Brad Marchand (born May 11, 1988) is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Marchand was born on May 11, 1988, in Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia, a suburb of the Halifax Regional Municipality.
Marchand was the oldest of four children born to Kevin and Lynn Marchand, with all of his siblings born in a four-year span.
His father was known as a goon during his junior ice hockey years, at one time engaging in 40 fights within a 40-game span.
After collecting 358 penalty minutes in one season, Kevin Marchand's coach taught him how to balance the physical aspect of the game with skill and scoring, a lesson which he in turn taught his children as they began their hockey careers.
Marchand began playing hockey at the age of two in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, and developed an aggressive playing style from a young age.
He remembers beginning to fight in games around the age of 13 as an outlet for his excessive energy.
The following year, he hit an opponent with enough force to damage the cage on the player's helmet.
Marchand struggled with his temper throughout his childhood, and took anger management classes as an adolescent.
As his hockey career progressed, he would also begin seeing a sport psychologist to address his on-ice frustrations.
Growing up, Marchand became close friends with future National Hockey League (NHL) player Andrew Bodnarchuk, a fellow Hammonds Plains native and his minor ice hockey teammate for the Dartmouth Subways of the Timberlea Amateur Sports Association.
Marchand also played for his school team at Madeline Symonds Middle School alongside Bodnarchuk.
Marchand gained a reputation both for taking penalties and for riling his opponents during his minor hockey career, and he formed intense rivalries both with his Cole Harbour rivals and with his larger, stronger teammates.
2004
Between 2004 and 2008, Marchand played for three junior ice hockey teams: he was drafted by the Moncton Wildcats, was traded to the Val-d'Or Foreurs in 2006, and was traded again to the Halifax Mooseheads in 2007.
The Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) selected Marchand 24th overall in the 2004 QMJHL Entry Draft.
He scored 29 goals for Moncton in his draft year, and was awarded the team's Rookie of the Year.
2005
Shortly before the 2005–06 QMJHL season, Moncton hired Ted Nolan as their new head coach, and he took to Marchand's "drive and determination" at once, giving the skater an extensive role on the team.
Under this new direction, Marchand scored 29 goals and 66 points in 68 regular season games for Moncton, and led the team to a President's Cup championship and the Memorial Cup finals with another five goals and 14 assists in 20 playoff games.
The Wildcats ultimately lost in the finals to the Quebec Remparts.
2006
The Bruins selected Marchand in the third round, 71st overall, of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
Marchand was raised in Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia, the oldest of four children born to two local hockey coaches.
At the same time, the Bruins were scouting Marchand, and made a trade with the New York Islanders to ensure that he was drafted by Boston in 2006.
The Boston Bruins of the NHL spent the season scouting Marchand, and traded two fourth-round picks in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft to the New York Islanders in exchange for a third-round pick, which they used to select Marchand 71st overall.
On January 2, 2006, the Wildcats traded Marchand and two draft picks to the Val-d'Or Foreurs in exchange for Luc Bourdon, Jean-Sebastien Adam, and Ian Mathieu-Girard, with Marchand's part of the trade going into effect just before the 2006–07 QMJHL season.
He scored 33 goals and 47 assists in 57 regular season games with Val-d'Or, and in that season's playoffs, he led the league with 16 goals and 24 assists in 20 games.
At the same time, he showed signs of being a grinder, putting up 36 penalty minutes.
Although the Lewiston Maineiacs swept the Foreurs in the Memorial Cup finals, Maineiacs skater David Perron and goaltender Jonathan Bernier saw a threat in Marchand, both for his offensive ability and the way in which he frustrated his opponents.
He returned to the Foreurs the following season, putting up 21 goals and 23 assists in 33 games.
2007
Marchand signed an entry-level contract with the team in October 2007.
On December 17, 2007, the first day of the QMJHL trading window, the Foreurs traded Marchand to the Halifax Mooseheads in exchange for forward Maxime Sauvé and five future draft picks, including two in the first round.
Earlier that day, Halifax had acquired Sauvé from the Quebec Remparts in exchange for centre David Gilbert.
2008
He spent the 2008–09 AHL season with the Providence Bruins before making his NHL debut in October 2009.
2009
After Halifax fell to the Gatineau Olympiques in the 2009 QMJHL championships, with Marchand a healthy scratch for their elimination game, the Bruins told Marchand to stay home and report that fall for training camp.
2010
Marchand was a member of the Bruins' starting roster in 2010, playing on the fourth line and helping the Bruins win the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals.
2012
Marchand and the Bruins struggled in the next several seasons, first when a lockout shortened the 2012–13 NHL season, followed by two consecutive playoff misses.
Meanwhile, Marchand was increasing both his number of goals per season and his reputation as a pest.
2017
During the 2017–18 NHL season, Marchand received a series of fines, suspensions, and media controversies for hits on his opponents.
2018
He decided after the season to focus on improving his character, and followed through by scoring 100 points during the 2018–19 NHL season.
2019
Marchand's high-scoring season was undercut by a disappointing defeat at the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals, and as he moved into the 2019–20 NHL season, Marchand focused on setting up scoring chances for linemates Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrňák.
However, Marchand's reputation of suspensions and rule-breaking behavior continued in the 2021–22 NHL season, as he was suspended a total of nine games in that season alone, and becoming the most suspended player in NHL history, in terms of individual suspensions.
