If the National Hockey League and NHLPA are looking for a spokesman for the upcoming Four Nations Face-Off, they could do a lot worse than Brad Marchand.
On the other hand, they might want to look for someone a little less honest when it comes to propping up the much-maligned All-Star game the next time it’s expected to be played in 2027.
After Tuesday’s morning skate, the Bruins’ captain, who’ll be be wearing Canada’s maple leaf again for the upcoming Four Nations tourney, delivered some unvarnished truths about thee stark differences between international competition and All-Star games.
“When you’re playing for your country, it’s different. All-Star games are what they are. Guys aren’t going there to show up (to compete). They’re on their break and they don’t get a break after that. No one is going to get hurt by trying too hard. You’re also obligated to be there,” said Marchand. “Some of those guys are going to be there their entire career. And they’re obligated to be there, too, or they’re going to be suspended. So you’re not going to get everyone’s best at All-Star games. And they try to make a show for the fans and it gets long and it gets old. It can be only so repetitive before it gets old for the players and fans.
“I love that, not just for the players but for the fans (that the Four Nations is being played). I’m a fan of the game as well. (The All-Star game) is also a terrible game to watch. But the World Cups and the Olympics and the Four Nations, those are a blast, because when guys put on the jersey for their country, it doesn’t matter where you’re at. They’re going to leave everything they have on the ice and they’re going to play as hard as they possibly can. When we’re going up against each other, it’s not going to be like that All-Star mentality. You feel the entire weight of your country on your shoulders. You may never have the opportunity to put that jersey on again, so you want to make the most of it. To have that every other year, between the World Cup and the Olympics, it’s going to be incredible for the sport of hockey.”
Marchand knows of which he speaks. He’s been to a couple of All-Star games, and dutifully played up his day-job persona as villain to the rest of the league. He also represented Canada in two World Junior Championships and in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, winning gold at each event. He has not been able to play in the Olympics, however. The last Games the NHL players participated in was at Sochi in 2014, essentially skipping Marchand’s prime.
NHL players are going back in 2026, but the 36-year-old isn’t banking on being selected. He’s going to take the Four Nations tourney as if its the last time he wears a Canada sweater.
“Hopefully it’s not, but there’s definitely potential of that. Obviously I’m aware of my age and everything. Yeah, it potentially is, so I’m going to enjoy every second of it,” said Marchand.…
Before the Four Nations, however, the B’s have three important games, starting with Minnesota no Tuesday, the Rangers Wednesday and Vegas on Saturday.
In Marchand’s first 14 full NHL seasons, the Bruins have made the post-season 12 times.
But it’s those two times the B’s missed – in 2014-15 and ‘15-16 – that the captain is now drawing on as the current team is trying to stay in the playoff picture. In both those lost seasons, two more wins would have gotten them in.
“You understand that every point throughout the season matters. We’ve missed a couple of years by (two and three points) and that’s when you realize that you can’t give up games, even early in the year,” he said. “You have to take every game and understand the value of each point and that’s why when you don’t have your best game, you still have to find a way to claw points out of games. From here on out, we’re going to be fighting for our lives. We know that, so we can’t give away easy points. We have to make sure that we’re clawing and grabbing for every single point we can every night. We’re not going to win every game. We know that. But we can’t give away anything easy.”…
Mark Kastelic returned to the lineup on Tuesday. He’d been out since January 20 when he took a reverse hit from San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini after he’d just returned from a concussion he suffered in Tampa on January 9.
This time around, he took an extra few days of feeling 100 percent to get back in the lineup, something that’s extra important given his rugged style of play.
“I’m not going to be a guy that’s not getting touched out there or not dealing with a lot fo contact. I think the extra couple of days helped for sure. This time around, I feel like myself and ready to go, really healthy and positive,” said Kastelic. “Just being around the guys on a full-time basis is exciting.”
With Kastelic going back in, Cole Koepke was scratched…
Swayman got the start against the Wild and, though the team usually tends to split the goaltending duties on back-to-backs, coach Joe Sacco did not want to commit to a netminder for Wednesday’s game in Manhattan.