‘Bostonians now and forever’: Former captain Brad Marchand pens farewell letter to Bruins fans

Brad Marchand hardly ever left the TD Garden ice without something to say and he’s not exiting Boston without some parting words either.

The longtime Bruin and former captain took a full page in Monday’s Boston Globe thanking fans for 16 years of memories in Boston.

“Thank you for welcoming me into this great city when I was just a young Canadian kid looking to break into the best league in the world. You allowed me to achieve my dream of playing in the National Hockey League and winning the Stanley Cup. For this I am forever grateful,” Marchand’s letter read in part.

Drafted 71st overall by Boston in 2006, Marchand tallied 422 goals and 554 assists across 1090 career games in Boston. Marchand was a fan favorite and staple of Bruins hockey over the last 15 years. He was a core piece of a team that won three Presidents’ Trophies (2014, 2020, 2023), five division titles (2011, 2012, 2014, 2020, and 2023), and appeared in the Stanley Cup Final three times. (2011, 2013, 2019).

A four-time All-Star, Marchand’s best statistical season came in his 100-point 2018-19 campaign. Marchand was a vocal inside Boston’s locker room long before he officially inherited the yellow “C” captain’s patch after Patrice Bergeron’s retirement in 2023.

Marchand was dealt to the Florida Panthers on Friday for a conditional 2027 2nd Round pick that would convert to a 2028 First Rounder if the Panthers make at least the Eastern Conference Finals and Marchand plays in 50 percent of games.

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney spoke on the split between the organization and Marchand Friday.

“We’ve been trying to sign Brad all year long; we just had a gap there,” said Sweeney. “He’s beloved here. I would never close the door.”

Sweeney explained that ownership and management were unclear how the deadline day would pan out when it began.

“We weren’t just going to roll it back,” said Sweeney. “It’s a difficult day from that standpoint, personally and professionally. It’s making some very difficult decisions.”

The Bruin great’s farewell letter can be read below:

To Boston,
Thank you for welcoming me into this great city when I was just a young Canadian kid looking to break it into the best league in the world. You allowed me to achieve my dream of playing in the National Hockey League and winning the Stanley Cup. For this I am forever grateful. You also embraced me from day one and immediately brought me into your family. Since that time, I have become a husband and a father to a beautiful family. My family is your family: we are Bostonians now and forever.
Representing this city as captain of the Boston Bruins was the greatest honor of my life, and it was a privilege to wear the Spoked B over the past 16 years. Boston will always be a part of me, and it will always be a part of my family. There are far too many people I want to thank to be able to include in this short note, but just know how grateful I am for the time I spent in boston playing for the Bruins.
Thank you.
— Brad Marchand's letter in the Boston Globe

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