When the 2024-2025 NHL Trade Deadline finally arrived, I let out a sigh of relief. The deadline officially passed, Brad Marchand was still the captain of the Boston Bruins, and life was good. I did, however, continue to watch the coverage of the deadline on TV. Like any other sports fan, I knew that there was always the possibility of a last-minute deal going through that hadn't been reported yet, so I waited.
Brad Marchand was a few minutes away from being the one favorite player I got to see spend his whole career with my team... and then the shoe dropped. It wasn't just that Marchand got traded; it was who he got traded to. Helping a division rival that had ended our record-breaking season go and win the cup is a cardinal sin.
Every lifelong sports fan hits this period. All your favorite players have left or retired, the guys coming into the league and dominating are younger than you, and you shift from rooting for a team and the individual players on the team to just rooting for the team. It switches from "Mom, do you think Marchand will score today?" to just watching. I'm not trying to turn this into some "Woe is me" article. Like I said, every sports fan hits this point, it's just... different.
Brad Marchand's emotional return
This brings us to Tuesday night. Brad Marchand will play his first regular-season game at TD Garden, where he comes out of the visiting tunnel, wearing white, when he should be in Black and Gold. I don't really know what I'm supposed to do here. The obvious answer would be for Marchand to do well and for the Bruins to win. I'm a bit too spiteful for that... I think. I'd like to see Marchand dominate. Not just pick up a goal (and maybe an assist). I'm talking about taking down Joe Malone's over 105-year-old record of seven goals in a single game. Show the Bruins what they're missing. Not just a leader, a captain, and a future Hall of Famer, a fantastic hockey player.
You know where Brad Marchand would rank on the Bruins right now? 2nd in goals (3, right behind David Patrnak), T-2nd in points (6, again, right behind Pasta), and T-4th in assists (3). It's still early in the season, but Marchand is the same nearly point-per-game player that he was with the Bruins every year. Did he have a bit of a drop-off in production the last two seasons? Sure, but he was still producing and playing in at least 70 games.
I don't really know if I want the Bruins to lose. I definitely want Marchand to do well. I'll probably celebrate when the Bruins score, like usual, but I might also celebrate when (yeah, that's right, "when") Marchand scores, and I don't think I'll be the only one. The only thing I know for certain is that I'm going to cherish every moment he's out there on the ice, whether he's in a Bruins sweater or not.