BOSTON — Now that he’s officially the 391st player in National Hockey League history to have played 1,000 games, it’s fair to ask: Is Brad Marchand a surefire Hall of Famer?
That is, if the 35-year-old left wing’s last game was Tuesday night at TD Garden against Tampa Bay, in which he assisted on both Boston goals and nearly scored the game winner with 16 seconds left in overtime of a 3-2 shootout loss, and he never suited up again, would his career body of work be enough to get him enshrined in Hockey’s Hall?
Like the man himself, it’s a polarizing question.
The self-assured Nova Scotian went from a relatively unknown third round pick whom sports radio took delight in mispronouncing his name to one of the most beloved skaters to ever don the Black-and-Gold. There is little doubt his No. 63 will never be worn by another Bruin; it’ll be raised to the rafters shortly after he hangs up his skates for good.
At times it seems like there’s a permanent smirk on his 5-foot-9. 176-pound frame. The left winger is one of the league’s most notorious trash talkers, a sobriquet he revels in. But he was completely humble talking to the media after Tuesday’s game, talking about how grateful his is to have made his career as a Bruin and the excellent mentors he’s had in his career.
“We’re very fortunate to play this game and do what we do; we live a lot of kids’ dreams. I live my dream every day,” Marchand said.
Teammates and Bruins fans absolutely love him. Opponents — he’s always at or near the top of those ‘Most Hated Player’ polls — and opposing fans despise him.
His hockey resume is certainly splendid.
Marchand scored two goals, including the empty netter that secured his team’s first championship in 39 years, in Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final in Vancouver as a rookie. But eight years later, his late line change in Game 7 of the 2019 Final against St. Louis at home led to a Blues goal and a 2-0 deficit that Boston could never climb out of.
The 15-year pro is three goals away from 400 for his career. His two assists Tuesday bumped his career total to 912 points, fifth-most in Bruins history. Marchand was a First Team NHL All-Star following both the 2017-18 and 2020-21 seasons, and chosen as a Second Team All-Star in 2018-19 and again in 2019-20.
One of the greatest shorthanded scorers in league history, Marchand is atop Boston’s all-time list for both shorties (35) and overtime game-winning tallies (19). His shorthanded strike late in the third period gave Team Canada the 2016 World Cup championship over Team Europe.
Marchand has scored 20 goals or more in a season 13 different times (including a current streak of 12 straight), 30 or more five times, and has put together 10 seasons of 50 or more points. His 77 GWG’s rank third in Black-and-Gold annals.
He is the most famous No. 63 in NHL history (fun fact: former St. John’s Prep star and current Chicago Blackhawk Colin Blackwell wore No. 63 as a collegian at Harvard because he loved Marchand’s game). He leads all active NHL players in career plus-minus (+300). Should he keep up his current pace, Marchand will likely reach 1,000 career points sometime before the 2024-25 regular season concludes.
But his transgressions that have been just as big a part of his career.
Marchand’s eight career suspensions are more than any other player in NHL history. Playing the role of on-ice villain to a T, he’s been assessed more than $1.4 million in dollars in fines and missed 28 games for his infractions, ranging from slew footing an opponent (twice) and low bridging to punching, then spearing, Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry two seasons ago.
Bruins fans may delight upon the memory of Marchand rag-dolling Daniel Sedin with six straight (and unreturned) punches to the head in Game 6 of the 2011 Final, but that didn’t win him a lot of friends around the league. Neither did the absurdity of his licking Tampa Bay’s Ryan Callahan seven years later in the postseason.
So back to the original question: is Marchand a Hall of Famer?
Not every player who reached 1,000 career games is enshrined in Toronto. Strictly among forwards, Matt Cullen (1,516 games) never had a snowball’s chance in Hawaii of getting the call to the Hall. Neither did Scott Mellanby (1,431 games), Dean Prentice (1,378), Bobby Holik (1,314), Martin Gelinas (1,273), Scott Young (1,181) or a dozen or so others.
None of those players had close to Marchand’s skill set, however.
Hitting 400 goals does not earn one automatic entry (just ask Rick Middleton), nor does 1,000 points. You could argue that Marchand has never been the best player on his own team, and he’s never won a major award.
Still, he’s been one of the best players during one of the best stretches in Boston’s 100-year history, which spans Marchand’s career. If he can raise his second Stanley Cup — this time as team captain — once more before he chirps his way into the sunset, he’ll be a lock.
Forced to choose today, he probably comes up just short of Hall consideration. But still at the top of his game in his mid-30s and not planning on retiring anytime soon, there’s still time for Marchand to solidify his chances of enshrinement.
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Phil Stacey covers the Boston Bruins and the NHL for CNHI Boston Sports. Contact him at pstacey@salemnews.com and follow him on Twitter/X @PhilStacey_SN