Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Brad Marchand has spent close to two decades cementing himself as one of the biggest pests in the NHL while being almost universally lauded for his behavior and personality off the ice. Now, he’s firmed up his reputation as a Good Dude by taking a temporary leave of absence to fly to Canada and serve as the coach of a junior hockey team dealing with a tragic development.
Virtually every sports league boasts a handful of villains who are almost universally hated by the supporters of every single team but the one they play for and have nontheless earned the begrudging respect of fans who can help but admit they’d love to have them on their team if given the opportunity.
That is firmly the case with Brad Marchand, the forward who spent the first 15 years of his NHL career with the Bruins. The man known as “The Rat King” and the “Little Ball of Hate” became a beloved figure in Boston, but he was equally reviled by people who criticized him for his dirty playing style (which he eventually cleaned up) as well as the licking and other antics that made him one of the league’s biggest pests.
However, his behavior on the ice has always stood in stark contrast to his reputation off of it. Marchand was heavily involved with the local community in Boston before he was traded to the Panthers last season, and he’s picked up where he left off in Florida while continuing to give back to his native Nova Scotia—the last of which has once again been impacted by his selflessness.
Marchand was born and raised outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia before setting off on the path that would lead him to the NHL when he headed to New Brunswick as a teenager to join a junior team in the QMJHL.
That second province serves as the base for March and Mill Co., the outdoor apparel brand he co-founded with former Bruins teammate Kevan Millar in 2019. The duo also sponsors a team in the Nova Scotia U18 Major Hockey League known as the March and Mill Co. Hunters, the Cole Harbour-based club that is coached by J.P. MacCallum.
On Tuesday, the team revealed MacCallum had suffered an unfathomable loss while announcing plans for a tribute to his daughter Saleh, who passed away on October 24th.
A post shared by JP MacCallum (@jpmaccallum)
Marchand was nowhere to be found when the Panthers took the ice for practice on Wednesday in the wake of their 3-2 loss to the Ducks on Tuesday night.
It was initially unclear why he was absent, but we learned he had stepped away from the team in order to fly to Nova Scotia and coach the Hunters alongside Andrew Bodnarchuk during their game on the 29th to allow MacCallum to be with his family.
A post shared by High Button Sports (@highbuttonsports)
Marchand also signed a jersey that the team will be raffling off to benefit the MacCallums, and while I’m sure he wouldn’t want any praise for stepping up like he has, he certainly deserves some.
The Panthers won’t be back in action until Saturday, and it seems safe to assume he’ll rejoin them by the time they host the Stars.