Bruins’ Brad Marchand Set For 1,000th Game; Next Stop Hall Of Fame?

Brad Marchand has built quite the résumé over his 15 seasons with the Boston Bruins.

But has Marchand, who is set to play in his 1,000th regular-season game with the franchise Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, put together a career worthy of the Hall of Fame? Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery certainly thinks so.

“Maybe five years ago, just the way he started the offensive production and every year 95 points, every year dominant player,” Montgomery told reporters following Monday’s practice on when he considered Marchand Hall of Fame caliber, per team-provided video. “You had to be aware of him. Just a dominant player. Impacted every game.”

At this point in his career, it’s hard for Marchand not to think about the possibility of getting the call to the hall and he believes it’s a reachable feat.

“I think that’s the ultimate recognition that a player can get is to be in the Hall of Fame,” Marchand told reporters, per team-provided video. “Is it achievable? I don’t know. I see the amount of time I feel like I can still play. I don’t know what it takes to get there. I’m going to play every single day, and come to the rink every day and try to get better and try to play as long as I can. If it happens it happens. It’s not so much a goal, as it’d be a dream come true.”

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Marchand can craft a compelling case for himself. He has 397 goals and 513 assists for 910 points — fifth-most all-time in Bruins history — while spending the entirety of his career with one of the premier organizations in the NHL. The four-time All-Star has excelled in nearly all phases of the game, too, especially on the penalty kill. Helping the Bruins win a Stanley Cup in 2011 certainly doesn’t hurt his cause, either.

The 35-year-old has been a model of consistency as well, notching 11 straight seasons with at least 20 goals. And there’s Marchand’s longevity, and playing 1,000 career games with the Bruins isn’t lost on him.

“It’s special,” Marchand said. “I look at it in so many different ways. When you look back as a kid coming up and just trying to make the league, it’s hard to imagine playing 1,000 games, especially for one team. You look at the players, the guys I grew up watching that played 1,000 games — I was even looking the other day guys who I would have expected to play 1,000 games that didn’t due to injuries or whatever. It is pretty incredible.”

It’s been a long journey to this point for Marchand, and one he hopes doesn’t conclude anytime soon and ends with him enshrined next to the greats of the game.

“I feel like personal achievements in the game are something you look back at the end of the day once you retire and you kind of see what you accomplish,” Marchand said. “Kind of set goals throughout my career and playing 1,000 games is a goal at one point. When it became reachable, I had other goals and bigger aspirations. It is special to look back and see how far it’s come. Hopefully, it’s just a building block to many more.”