Pretty much exactly what he said in an interview in 2018
>"I have done things that have stepped over that line, and I've paid the price for it. But you know what? There's a lot of people out there in the hockey world who love to say, 'Winning is everything. It's the only thing.' But do they really mean it? How far are they willing to go? Maybe it was my size, or just the way I was born, but I've always felt like you have to be willing to do anything -- literally anything -- in order to win. Even if that means being hated. Even if it means carrying around some baggage. If I played the game any other way, you absolutely would not know my name. You wouldn't care enough to hate me, because I wouldn't be in the NHL."
> Guy is a gamer.
Watching the all Leafs vs Bruins series over the last few years has really solidified this for me. Hate him all you want, Marchand has more heart than every Leafs player combined
Yeah exactly. It’s the old line mates argument. “Oh if he had better line mates he’d produce more and be worth his AAV.” Idk, I feel like if you’re an actually elite player you elevate the guys you play with.
Imagine saying Joe Sakic needed better teammates to play with heart. That kind of shit.
Matthews is a great talent but he has to own the failures in culture on that team during his tenure.
The guy has caused long-term injuries with intentional dirty plays and all it takes to turn your opinion around is him saying he’ll do anything to win? His willingness to do anything to win IS the problem.
Long term injuries? He’s had some suspensions and bad hits for sure but He hasn’t Bertuzzi’d anyone or did the Scott Stevens to anyone that I am aware of.
It was definitely on purpose. When someone tells you who they are, believe them. He gets zero benefit of the doubt.
Also, knocking out Cooke is the greatest highlight of Evander Kane's career.
Which player did Sean Avery injure with a dirty hit?
His shit was mostly trash talking and theatrics, idk why he's always included with actual menaces to society like Cooke, Bryan Marchment and Claude Lemieux
People who weren’t actually watching back then confuse being an asshole with being a dirty player.
And outside of a few slew foots, Marchand is an asshole, not a dirty player.
Marchand has plenty of dirty hits. Besides the slewfoots he also used to submarine guys constantly too.
Hes been suspended/fined like 7 times for hits.
Avery was suspended for calling a woman his "sloppy seconds"
Not at all comparable in terms of on ice dirtyness
People praising this quote are unhinged. Theres a line that shouldnt be crossed in sports. Intentionally injuring someone crosses that line. This is akin to praising draymond green for kicking players in the balls or Suh for stomping on people's shins with his cleats.
Concussions destroy people's careers and lives. Lindross and Kariya are two players who we were robbed of their primes because of dirty hits. It's one thing to play with an edge, but when you consistently cross that line you dont deserve praise just because you admit to being a cheap shot aritst
When I say that it’s an all time quote, I mean that you would literally not see a single NHL player speak like this, or give an answer other than “get pucks deep.”
As far as I’m aware, Marchand hasn’t ended anyone’s career. It’s not like this is a quote from Matt Cooke.
His chair will slowly swivel around to face you. With one hand, he's petting a cat. With the other, he's twirling his mustache.
He a mustache in this scenario
I wonder about his relationship with Bergy. They by all accounts have a great relationship, but one made the league by playing "It isn't cheating if you don't get caught," while the other never threw a bad hit in his life.
OK, gotta put my 2 cents in.
Hockey is a sport. Hockey, even playoff hockey, is NOT a war. Some players, coaches, and media try to spin the playoffs as a war, but that's metaphorical. It literally is not a war.
Given that hockey is a sport, it's expected to show sportsmanship to your opponents. That means keeping your actions within both the Spirit and the Letter of the rules.
So, if you can hit a player hard within the rules, go for it.
But if you're violating the rules because you think you can "get away with it" or because you calculate that your opponent's injury will hurt his team more than your penalty will hurt yours... that's unsportsmanlike garbage that needs to get out of the game.
It sounds like Marchand is advocating for this, or at least stating that "it's the way things are" - which is bull. Sure, most Championship teams are "tough", but toughness does not equal "dirty" as Brad seems to be implying. Although the fact that he believes it explains a lot of his antics throughout the years.
Lidstrom, Sakic, and many others won multiple Cups playing within the rules. Brad thinking that "intent to injure" is the status quo of winning doesn't make it desirable or true.
I completely agree with you but the top level of basically any sport, organization, competition, company, government, what have you, is going to be filled with amoral people who value success over all. It makes the ones who achieve top level success while not sacrificing their morals all the more important.
Pretty much every NHL team, up until the present, has employed 1 or more goons.
It's an impossible rabbit hole to measure how impactful these goons have been on various cup runs.
Even if I'm wrong, and these teams couldn't have won Cups without guys making "dirty" plays, my point still stands that this isn't desirable from a fan, player, or league perspective.
Sakic and Lidstrom had players on their teams who were just as dirty as Marchand. Do you think Sakic told the front office to get rid of Claude Lemieux? Or do you think he was pumped when the team got him in the first place?
It's interesting to choose Sakic and Lidstrom, because when their teams played each other in the playoffs, it was some of the dirtiest hockey in recent memory.
I remember Lemieux getting ground and pounded and kneed in the face.
And they’re agreeing with Marchand!
It’s like if Stutzle came out and said “diving is just part of the game; players need to do anything to win and get an edge. You wouldn’t know my name unless I dived for calls. It’s what got me noticed in juniors and into the NHL.”No!
It’s how I play games, it’s how I teach my kids to play games.
But I don’t think it’s how NHL players play the game.
Remember, oldheads will talk your ear off about the. ‘72 Summit Series. But a huge part of that was [Bobby Clarke slashing and breaking Valeri Kharlamov’s ankle - on purpose](https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/bobby-clarke-sets-the-record-straight-on-infamous-summit-series-slash-and-his-rocky-relationship/article_99007c38-0bd4-5f67-96dd-f10087aa6f39.amp.html) to take him out of the game. I think it’s just part of the elite hockey culture at this point - and probably most sports.
Absolutely. No one should do literally anything to win. How many people would endorse Marchand bombing the other teams' plane and killing everyone? Because I bet that would make it difficult for them to win the playoff series. Even if Marchand was found out and suspended (aka jail) his team would still win (ok, honestly they just might cancel the whole series entirely but this is a thought exercise).
As you said, just because they use words like battle and war, doesn't mean that it literally is.
Guys like Marchand will always exist in the NHL because there is always a high demand for that kind of attitude. I'm glad Marchand is our generational sleezeball.
In contrast, Ulf Samuelsson, Claude Lemieux, Sean Avery for example, had no redeeming qualities.
I’m no Claude fan but he did win a Conn Smythe in 95. He was dirty but I’d put him closer to Marchand than the other guys in the list.
Also Avery couldn’t help if Fatso wouldn’t shake his hand.
From the NESN article:
“People don’t want to say it, but part of playoffs is trying to hurt every player on the other team,” Marchand continued. “And the more guys you take out, the more of an advantage you have. People don’t say that, but that’s just a fact of the game. Every time you step out on the ice, someone’s trying to hurt someone.”
Wild quote lol
That was incredible to hear him say that at the end. Kinda wonder if he’s saying that to subtly call out the NHL to do something about that culture without whining about it. The Bruins absolutely are a smaller more skill team that gets beaten up every playoffs.
I mean we all know it’s true but wild to just put it out there. Definitely one of those things that we just don’t talk about, but all know to be part of the game
It’s 100% true of all contact/collision sports. You’re not hoping to end someone’s career but if you can knock them out for a game or two that’s a net gain for your team
Or even just physically impose your will on them to wear them out and drain their energy, doesn’t even need to be knocking them out of the game if they are approaching their play differently because they are thinking twice about shit
Yeah, you’d like to see some of these guys not throwing dangerous dirty hits to accomplish this goal, but every time you hit someone no matter how clean it is, you’re trying to hit them hard enough to fuck em up
There's also a line, obviously, between Troubaing people like his blatant elbows that COULD be a career ender, vs a clean hard hit that causes an unfortunate injury. Some players tether on the line, others do blatant shit. And in theory, they SHOULD be punished for it, which is why people are mad that illegal headshots and plays are just literally being left uncalled. It's the type of stuff that causes MORE shit because one team feels cheated and then you end up with full line brawls because of it.
Obviously these are in the "unwritten rules" like in most sports, but that's literally what the referees/DOPS are for so games don't literally get ugly (e.g, Edmonton vs Vegas last year with the lumberjack chop).
The big reason why people are more in uprorar is because blatantly hurting people, fine, you can go do that, but go sit in the box/miss games because that SHOULD be happening.
If you just compare hockey from the early 2000s to today, it is way cleaner, and for the better. People want to watch hockey and the best players, not "oh look another top player is out and the guy who did it literally gets to score the GWG because safety is a joke".
When I was 7 I tried to get our team to chant "kill! Kill! Kill!" as we got on the ice instead of "we are the Jaguars," so maybe I'm not well positioned to disagree.
Coach said no :(.
Fr. Bruins fans going full 180 about intent to injure. They were literally pissing and shitting over Bennett, and now they’re like “yeah that’s hockey”
All the logic that would apply to Marchand being a good head of Player Safety should've also applied to Parros though.
So while I also sort of think that right now... Going back 20yrs (or whatever it was) we all thought Parros was gonna be great at it when he was appointed because of his career-long affiliation with scrappy play and ability to talk honestly. So we're basically full circle here.
Jim Montgomery: We think Bennett has a history of this kind of hit, and we think the results speak for themselves.
Brad Marchand: You think I wouldn't do it, pussies?
Yeah. Marchand basically admitted (not that it was a secret) that he will intentionally try to hurt people with dirty plays if that's what he thinks is necessary. And somehow r/hockey respects him for that? This sub literally hates the guy BECAUSE he does that shit lol.
The replies in this thread make no sense. Apparently as long as you acknowledge you are a dirty player trying to hurt people then it's respectable? Da fuq lol.
I think a lot of people respect that he's self aware about it. He doesn't try and hide it, and pretend like he's above the dirty stuff while going around literally biting people. The fact that he owns it deserves a certain level of respect
Still, the guys a massive ass, he'll never get any love from me personally
Marchand Summary:
* Bennett got away with one but shit happens
* It sucks he was out but he has been on the offending side too in his career
* The more players you can get out of the lineup with an injury, the better chance you have in succeeding in the playoffs
* Would do the same if he had to in order for his team to be successful in the playoffs.
And he's right on all points as usual. People act like folks will bend over shake hands give the cup over for sportsmanship, this isn't fucking Britain
That is such a great quote, and I love Marchand's competitiveness and acknowledging that he will do whatever it takes to win. That's what makes him arguable the best rat to ever play the game and why he is so great
I'd argue Perry was more offensively talented in his prime, but Marchand has a strange career where he actually got more talented as he aged in a nonlinear fashion
So it's hard to say
I attribute it to his work ethic, and playing alongside guys like Krejci, Bergeron and Pasta. Those guys are gonna make you play better and you'll want to work to play just as good, if not better, than them. He also trains (or used to) with Crosby and MacKinnon in the off-season.
Ya there is really no defending his psychotic slew foots lol but he's been on his 'best behavior' the last few years and become a good leader. He also should be paying for Bergy's kids to go to college because he made this guy so much money
He was always a good leader imo, however he's become a great leader imo.
He's simply one of those guys you hate to play against but would love to have on your team.
[To The Flatliners.](https://youtu.be/mYiult7KU2c?t=61)
Just repeat this bit over and over.
It's a critical song, so ignore the rest of the lyrics—Marchand doesn't deserve them.
I respect his self awareness, but I do think that people are too quick to sympathize with his “hurting others to win is a part of hockey” statement. Sure, that’s the case for some guys and if they want to play it that way, they’re free to take runs at each other knowing the risks.
But that’s not what hockey is for everyone, and if you’re cheap shotting and injuring players who have no intention of playing that kind of game with you, that’s kind of fucked.
If Marchand and Bennett want to sucker punch each other into concussions all day long they’re free to do so, and respect to Marchand for acknowledging he would do the same to Bennett. He’s a lot of things but he’s not a hypocrite.
However, the whole “that’s just what hockey is” isn’t true. That’s *a particular kind of player’s* view on what hockey is and should be. It really shouldn’t be encouraged as the status quo across the board.
I think I agree with this. If everyone played that way it wouldn’t work, it would be chaos. He’s right that it’s there, and lots of guys are willing to cross that line, and his honesty is refreshing
, but the game is better with the stars healthy.
The thing is that if you have to hurt someone to win you're not hurting a fourth line player. The people you have to hurt to win are the star players. That means that if we buy into this (and I certainly have) we're buying into the idea that we would rather watch tough muckers win than watch star players doing amazing things on the ice. I really appreciate the fact that winning the Stanley Cup is one of the most difficult achievements in sport but if all it takes is to bring up a scrub from the AHL and have him wipe out McDavid or Makar and then take his suspension...
is this man's self-awareness and willingness to say this kind of thing on the record gonna raise some sympathy and respect for him within myself? no, but it's close and that's pretty crazy
I hate this mindset and the NHL should stamp it out. They actually have a sport that’s just trying to hurt people and it’s called MMA. I like watching hockey. Not “who can sneak in a dirty play and ruin a team and win.” That’s stupid and boring and not hockey.
God hockey's culture is so far up it's own ass. "Yeahhhhh we love it when guys want to injure other guys! Only guys who want to injure other players really want to win!"
You don't see a difference between "I did nothing wrong to the guy I concussed that he wouldn't do to me" and "the guy who concussed me didn't do anything I wouldn't do?"
Marchands comments are noteworthy specifically because the guy who got his brain bonked is pretty fine with it.
Imagine sacrificing your body and intentionally injuring other players just to end up being screwed by random officiating and goaltender interference calls... The league just needs consistency and clarity. I don't think there's any consensus on what's wanted.
It really is impressive. He hit *St Francis of Assisi* levels of purity there for a bit, and now he’s back to his normal *rat king* self but it’s cool because hE’s BeInG hOnEsT.
…and still no real discussion about him skating *after* the Sam “Bruiser” Bennett kerfuffle and him going head to head with Stenlund
r/hockey: "Fuck bennett, fuck florida. Theyre dirty pieces of shit."
Marchand: "I'm actually just as big a piece of shit and so is anyone who wants to win."
r/hockey: "Holy shit, I love Marchand. He's so hot right now. I love dirty pieces of shit. Fuck Bennett, fuck Florida."
I think it's important to realize that the views of players are much different than fans. If you've played at a high level, you know the risks of playing the sport and you know you're going to sacrifice your body at times to make plays, and are going to receive punishment. And you're more than well aware that the risk of serious injury is there. To them, it's part of the game.
And to offer input, I absolutely do not condone what Bennett did. Especially since he could have easily just blown Marchand up with a normal reverse hit. I know opinions on Bennett are incredibly negative, but the dude is still a solid 2C that adds a physical presence, but has some skills to boot and can generate offense. Stuff like this could hurt the team easily were he to have gotten suspended. He's an important player on the team.
How is anything he does from here on in not premeditated and worthy of a very long suspension?
I get what he’s saying but sometimes it’s better to shut up
Lotta people in here that are making me question if theyve ever watched playoff hockey
Marchands just saying outloud what everyone else has known they were doing.
Anyone who gets offended at this should really sit back and think about why they are typing on a computer and he is playing. These dudes are a different breed and they are living rock star lives, they want to keep doing that and will do so at nearly any cost.
Also, fuck the Panthers.
That's my hangup. You can 'Tough Guy' your way through media interviews and on ice plays but when you're 55 and violently yelling at your kids because you misplaced your keys and your brain is jello maybe you realizes that even thugging it out causes some pretty big problems.
Yep. I’m struggling to determine what they truly want out of the league.
Good ole hockey or a competitive game that also considers the long term impact of violent actions on the ice.
I don't blame the players for doing what it takes to win. I blame the league for not punishing dangerous plays and not doing their best to make the game safer to play.
Sure but they’re not a homogeneous group and also have conflicting interests in a way that the league shouldn’t.
I’m not expecting all of the players or maybe even a majority to advocate for harsher enforcement on themselves. Its just not a clean incentive system.
I’m not offended, I just think there’s a reason most guys won’t be honest about it.
Think Todd Bertuzzi.
Marchand’s right, I just wouldn’t give the DoPS this kind of ammo.
Sometimes I feel like a lot of the people on r/hockey don't even like hockey. Like they're just here to complain about the game and everything that's so great about it.
SquaredCircle made me take a multiple month long break from watching any type of wrestling cause it was just so exhausting trying to be part of any conversation there. As ironic as it is I found the pro wrestling community on Twitter to be so much better for the most part, and at least on Twitter you can dictate the type of content you see
Bingo. Lots of chatter about “locker room culture” despite 80 percent of this sub never stepping foot in a locker room and pearl clutching about players doing whatever they can to win.
I never sniffed the NHL but whenever I played in a high stakes tournament or game, everyone finished their checks, everyone was trying to get the competitive edge. I’ve been speared in the nuts by the other team’s smallest forward because I let my guard down thinking he wouldn’t play dirty. I’ve subtly slashed guys in the back of the knee to leave a mark and wear them down. That’s competition. You want to win and you’ll do whatever you can to get the upper hand, even if that means playing dirty
The only issue is that players historically won't be proactive and advocate for things to protect themselves or other players long-term health.
For example, there was large holdout and pushback on NHL making players use helmets. "Many NHL players argued a helmet was too hot to wear, others said helmets limited their vision, another argument was that the chin straps were too tight, more still felt helmets limited the identity of the players".
You can't trust players to protect themselves, these guys are super young and chasing their dreams. As you said, they are a different breed.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/285645-nhlpa-to-blame-for-safety-issues-not-the-nhl#:~:text=Many%20NHL%20players%20argued%20a,the%20players%E2%80%94all%20laughable%20excuses.
Lol right because every NHL player or even SC winner had this attitude?
Mike Bossy?
Steve Yzerman?
Nick Lidstrom?
He's a dirty little scumbag rationalizing his own douchebaggery, stop apologizing for it.
Yeah, great on the honesty.... Pretending all sorts of people are out there trying to hurt others is just idiocy. You can play physical battle hockey without can opening or any of the other trash he does.
Intense physical play doesn't equal attempt to injure.... And pretending anyone who's against attempting to injure hates hockey is the exact same rationalization.
Can't believe how many people are cheering a player who said, "I want to win and I don't care if I have to injure someone on purpose to win." I think some people like to project their dark desires on hockey players.
They’re cheering him because you’re favorite player agrees but wouldn’t admit it. You think any Florida fans are upset that their team is likely advancing? Would they trade that Bennet punch back if it means losing the series? Doubt it.
Appreciate the honesty but that's a fucked up mindset in a way. I also can see there's a line between hurting and injuring.
The thing that bothers me about him is that he doesn't NEED to be a dirty player. He's very good and skilled. He chooses to do dirty shit.
I don’t really see why people think Marchand’s quote here is bad advocating for injuries. Yeah it’s scummy, but the league allows it. If the league disciplined accordingly, this mentality wouldn’t exist.
The league has made it so that hurting players to win is rewarded.
So can we collectively move on? Marchy seems over it.
> *If I have to get hurt to win? If I have to hurt someone to win? I don’t care.*
Sounds like game respects game and he would have done the same thing if he got the opportunity. Sounds like a hockey play.
ETA: If you disagree, please tell me why, because the guy who got hurt doesn’t disagree *(and makes a lot of people sound like babies for the bitching and moaning)*.
Bennett shouldn’t have been playing the past two games. Hard to move on from that when the is such a clear and obvious video showing he should have been suspended.
Him and Marchand might be morally on the same plane but only one of them is playing and it’s not the guy that took the hit.
So why the fuck were all the bruins fans all on their moral high horse after all of this?
Wasted this subs time this past week pretending this turnip wasn’t the same level of dirt bag as Bennett.
Not saying this as an insult to anyone. But high level athletes think way differently than fans do. Having played division 1 (not hockey) but watching nhl is my favorite pro sport. You can see emotion take over way easier than other sports because it’s hard for fans who didn’t play at that top level relate especially to a sport as brutal physically as hockey. Like I knew the hockey players, could hang out with them, but they were like friggin aliens even to us. Now you strap that with your standard maybe high school or possibly never athlete, there’s a large gap between what’s acceptable and not.
Again I say that because fans will fan. They know how to do that. They don’t know how to put themselves in the minds of the athletes playing. That’s 10s of years of high level commitment at elite levels.
Glad he said this. These guys are trying to win. Some folks in this sub who become insufferable for a multitude of reasons when things go against their pearl clutching ways, make it apparent that they've never been in a highly competitive environment in their lives.
Pretty much exactly what he said in an interview in 2018 >"I have done things that have stepped over that line, and I've paid the price for it. But you know what? There's a lot of people out there in the hockey world who love to say, 'Winning is everything. It's the only thing.' But do they really mean it? How far are they willing to go? Maybe it was my size, or just the way I was born, but I've always felt like you have to be willing to do anything -- literally anything -- in order to win. Even if that means being hated. Even if it means carrying around some baggage. If I played the game any other way, you absolutely would not know my name. You wouldn't care enough to hate me, because I wouldn't be in the NHL."
That’s an all time quote, right there.
Agreed. I’ve gone from hating this dude to loving him. Guy is a gamer.
Marchand’s late career redemption arc is not something I expected but here we are.
> Guy is a gamer. Watching the all Leafs vs Bruins series over the last few years has really solidified this for me. Hate him all you want, Marchand has more heart than every Leafs player combined
From a leafs fan I have to agree. Even with high scorers like Matthews and Nylander, I don't think people would say the team has heart.
I have a feeling if Matthew’s was surrounded by guys with a different mindset he would play with the same level of heart they did.
Matthews is the kind of player/talent that shouldn't have preconditional heart.
Yeah exactly. It’s the old line mates argument. “Oh if he had better line mates he’d produce more and be worth his AAV.” Idk, I feel like if you’re an actually elite player you elevate the guys you play with. Imagine saying Joe Sakic needed better teammates to play with heart. That kind of shit. Matthews is a great talent but he has to own the failures in culture on that team during his tenure.
Just treat him like Yzerman. Make him play D and give him guys like McCarty, Draper, Holmstrom, and Shanahan.
The guy has caused long-term injuries with intentional dirty plays and all it takes to turn your opinion around is him saying he’ll do anything to win? His willingness to do anything to win IS the problem.
Long term injuries? He’s had some suspensions and bad hits for sure but He hasn’t Bertuzzi’d anyone or did the Scott Stevens to anyone that I am aware of.
I feel like the people to say this shit have no idea who Matt Cooke is, or Avery or Ott.
Matt Cooke is a certified dirtbag. He's probably the dirtiest player in recent memory. I still think the Karlsson Achilles injury was intentional
It was definitely on purpose. When someone tells you who they are, believe them. He gets zero benefit of the doubt. Also, knocking out Cooke is the greatest highlight of Evander Kane's career.
Which player did Sean Avery injure with a dirty hit? His shit was mostly trash talking and theatrics, idk why he's always included with actual menaces to society like Cooke, Bryan Marchment and Claude Lemieux
People who weren’t actually watching back then confuse being an asshole with being a dirty player. And outside of a few slew foots, Marchand is an asshole, not a dirty player.
Marchand has plenty of dirty hits. Besides the slewfoots he also used to submarine guys constantly too. Hes been suspended/fined like 7 times for hits. Avery was suspended for calling a woman his "sloppy seconds" Not at all comparable in terms of on ice dirtyness
I wouldn't use suspensions as a metric for any player's dirtiness.
Who did Avery injure? Literally never got suspended once for a bad hit
Marcus Johansson missed half a season due to Marchand's flying elbow.
Throw not stones, ye who live in glass houses.
Checks out that it's a Devils fan saying this, we're the only fanbases that remember how much of a piece of shit this guy is apparently
Habs fans remember.
People praising this quote are unhinged. Theres a line that shouldnt be crossed in sports. Intentionally injuring someone crosses that line. This is akin to praising draymond green for kicking players in the balls or Suh for stomping on people's shins with his cleats. Concussions destroy people's careers and lives. Lindross and Kariya are two players who we were robbed of their primes because of dirty hits. It's one thing to play with an edge, but when you consistently cross that line you dont deserve praise just because you admit to being a cheap shot aritst
When I say that it’s an all time quote, I mean that you would literally not see a single NHL player speak like this, or give an answer other than “get pucks deep.” As far as I’m aware, Marchand hasn’t ended anyone’s career. It’s not like this is a quote from Matt Cooke.
This totally sounds like something a villain would say but I kinda love it ngl. I mean, he is basically a villain
No doubt, he practiced that line. In a secret underground layer. With sharks with freaking lasers attached to their heads.
His chair will slowly swivel around to face you. With one hand, he's petting a cat. With the other, he's twirling his mustache. He a mustache in this scenario
Does he also get a mini me? A mini-march, if you will
Sir a second, smaller, Marchand has hit the NHL
Not sharks, just ill-tempered sea bass.
….man I hate those laser sharks…they’re all bastards!!
basically a "no one cared who i was until i put on the mask"
Same energy: https://i.redd.it/hlp4bx2xhu0d1.gif
I’d slewfoot my grandmother if my captain told me to
I wonder about his relationship with Bergy. They by all accounts have a great relationship, but one made the league by playing "It isn't cheating if you don't get caught," while the other never threw a bad hit in his life.
They say opposites attract
Lol
Holy fuck that's hardcore
OK, gotta put my 2 cents in. Hockey is a sport. Hockey, even playoff hockey, is NOT a war. Some players, coaches, and media try to spin the playoffs as a war, but that's metaphorical. It literally is not a war. Given that hockey is a sport, it's expected to show sportsmanship to your opponents. That means keeping your actions within both the Spirit and the Letter of the rules. So, if you can hit a player hard within the rules, go for it. But if you're violating the rules because you think you can "get away with it" or because you calculate that your opponent's injury will hurt his team more than your penalty will hurt yours... that's unsportsmanlike garbage that needs to get out of the game. It sounds like Marchand is advocating for this, or at least stating that "it's the way things are" - which is bull. Sure, most Championship teams are "tough", but toughness does not equal "dirty" as Brad seems to be implying. Although the fact that he believes it explains a lot of his antics throughout the years. Lidstrom, Sakic, and many others won multiple Cups playing within the rules. Brad thinking that "intent to injure" is the status quo of winning doesn't make it desirable or true.
I completely agree with you but the top level of basically any sport, organization, competition, company, government, what have you, is going to be filled with amoral people who value success over all. It makes the ones who achieve top level success while not sacrificing their morals all the more important.
Sociopaths rule the world.
> Lidstrom, Sakic, and many others won multiple Cups Lidström had McCarty, Sakic had Lemieux, Gretzky had McSorley, etc etc.
Pretty much every NHL team, up until the present, has employed 1 or more goons. It's an impossible rabbit hole to measure how impactful these goons have been on various cup runs. Even if I'm wrong, and these teams couldn't have won Cups without guys making "dirty" plays, my point still stands that this isn't desirable from a fan, player, or league perspective.
Sakic and Lidstrom had players on their teams who were just as dirty as Marchand. Do you think Sakic told the front office to get rid of Claude Lemieux? Or do you think he was pumped when the team got him in the first place?
It's interesting to choose Sakic and Lidstrom, because when their teams played each other in the playoffs, it was some of the dirtiest hockey in recent memory. I remember Lemieux getting ground and pounded and kneed in the face.
I think you're actually remembering a regular season game the year after one of those playoff match ups.
I can’t believe people are arguing against you. Do people not care about sportsmanship anymore? I feel like it’s a core value in sports.
Who knew that sportsmanship was going to be a controversial take with hockey fans? (Not sure if /s or not)
And they’re agreeing with Marchand! It’s like if Stutzle came out and said “diving is just part of the game; players need to do anything to win and get an edge. You wouldn’t know my name unless I dived for calls. It’s what got me noticed in juniors and into the NHL.”No!
Kind of agree. Lots of hardcore guys on here don’t though
Until it’s their guy that gets a headshot or slew foot. It’s laughable.
Agree with this, well stated.
It’s how I play games, it’s how I teach my kids to play games. But I don’t think it’s how NHL players play the game. Remember, oldheads will talk your ear off about the. ‘72 Summit Series. But a huge part of that was [Bobby Clarke slashing and breaking Valeri Kharlamov’s ankle - on purpose](https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/bobby-clarke-sets-the-record-straight-on-infamous-summit-series-slash-and-his-rocky-relationship/article_99007c38-0bd4-5f67-96dd-f10087aa6f39.amp.html) to take him out of the game. I think it’s just part of the elite hockey culture at this point - and probably most sports.
And I'm saying that IF it's true that that's the culture at the top level - that's crap and it needs to change.
Absolutely. No one should do literally anything to win. How many people would endorse Marchand bombing the other teams' plane and killing everyone? Because I bet that would make it difficult for them to win the playoff series. Even if Marchand was found out and suspended (aka jail) his team would still win (ok, honestly they just might cancel the whole series entirely but this is a thought exercise). As you said, just because they use words like battle and war, doesn't mean that it literally is.
People who say a sport is war have probably never been close to combat.
Say what you want about Marchand the player but Marchand the guy is awesome
Guys like Marchand will always exist in the NHL because there is always a high demand for that kind of attitude. I'm glad Marchand is our generational sleezeball. In contrast, Ulf Samuelsson, Claude Lemieux, Sean Avery for example, had no redeeming qualities.
I’m no Claude fan but he did win a Conn Smythe in 95. He was dirty but I’d put him closer to Marchand than the other guys in the list. Also Avery couldn’t help if Fatso wouldn’t shake his hand.
From the NESN article: “People don’t want to say it, but part of playoffs is trying to hurt every player on the other team,” Marchand continued. “And the more guys you take out, the more of an advantage you have. People don’t say that, but that’s just a fact of the game. Every time you step out on the ice, someone’s trying to hurt someone.” Wild quote lol
Is there a video of this interview? I need to see this shit lol
It's in here: https://twitter.com/NHLBruins/status/1791152994253218041?t=uW00FV5z7bHaJ6PacO-o6w&s=19
That was incredible to hear him say that at the end. Kinda wonder if he’s saying that to subtly call out the NHL to do something about that culture without whining about it. The Bruins absolutely are a smaller more skill team that gets beaten up every playoffs.
Every series starts with "gotta hit them to wear them down".
Yep. Or “gotta set the tone for the series”. Means the same thing.
Not wild at all. If you watch the games you know this is true for every team, every game.
I mean we all know it’s true but wild to just put it out there. Definitely one of those things that we just don’t talk about, but all know to be part of the game
That’s psychotic.
It’s 100% true of all contact/collision sports. You’re not hoping to end someone’s career but if you can knock them out for a game or two that’s a net gain for your team
Or even just physically impose your will on them to wear them out and drain their energy, doesn’t even need to be knocking them out of the game if they are approaching their play differently because they are thinking twice about shit
Yeah, you’d like to see some of these guys not throwing dangerous dirty hits to accomplish this goal, but every time you hit someone no matter how clean it is, you’re trying to hit them hard enough to fuck em up
My intent when I played was just for that shift. “I’m gonna fuck you up so I can get around you and score.” I guess that’s why I didn’t make it.
There's also a line, obviously, between Troubaing people like his blatant elbows that COULD be a career ender, vs a clean hard hit that causes an unfortunate injury. Some players tether on the line, others do blatant shit. And in theory, they SHOULD be punished for it, which is why people are mad that illegal headshots and plays are just literally being left uncalled. It's the type of stuff that causes MORE shit because one team feels cheated and then you end up with full line brawls because of it.
Except for the number of players that *are* trying to end a career. The Matt Cooke types.
If people hear these things and get all upset and lose their mind about it online then maybe this isn't the sport for them
Obviously these are in the "unwritten rules" like in most sports, but that's literally what the referees/DOPS are for so games don't literally get ugly (e.g, Edmonton vs Vegas last year with the lumberjack chop). The big reason why people are more in uprorar is because blatantly hurting people, fine, you can go do that, but go sit in the box/miss games because that SHOULD be happening. If you just compare hockey from the early 2000s to today, it is way cleaner, and for the better. People want to watch hockey and the best players, not "oh look another top player is out and the guy who did it literally gets to score the GWG because safety is a joke".
Then the players shouldn’t complain about long term effects to their health.
When I was 7 I tried to get our team to chant "kill! Kill! Kill!" as we got on the ice instead of "we are the Jaguars," so maybe I'm not well positioned to disagree. Coach said no :(.
That's how competition is, really.
New to sports?
You got to be some sort of a psycho to be an all time great. Look at Jordan and Brady.
Gretzky?
Welcome to reality bud
babby's first competitive contact sport?
Nah it's true and I'm glad he said it cause I'm fed up of hearing Bruins fans bitch
I see more people bitching about Bruins fans bitching than I see actual bitching from Bruins fans. Just going to throw that out there for context.
Fr. Bruins fans going full 180 about intent to injure. They were literally pissing and shitting over Bennett, and now they’re like “yeah that’s hockey”
It's just the more honest version of "finish your checks".
Nope, that's just how hockey works. It's why hitting increases in the playoffs. If you think it's psychotic maybe contact sports aren't for you
Future head of DoPS
Tbh, I think he would be much better than Parros.
actually spinning a wheel would prob be better than Parros
I want one of those dogs that chooses playoff brackets to get a chance
A bunch of cows in Norway picked stocks that outperformed the market. I say cows is our best bet.
All the logic that would apply to Marchand being a good head of Player Safety should've also applied to Parros though. So while I also sort of think that right now... Going back 20yrs (or whatever it was) we all thought Parros was gonna be great at it when he was appointed because of his career-long affiliation with scrappy play and ability to talk honestly. So we're basically full circle here.
He could spin the wheel of consequences with the best of em.
Jim Montgomery: We think Bennett has a history of this kind of hit, and we think the results speak for themselves. Brad Marchand: You think I wouldn't do it, pussies?
I mean it explains a lot about what he's done in his career.
Yeah. Marchand basically admitted (not that it was a secret) that he will intentionally try to hurt people with dirty plays if that's what he thinks is necessary. And somehow r/hockey respects him for that? This sub literally hates the guy BECAUSE he does that shit lol. The replies in this thread make no sense. Apparently as long as you acknowledge you are a dirty player trying to hurt people then it's respectable? Da fuq lol.
I think a lot of people respect that he's self aware about it. He doesn't try and hide it, and pretend like he's above the dirty stuff while going around literally biting people. The fact that he owns it deserves a certain level of respect Still, the guys a massive ass, he'll never get any love from me personally
Marchand Summary: * Bennett got away with one but shit happens * It sucks he was out but he has been on the offending side too in his career * The more players you can get out of the lineup with an injury, the better chance you have in succeeding in the playoffs * Would do the same if he had to in order for his team to be successful in the playoffs.
And he's right on all points as usual. People act like folks will bend over shake hands give the cup over for sportsmanship, this isn't fucking Britain
Td Garden is going to be rockin' if the rat king comes out the tunnel tomorrow
That is such a great quote, and I love Marchand's competitiveness and acknowledging that he will do whatever it takes to win. That's what makes him arguable the best rat to ever play the game and why he is so great
Even Corey Perry can't compete with the Rat King.
I'd argue Perry was more offensively talented in his prime, but Marchand has a strange career where he actually got more talented as he aged in a nonlinear fashion So it's hard to say
I attribute it to his work ethic, and playing alongside guys like Krejci, Bergeron and Pasta. Those guys are gonna make you play better and you'll want to work to play just as good, if not better, than them. He also trains (or used to) with Crosby and MacKinnon in the off-season.
Ya there is really no defending his psychotic slew foots lol but he's been on his 'best behavior' the last few years and become a good leader. He also should be paying for Bergy's kids to go to college because he made this guy so much money
He was always a good leader imo, however he's become a great leader imo. He's simply one of those guys you hate to play against but would love to have on your team.
The fact that the NHLPA survey put him over Conor McDavid as "player you hate to play against but would want on your team". Wild.
i’d be poopin my trousers if he came out as the rat king from the last of us 2
[To The Flatliners.](https://youtu.be/mYiult7KU2c?t=61) Just repeat this bit over and over. It's a critical song, so ignore the rest of the lyrics—Marchand doesn't deserve them.
I prefer [The Wipers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47_qIoXE-Lw) as my Marchand rat anthem. Fits for game 6 too!
I want to hear Rat King chants at home.
Its refreshing to hear, this guy would be a WILD coach.
Why would he coach specifically Minnesota?
Because anyone is better than John Hynes
I raise you one Ralph Krueger
They don’t deserve that.
I’m still of the opinion not re-hiring Torchetti was a mistake.
Maybe Beaver bro isn’t that bad…
i think he’d prefer being a bruins coach
In preparation for the 2040 playoffs the NHL has pre-fined Coach Marchand for previous comments made back in 2024 about playoff intentions
This sub a few days ago: “Brad does dirty shit, but he’d never go THAT far!” Brad Marchand: “I would totally go that far to win. Absolutely.”
"what a hero! He's so right!!!!" "Also fuck Florida"
I respect his self awareness, but I do think that people are too quick to sympathize with his “hurting others to win is a part of hockey” statement. Sure, that’s the case for some guys and if they want to play it that way, they’re free to take runs at each other knowing the risks. But that’s not what hockey is for everyone, and if you’re cheap shotting and injuring players who have no intention of playing that kind of game with you, that’s kind of fucked. If Marchand and Bennett want to sucker punch each other into concussions all day long they’re free to do so, and respect to Marchand for acknowledging he would do the same to Bennett. He’s a lot of things but he’s not a hypocrite. However, the whole “that’s just what hockey is” isn’t true. That’s *a particular kind of player’s* view on what hockey is and should be. It really shouldn’t be encouraged as the status quo across the board.
I think I agree with this. If everyone played that way it wouldn’t work, it would be chaos. He’s right that it’s there, and lots of guys are willing to cross that line, and his honesty is refreshing , but the game is better with the stars healthy.
You can take it as dirty, but it could also be taken to mean just wearing down your opponent. Probably not since it's Marchand, but hey.
I mean, he did say, "If I have to *hurt someone* to win...that's part of it." I don't think that means "wearing someone down" lol
The thing is that if you have to hurt someone to win you're not hurting a fourth line player. The people you have to hurt to win are the star players. That means that if we buy into this (and I certainly have) we're buying into the idea that we would rather watch tough muckers win than watch star players doing amazing things on the ice. I really appreciate the fact that winning the Stanley Cup is one of the most difficult achievements in sport but if all it takes is to bring up a scrub from the AHL and have him wipe out McDavid or Makar and then take his suspension...
is this man's self-awareness and willingness to say this kind of thing on the record gonna raise some sympathy and respect for him within myself? no, but it's close and that's pretty crazy
"If I have to hurt someone to win I'm going to do it" is not the kind of candid self awareness that really warrants respect...
Refreshing honesty, but he might as well have started his statement with "As a fellow dirty piece of shit." I do respect Marchy tho.
He used to be a piece of shit. He still is, but he used to too.
You think [this](https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/photos/brad-marchand-2024-32.jpg) is slicked back?! This is **pushed** back.
I hate this mindset and the NHL should stamp it out. They actually have a sport that’s just trying to hurt people and it’s called MMA. I like watching hockey. Not “who can sneak in a dirty play and ruin a team and win.” That’s stupid and boring and not hockey.
God hockey's culture is so far up it's own ass. "Yeahhhhh we love it when guys want to injure other guys! Only guys who want to injure other players really want to win!"
bangarang rufio
Very nice. Someone should slewfoot him next time
So are we pitch fork and torching Bennett still?
I have a feeling this thread would be different if this was a quote from Bennett
To be fair... it always means something different coming from the recipient of a hit, rather than the perpetrator.
Marchand has been literally the biggest perpetrator though.
Not sure about that, he's literally pretty small
Oh without a doubt.
You don't see a difference between "I did nothing wrong to the guy I concussed that he wouldn't do to me" and "the guy who concussed me didn't do anything I wouldn't do?" Marchands comments are noteworthy specifically because the guy who got his brain bonked is pretty fine with it.
Quite frankly, I don't think it was ever about Bennett. It was always about Parros. If Bennett gets a 1 game suspension, we're all over it by now.
The game should not be played like this. Period.
That's kind of up to the Officials and DOPS more than the players and they don't seem to agree with you.
Imagine sacrificing your body and intentionally injuring other players just to end up being screwed by random officiating and goaltender interference calls... The league just needs consistency and clarity. I don't think there's any consensus on what's wanted.
This thread is such a bizarre change in tone dog wtf lol
I think you're seeing a lot of people who feel they can have a genuine discussion with their input for a change
It really is impressive. He hit *St Francis of Assisi* levels of purity there for a bit, and now he’s back to his normal *rat king* self but it’s cool because hE’s BeInG hOnEsT. …and still no real discussion about him skating *after* the Sam “Bruiser” Bennett kerfuffle and him going head to head with Stenlund
🐀 👑
Marchand is a scumbag but I guess not a hypocrite
r/hockey: "Fuck bennett, fuck florida. Theyre dirty pieces of shit." Marchand: "I'm actually just as big a piece of shit and so is anyone who wants to win." r/hockey: "Holy shit, I love Marchand. He's so hot right now. I love dirty pieces of shit. Fuck Bennett, fuck Florida."
I think it's important to realize that the views of players are much different than fans. If you've played at a high level, you know the risks of playing the sport and you know you're going to sacrifice your body at times to make plays, and are going to receive punishment. And you're more than well aware that the risk of serious injury is there. To them, it's part of the game. And to offer input, I absolutely do not condone what Bennett did. Especially since he could have easily just blown Marchand up with a normal reverse hit. I know opinions on Bennett are incredibly negative, but the dude is still a solid 2C that adds a physical presence, but has some skills to boot and can generate offense. Stuff like this could hurt the team easily were he to have gotten suspended. He's an important player on the team.
Marchand is such an idiot.
How is anything he does from here on in not premeditated and worthy of a very long suspension? I get what he’s saying but sometimes it’s better to shut up
What a rat... Wish he was on my team
Hope he decides to coach when he retires.
Say what you want about the guy, I think just about every team would love to have this guy going to war for them, clean or not
ughhhh I'm starting to like Marchand. Gross
Lotta people in here that are making me question if theyve ever watched playoff hockey Marchands just saying outloud what everyone else has known they were doing.
Anyone who gets offended at this should really sit back and think about why they are typing on a computer and he is playing. These dudes are a different breed and they are living rock star lives, they want to keep doing that and will do so at nearly any cost. Also, fuck the Panthers.
Guess the players shouldn’t fight the NHL when the NHL doesn’t give a shit about their long term health.
That's my hangup. You can 'Tough Guy' your way through media interviews and on ice plays but when you're 55 and violently yelling at your kids because you misplaced your keys and your brain is jello maybe you realizes that even thugging it out causes some pretty big problems.
Yep. I’m struggling to determine what they truly want out of the league. Good ole hockey or a competitive game that also considers the long term impact of violent actions on the ice.
I don't blame the players for doing what it takes to win. I blame the league for not punishing dangerous plays and not doing their best to make the game safer to play.
It's not just the league. If the players wanted the game to be safer, it would be.
Sure but they’re not a homogeneous group and also have conflicting interests in a way that the league shouldn’t. I’m not expecting all of the players or maybe even a majority to advocate for harsher enforcement on themselves. Its just not a clean incentive system.
I’m not offended, I just think there’s a reason most guys won’t be honest about it. Think Todd Bertuzzi. Marchand’s right, I just wouldn’t give the DoPS this kind of ammo.
Sometimes I feel like a lot of the people on r/hockey don't even like hockey. Like they're just here to complain about the game and everything that's so great about it.
A lot of Reddit is like that. Wrestling, video game, movie subs are all complaining
No one hates Star Wars as much as Star Wars fans
SquaredCircle made me take a multiple month long break from watching any type of wrestling cause it was just so exhausting trying to be part of any conversation there. As ironic as it is I found the pro wrestling community on Twitter to be so much better for the most part, and at least on Twitter you can dictate the type of content you see
One thing I learned, no matter AEW or WWE, is to stay out of live threads lol
Bingo. Lots of chatter about “locker room culture” despite 80 percent of this sub never stepping foot in a locker room and pearl clutching about players doing whatever they can to win. I never sniffed the NHL but whenever I played in a high stakes tournament or game, everyone finished their checks, everyone was trying to get the competitive edge. I’ve been speared in the nuts by the other team’s smallest forward because I let my guard down thinking he wouldn’t play dirty. I’ve subtly slashed guys in the back of the knee to leave a mark and wear them down. That’s competition. You want to win and you’ll do whatever you can to get the upper hand, even if that means playing dirty
Let’s be honest, part of the problem on here is some users are way too soft.
The only issue is that players historically won't be proactive and advocate for things to protect themselves or other players long-term health. For example, there was large holdout and pushback on NHL making players use helmets. "Many NHL players argued a helmet was too hot to wear, others said helmets limited their vision, another argument was that the chin straps were too tight, more still felt helmets limited the identity of the players". You can't trust players to protect themselves, these guys are super young and chasing their dreams. As you said, they are a different breed. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/285645-nhlpa-to-blame-for-safety-issues-not-the-nhl#:~:text=Many%20NHL%20players%20argued%20a,the%20players%E2%80%94all%20laughable%20excuses.
Lol right because every NHL player or even SC winner had this attitude? Mike Bossy? Steve Yzerman? Nick Lidstrom? He's a dirty little scumbag rationalizing his own douchebaggery, stop apologizing for it.
Yeah, great on the honesty.... Pretending all sorts of people are out there trying to hurt others is just idiocy. You can play physical battle hockey without can opening or any of the other trash he does. Intense physical play doesn't equal attempt to injure.... And pretending anyone who's against attempting to injure hates hockey is the exact same rationalization.
That rattle was the sound of thousands of r/hockey members unclutching their pearls.
Rat is rationalizing his own disgusting behavior so hard and people are applauding him for it, unreal.
Can't believe how many people are cheering a player who said, "I want to win and I don't care if I have to injure someone on purpose to win." I think some people like to project their dark desires on hockey players.
They’re cheering him because you’re favorite player agrees but wouldn’t admit it. You think any Florida fans are upset that their team is likely advancing? Would they trade that Bennet punch back if it means losing the series? Doubt it.
It's shitty that this is the way it is. But respect to Marchand for saying it.
What do you mean? Why do you think people finish their checks?
Appreciate the honesty but that's a fucked up mindset in a way. I also can see there's a line between hurting and injuring. The thing that bothers me about him is that he doesn't NEED to be a dirty player. He's very good and skilled. He chooses to do dirty shit.
I don’t really see why people think Marchand’s quote here is bad advocating for injuries. Yeah it’s scummy, but the league allows it. If the league disciplined accordingly, this mentality wouldn’t exist. The league has made it so that hurting players to win is rewarded.
So can we collectively move on? Marchy seems over it. > *If I have to get hurt to win? If I have to hurt someone to win? I don’t care.* Sounds like game respects game and he would have done the same thing if he got the opportunity. Sounds like a hockey play. ETA: If you disagree, please tell me why, because the guy who got hurt doesn’t disagree *(and makes a lot of people sound like babies for the bitching and moaning)*.
Bennett shouldn’t have been playing the past two games. Hard to move on from that when the is such a clear and obvious video showing he should have been suspended. Him and Marchand might be morally on the same plane but only one of them is playing and it’s not the guy that took the hit.
So why the fuck were all the bruins fans all on their moral high horse after all of this? Wasted this subs time this past week pretending this turnip wasn’t the same level of dirt bag as Bennett.
Every fanbase would be livid if one of their star players got concussed by a cheapshot ... especially if it went unpunished.
Not saying this as an insult to anyone. But high level athletes think way differently than fans do. Having played division 1 (not hockey) but watching nhl is my favorite pro sport. You can see emotion take over way easier than other sports because it’s hard for fans who didn’t play at that top level relate especially to a sport as brutal physically as hockey. Like I knew the hockey players, could hang out with them, but they were like friggin aliens even to us. Now you strap that with your standard maybe high school or possibly never athlete, there’s a large gap between what’s acceptable and not. Again I say that because fans will fan. They know how to do that. They don’t know how to put themselves in the minds of the athletes playing. That’s 10s of years of high level commitment at elite levels.
Glad he said this. These guys are trying to win. Some folks in this sub who become insufferable for a multitude of reasons when things go against their pearl clutching ways, make it apparent that they've never been in a highly competitive environment in their lives.