BOSTON (WHDH) - Brad Marchand will be the Bruins’ next captain following the retirement of Patrice Bergeron earlier this year, the Bruins announced Wednesday.
Marchand will be the 27th captain in Bruins history, following Bergeron and his predecessor, Zdeno Chara.
“I am extremely proud of Brad and the hockey player he has become,” said Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs in a statement. “Brad has been a Bruin for over 15 years and had the opportunity to learn from great leaders in Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron.”
Jacobs said Marchand “is ready for this opportunity,” adding “our whole team will learn from his competitive nature and tenacity.”
“I am confident he will represent our organization with heart and grit,” Jacobs said.
Bergeron announced his retirement on July 25.
Marchand, now entering his 15th NHL season, has spent his entire career to date with the Bruins, playing in 947 total games and scoring a total of 372 goals.
Marchand was originally drafted in the third round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and was part of the 2011 Bruins team that won the Stanley Cup.
The Bruins shared a video on social media Wednesday morning as part of their announcement, showing a worker sewing the letter “C” onto Marchand’s jersey.
“The Legacy Continues,” read a message attached to the video.
“It’s your captain speaking,” Marchand said in a video message to fans. “I just want to thank everyone for your support.”
Marchand said he is “truly very honored” to be named captain and said “I take a ton of pride in wearing this jersey and being part of this organization and team.”
Marchand said he is excited to begin the 2023-2024 season, which will mark the Bruins’ 100th year as a team.
He separately spoke at the Warrior Ice Area in Boston, saying the honor of being named captain was “pretty incredible.”
“At the end of the day, we have a lot of guys that it could go to and that are deserving but, I did want it and was hoping to have the opportunity,” Marchand said.
Marchand said he feels he’s ready to take on the challenge of being captain thanks, in part, to his apprenticeship under Bergeron and Chara.
“I’ve seen two of the best leaders to ever lead in this game come through here and I’d love for my name to be beside there in that category when I’m done,” he said.
Bruins President Cam Neely said Marchand “had some good mentors,” saying Marchand has “come a long way in his career” on and off the ice.
“We felt he would be a really good next captain for this organization,” Neely said.
As for Marchand’s legacy, the new captain said it’s all about earning the respect of everyone inside the Bruins’ dressing room.
“You want to win and you want to have success, but I think the way the guys view you as a leader and as a teammate is what’s important and that’s what I want to try to do is help build something special for our group,” Marchand said.
The Bruins are scheduled to begin preseason play on Sunday with a home game against the New York Rangers.
The team is then set to open its regular season at home against the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 11.
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