Today was an emotional day for many Boston sports fans, as they bid farewell to Bruins’ captain Brad Marchand, the longest-tenured member of any of the city’s four major teams. Marchand will head to Florida in exchange for a conditional second-round pick, a move that comes as part of a series of trades that essentially amounted to a fire sale from the side of the Bruins’ front office. Marchand has been a staple of the black and gold since he was called up to the NHL in 2009; he was a key member of the team’s 2011 Stanley Cup run and was the last remaining member of that team to don the spoked B. Whether you believe it was the right move for the team or not, this trade is a tough pill to swallow if you are a Bruins fan.
A Move Felt Beyond the Ice
Marchand has been a key contributor for the struggling Bruins throughout the 2024-25 season, however, this trade will sting for Bruins fans far beyond his absence on the ice. The Bruins’ captain was the heart and soul of their team, embodying the gritty, hardworking disposition of the city he played for. A fan favorite, he was vocal, especially recently, about wanting to spend the remainder of his career in Boston. For the Bruins’ management to trade him after nearly 20 years of commitment to the team and city certainly feels like a slap in the face–not to mention they sent him to the Atlantic Division rival who eliminated the black and gold in the playoffs in each of the last two years.
Related: 2025 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
This move comes amid a season that has seen Bruins’ GM Don Sweeney come under fire for recent decisions that have not panned out. These moves include the signings of Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm and allowing Jake DeBrusk to walk in free agency last offseason. The Marchand trade will only make fans’ criticism of Sweeney ring louder, particularly given that the return for the Bruins’ captain is just a conditional second-round pick.
End of an Era
This move by Sweeney and company marks the end of an era. The Bruins selected Marchand with the 71st overall pick in the 2006 NHL Draft. In the 19 years that followed, the team would win a Stanley Cup and appear in two more, set all sorts of records during a historic 2022-23 regular season, and win countless unforgettable playoff series along the way. Though he stands at just 5-foot-9, Marchand provided a larger-than-life presence in the Bruins’ lineup the entire time, spending much of his time playing alongside fellow Bruins’ legend Patrice Bergeron. On top of the big wins, he was a player you loved to have on your team, providing Bruins fans with memorable moments like his infamous lick on Ryan Callahan in 2018. This trade sent away a major part of the Bruins’ identity, as well as a surefire Hall of Famer.
Beyond the world of hockey, Marchand’s departure means that no athletes who were on any of the major Boston sports teams between 2000 and 2010 remain active for the city’s four teams. This brings a close to a generation of legends like Tom Brady, David Ortiz, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Zdeno Chara, and Bergeron. These names brought the Bruins a Stanley Cup, the Celtics an NBA Championship, the Patriots six Super Bowls, and the Red Sox three World Series. While the Celtics still find themselves at the pinnacle of their sport, it certainly feels like the unbelievable 20-year run of dominance that these Boston teams created has come to an end.
A Tough Move
Trading Marchand may have been the right move on paper. The Bruins are well out of a playoff spot, short on draft picks, and are as banged up as they have ever been: simply put, it is not their year. That said, moving their captain, a player who has been part of their team for nearly 20 years and who had expressed desire to stay with the team for good, certainly stings–especially for nothing more than a second-round pick. While we do not know how far apart the two parties were on contract negotiations or anything that happened behind the scenes as of yet, Sweeney will be dragged by the Boston faithful over this move. The number 63 will end up in the rafters of TD Garden one day, and it is a shame that this is how his tenure as a Bruin will end.
