Marchand admits he needs to clean his act

[djboos22]

He really needs to watch his tongue.

I get trying to get under the skin of the opponent, but he is also a phenomenal player who doesn’t need to stoop down to these levels. He is my least favorite player, but he’s dang good. He made it more difficult on his team by his actions. With that being said...he’s not going to change.

 

[joestevens29]

Sounds like a guy talking about giving up drugs or booze

 

[LeafGrief]

“I want to be known as a good player,” Marchand said. “I’ve worked very hard to become a decent player in this league. Things like this hinder that. It’s something I’ve been trying to work very hard to get away from. I think if you look at my game all year long, speak to the refs, I’ve taken a big step this year and taken another step away from that game. It’s something I will continue to work on and be better at.”

Brad Marchand 'sorry' for letting down teammates, Bruins organization - Sportsnet.ca

He said all of that after he elbowed Johansson in the face.

I'll believe it when I see it from him.

 

[DFC]

I'm gonna guess some of his more... influential... teammates talked with him about the embarrassment. ...Okay, one influential, massive teammate.

In all seriousness, it's good to see him say this kind of thing. Marchand's a very talented hockey player. He can either be remembered as the agitator who blossomed into a top NHL talent, or he can be remembered as the agitator who licked people (among other things).

You can play in a way that gets under people's skin without taking it to a level that brings about organizational shame. I think that's what happened here. The Bruins dealt with it internally. Good on them.

 

[wpgallday1960]

He's saying all the right things. I'll wait and see whether he actually cleans up his act. I suspect we will still see some dirty hits from time to time.

 

[Sansbacon]

He's saving face, so to speak.

His face cannot be saved.

 

[Butch 19]

What's happened is his endorsement companies have told him that if he even sneezes too loud, they will drop him

 

[CanadienShark]

If he doesn't stop licking, someone is going to give him a real licking.

 

[COHawk]

If he tried to lick me, I’d open my mouth and invite him in.

This sounds like you are in support of the licking...

 

[mike dad bab clock]

Tongue in cheek!

 

[mouser]

Promised to brush his teeth and use mouthwash before every game is my understanding.

 

[ZJuice]

Tongue in cheek!

Tongue on cheek?

 

[Machinehead]

Good for him, but I'll believe it when I see it.

I don't mind him being annoying, and I even think the lick was far from the worst he's done, but the predatory low hits have to go.

 

[topshelf15]

Meh, he is a character...But he is still one hell of a player,maybe just need to move off the line a little

 

[Brock Radunske]

Mhm hmm

We've heard this before.

 

[The Hockey Tonk Man]

2 pages and no pinocchio/nose jokes....disappointed

 

[ZJuice]

2 pages and no pinocchio/nose jokes....disappointed

I’m pretty sure Bradley did this to draw attention away from his nose

 

[542365]

He might dial it back, but he's always going to be a shit disturber. That's just how he plays the game. He does things to annoy others and get under their skin. He would be less of a player if he dialed it back completely.

I think he gets caught up in the competition and does everything he can to win. He says he made this realization after a few days. In the heat of the moment he's still going to be the same guy. The pitchers in baseball who break their hand punching the bullpen phone can see in hindsight a couple days later that they were being stupid, but at the time it didn't matter. He's always going to be this way unless he's threatened with expulsion from the league or something crazy.

 

[tony d]

Hope he does. Guy is a great talent, it's to bad he's becoming known more for being a side show that the great offensive talent he is.

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

Easy for him to say this now that he won't be playing hockey for the next five months. I'll believe it when it is this time next year and he has actually cleaned up his act.

 

[ThirdManIn]

Didn't Matt Cooke have a similar kind of awakening, yet eventually went back to the same kind of behavior?

 

[Martin Skoula]

Didn't Matt Cooke have a similar kind of awakening, yet eventually went back to the same kind of behavior?

Matt Cooke apologized to get people's guard down around him and make it easier to find opportunities for headshots.

Marchand might be playing the long game here too; become respectable, work his way up the league and get into one of those Towes-Crosby-Gretzky photo ops. That's when he licks Gretzky right on the face.

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

He should go on a 10 game licking spree...

 

[WeThreeKings]

2 pages and no pinocchio/nose jokes....disappointed

Well, Brad is busy in the summer being the mascot for the Bluenose Marathon in Halifax.

 

[DKH]

I’m a 35 year Bruins season ticket holder - have kids who played and was no Toe Blake but I been behind the bench

If I had a kid or coached who did that they would be done until I was satisfied they were contrite and this would never do it again

If my kid did it I would tell them they embarrassed the family name

I understand many Bruins fans on the Bruins Board think it’s great reading their posts but at work, gym, neighbors, my Bruins buddies I go to the games with think it’s pathetic