captain Terry O'Reilly told reporters. "I think he's been a franchise player. He plays the whole game. I think if I played against him, I'd hate him. He wears the "B." I love him."

Last season, Marchand scored 21 goals in 73 games as the Bruins won the President's Trophy.

Marchand leads the Bruins into the 2023-24 campaign against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night at TD Garden.