Brad Marchand reflects on loss to Carolina Hurricanes, and the disappointment of not going out on top for his long-time teammate, Patrice Bergeron.
In an offseason already filled with uncertainty for the Boston Bruins, the team announced Friday that one of its most important players had undergone surgery on both of his hips.
Brad Marchand had a successful hip arthroscopy and labral repair on both hips performed at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City on Friday, the Bruins announced, just under two weeks after they were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games.
Recovery time is approximately six months, the team announced, which would cast doubt on Marchand's availability for opening day -- generally in early October -- and much of the first two months of the 2022-23 season.
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The 34-year-old Marchand had 32 goals and 48 assists for 80 points over 70 games last season before tacking on four goals and seven assists for 11 points in the team's seven-game series vs. Carolina.
Originally a third-round pick (71st overall) of the Bruins in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Marchand is up to seventh on the team's all-time scoring list with 351 goals and 444 assists for 795 points. His longtime teammate, captain Patrice Bergeron, is fourth on the list with 982 points but is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Now, the Bruins are faced with a reality where neither of the two franchise icons are in uniform for the season opener. Bergeron and Marchand are the last players remaining with Boston from its 2011 Stanley Cup championship.
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Marchand is signed through the 2024-25 season at an average annual cap hit of $6.125 million.