Brad Marchand Comments On If He Would Want to Be Captain

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Austin Sabourin
September 6, 2023 (1:13 PM)

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The question on everyone's mind as the Boston Bruins gear up for the 2023-24 regular season is, who will be the 21st captain of the team?

With the retirement of longtime center and three-season captain, Patrice Bergeron, in July, the spotlight has turned to potential successors. Among the frontrunners are Patrice Bergeron's longtime linemate, Brad Marchand, and defenseman Charlie McAvoy.

The Bruins, now without a captain, held their first 'Captain's practice on Tuesday, marking a significant shift since 2007 when both Bergeron and David Krejci were on the roster. After a well-attended practice session at Warrior Arena, Brad Marchand, a veteran winger with 15 seasons in the NHL, was asked about the possibility of becoming the team's next captain.

Marchand's response reflected the collective approach the Bruins have always valued when it comes to leadership:

It's not something that I really think about too much. You know, obviously, it's a big honor to be in the leadership group in this organization... You know we have always done it collectively as a group, so regardless of who wears it, it's a collective thing. Even guys without letters step up.

He emphasized that leadership is a shared responsibility and that players like Charlie McAvoy, David Pastrnak, Brandon Carlo, and Hampus Lindholm would all play their part in leading the team at different points throughout the season:

The torch gets passed down. When it's time to kind of lead the way, you got to do it. Same thing is going to go for Chucky [McAvoy], Pasta [Pastrnak], Brando [Carlo], and Lindy [Lindholm] at different times as well. So, we'll all do it at different points throughout the year, and when it's your turn, you got to step up.

Despite the strong leadership core still present, Marchand acknowledged that players like Bergeron can never truly be replaced:

His presence around the room, the gym, and on the ice. You can't replace that. You know it will be a lot different this year. You say that as we go on it might get a little more comfortable, it might be more difficult. Those big moments where he normally steps up and controls things. It will be a little bit different, but something that we will all work through together.

The Bruins face a season of transition, both in leadership and on the ice, but the team is poised to navigate these changes collective

As seen on bostonhockeynow