It was a day that fans of the Boston Bruins never thought would come, but now it’s the reality they’re dealing with: now-former captain Brad Marchand, who had been a staple on the roster since entering the NHL as a rookie in the 2010-11 NHL season, was traded to the Florida Panthers.
Marchand is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and was reportedly unable to come to an agreement on a new contract beyond 2024-25.
While there are plenty of frustrated Bruins fans who don’t like the direction that the franchise has taken, Bruins Chief Executive Officer Charlie Jacobs has given his full endorsement to the management team of GM Don Sweeney and team president Cam Neely. Jacobs released a statement in which he pledges “full support” to both Sweeney and Neely.
“In Boston, we’ve been fortunate to witness the rise of generational talent who fostered a culture of excellence within our locker room and led our club to victory,” Jacobs said on social media. “Brad Marchand, our captain, Stanley Cup champion, and Bruin of 16 years, will forever be part of that legacy. While we made our best efforts to keep Brad in black and gold for the rest of his playing career, he now embarks on the next chapter of his journey. We wish him, his wife Katrina, and their three children, Sloane, Sawyer, and Rue, the utmost success.
“Cam, Don, and the hockey operations team have my full support as they make these very difficult decisions, which we collectively believe will set our franchise up for a new era of success in the future. Our goal remains unchanged: to be a Stanley Cup championship-drive organization. Together, we are changing a course for the next century.”
As fate would have it, the Bruins host Marchand and the Panthers on Tuesday night at TD Garden.
Brad Marchand’s time with the Bruins is over
Marchand and the Bruins were unable to agree on a new contract, as Sweeney explained on Friday.
“Just had a gap. Deep down, we had been talking really from day two, I think, of free agency in terms of what his intentions were and where we were at,” Sweeney said.
“We always had a bit of a term gap that took us a while and felt that we had been able to bridge that,” he added. “But again, a player is more than entitled to have an understanding of what they think their market value is and do what’s best for them. And I have to always respect that.”
Marchand is in the final season of an eight-year, $49 million deal that he inked in 2016 with a $6.125 million cap hit.
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