Brad Marchand ‘Cleans Up’ This Narrative About Bruins Exit

Brad Marchand didn’t leave the Bruins with any sort of resentment toward the storied organization.

Marchand’s remarkable Boston tenure came to a close last Friday when the Black and Gold moved the 2011 Stanley Cup champion to the Florida Panthers. The stunning deal, which was filed mere minutes before the NHL trade deadline passed, served as a somewhat anticlimactic ending to one of the best runs by a player in Bruins history.

Boston fans understandably were upset to see Marchand go, and some of them probably thought the star forward was wronged by the club’s brass. Marchand, however, made sure to shut down that narrative Monday morning when he was formally introduced by the Panthers.

“The biggest thing for me is I have a tremendous amount of respect for Cam (Neely), Sweens (Don Sweeney) and Charlie (Jacobs), the guys in there making the decisions,” Marchand told reporters, per a team-provided video. “Obviously been there a long time, gotten to know them not just on a business relationship but on a personal relationship as well. We have great friendships. It’s very tough when you have to deal with the business side of things. We made an agreement. We had a conversation when things started that we weren’t going to make it public at all. Nothing good comes in these situations when you start talking about the details of the behind-the-scenes of how these things go down. I’m really gonna try to stay away from it. We obviously were working to try to get an extension done and Sweens said it the other day: There was a gap.

“We both felt that we had a position and ultimately, we didn’t get it done. I do want to clean up, I’ve seen the last few days the narrative going on. I want to set the record straight: I don’t have any ill will toward the management group, toward Sweens, Cam or Charlie.

“I’ve had an incredible run in that organization. I’m extremely proud. Just how things went there. It was very disappointing that things didn’t get done just because obviously I love the organization. I wanted to stay there, but at the end of the day, I also know that business is business and every player has a shelf life. Regardless of if that’s when we want it to be or not. Sometimes there are things out of our control that dictate situations.”

Boston’s front office reportedly worked with Marchand to ensure the franchise legend landed with a team that could meet his preferences. Furthermore, Sweeney didn’t close the door on the possibility of Marchand returning to the Bruins this summer when he hits NHL free agency.

And as Marchand outlined in his farewell letter, he will always have love for the B’s and the city of Boston.