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Bruce Cassidy: Brad Marchand has what it takes to succeed Patrice Bergeron as Bruins’ captain
"Brad will be a great leader in terms of leading by example, will to win, been there, done it.”
When Zdeno Chara left the Bruins in 2020 after 14 seasons as the team’s captain, the choice was obvious as to who would get the “C” stitched onto their sweater moving forward.
But now that Patrice Bergeron has hung up his skates, Boston’s next choice of captain might be a bit murkier to read.
Even though Boston could opt to appoint a younger franchise fixture like Charlie McAvoy into the role as captain, a veteran like Brad Marchand seems like the clear frontrunner.
Despite the 35-year-old winger’s extensive rap sheet when it comes to the NHL’s Department of Player Safety, Marchand’s veteran mettle, leadership and his standing as Bergeron’s understudy in the dressing room should make him the favorite for the captaincy.
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Speaking on “The Cam & Strick Podcast” earlier this week, former Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy vouched for Marchand’s candidacy.
“I do,” Cassidy said when asked if he believes Marchand can succeed Bergeron as captain. “Not that many guys are the perfect kind of mix of everything, right? I think Bergeron was good at that. He led by example, he’s still the hardest worker in practice.
“Off ice, he made sure that everyone felt welcome and was a good teammate to one another and set some of those rules that Zdeno had put in place. But Brad will be a great leader in terms of leading by example, will to win, been there, done it.”
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Cassidy, who coached Marchand both during his early years with the Providence Bruins and later during his six years as Boston’s bench boss, has seen firsthand Marchand’s growth from a fourth-line pest into an established leader and one of the best left wingers in the NHL.
Even though Cassidy acknowledged that playing with an “edge” is still a foundational part of Marchand’s game, his intensity could also lead to a few learning curves if he’s given the reins of a retooling Bruins dressing room.
“He’ll just have to learn how to deal with the younger players that are coming into the league and still haven’t found their traction, right? That would be the one challenge for Brad because he’s got high expectations of everybody,” Cassidy said. “And that’s just the way he is. There’s nothing wrong with that.
“But how he communicates with those guys would probably be, my guess, would be his biggest challenge if he’s the guy and the direction they go. Now, they may go younger. They’ve got some core pieces there in Pastrnak and McAvoy that I’m sure they’ll consider. But at the end of the day, they’ve got good choices.”
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As for Bergeron’s legacy in Boston, Cassidy believes that his influence will carry over into the next generation of Bruins talent, especially with players like Marchand, McAvoy, and others still carrying on.
“He’s the ultimate professional,” Cassidy said of Bergeron. “Looked out for all his teammates, took care of his business on the ice. … Marshy really looked up to Bergy, so I think he had a huge effect on getting him to reach his potential. Didn’t want to let Bergy down, always wanted to make sure he’s playing the right way. And then Bergy started that with Pasternak.
“Pasta also had [David] Krejci, so he had a couple of guys he gravitated to, but that’s the type of player — not only was he a great player, he made people around him better. And those usually are the best leaders. So just a quality person that you can’t help but admire for everything that he does on and off the ice.
“So I wish him and Steph and their kids all the best. I don’t know what his next path will be. It’ll be interesting to see if he stays with the Bruins in some capacity or just kind of moves on from hockey. But Boston fans will miss him, I’ll tell you that. Because he’s a great, great Bruin.”
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