Wayne Gretzky, Brad Marchand, and Bruce Cassidy respond to Marchand’s punch
"We’ve been dealing with this for a long time."
Everyone else in the NHL world weighed in on Bruins winger Brad Marchand punching Blue Jackets defenseman Scott Harrington in the back of the head after a whistle in Game 3. Might as well have The Great One’s opinion as well.
Wayne Gretzky said Wednesday that he was “sure the NHL will take care of it properly,” though he noted he hadn’t seen the entire game and therefore could not put the incident in context. The former Edmonton Oilers star didn’t seem overly concerned with the jab.
“We’ve all been punched,” Gretzky told TMZ with a laugh.
Marchand will not be fined or suspended for the punch, which occurred with one minute left in the Bruins’ loss Tuesday. Marchand punched Harrington, who was kneeling on the ice after his goalie froze the puck for a faceoff, then skated away.
Come on, Marchand https://t.co/HOP6mScuLa
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 1, 2019
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman noted Marchand has been warned by the league’s Department of Player Safety. If the behavior is repeated, Bettman said, “he should look forward to a suspension.”
Marchand had not been fined or suspended in the regular season, though he has picked up six suspensions and three fines over the course of his 10-year career.
“I guess because of having to talk about it today, it’s not something I’d go back to do it again,” Marchand said after practice Wednesday. “But stuff like that just happens in hockey. You watch the play there and Jake [DeBrusk] took about six punches from two guys. It is what it is.”
The winger went on to say that he’ll “try to stay within the rules and they’re going to call the game the way they see fit. That’s playoff hockey.”
His coach, Bruce Cassidy, acknowledged that Marchand will take penalties on plays around the puck. However, he planned to talk to him about staying out of the penalty box for altercations outside the course of play.
“We need him on the ice,” Cassidy said, per NESN. “And the way the series has gone every power play has been crucial, both ways. So we’ve got to make sure that he plays hard between the whistles, and that will be the message to him.”
Cassidy added that he plans to remind Marchand that he’s one of the Bruins’ better players, so opponents are targeting him.
“You got to understand that there’s a little bit that goes along with it, and he’s got to find that balance on the ice,” he said. “And we’ve been dealing with this for a long time, so this isn’t an easy — this isn’t me just going up [and saying] ‘Hey Marchy, knock it off.’ It doesn’t work that way.”
The Bruins face the Blue Jackets in Game 4 on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
