Most Boston Bruins fans believe that Brad Marchand’s career has allowed him to write his name into the Hall of Fame in the future, but what actually are his chances of the honor?
Peter Baugh and Eric Duhatschek of The Athletic believe that the Bruins forward is on the cusp of being able to retire today and make it into the Hall of Fame but isn’t exactly there yet.
Is this true?
Marchand is in the conversation as one of the best wingers of his generation, and his stats have proven it. The 36-year-old maybe isn’t regarded as a top forward with Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby, but he should be.
His 2023-24 campaign alone shows that even as he has gotten older, Marchand can hang with the top players in the NHL. He put up 67 points on 29 goals and 38 assists through 82 games, not missing a single game during the regular season.
Before the most recent season, he scored 67 points, and that was after missing nine games during that time.
In 2018-29, Marchand had his best season statistically, tallying 100 points on 36 goals and 64 assists.
While Marchand has been lucky to play with strong teammates, including former captain Patrice Bergeron, his skill alone has put him as a top player. In 15 seasons, he has compiled 929 points from 401 goals and 528 assists.
The captain hit the 1,000-game milestone during the 2023-24 season, and the conversation of whether he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame came up. Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery believed his player made a Hall of Fame case multiple years ago.
“Maybe five years ago, just the way he started the offensive production and every year 95 points, every year dominant player,” Montgomery told reporters in February on when he considered Marchand Hall of Fame caliber, per team-provided video. “You had to be aware of him. Just a dominant player. Impacted every game.”
Yes, Marchand has been regarded as an unlikeable player by many team’s fans due to his career as a pest. Despite this, he has grown since his days as a fighter, even if he still does participate in a fight every once in a while.
After 14 seasons with the Bruins, Marchand was named as captain of the team after Bergeron retired. It seemed like an easy decision after the respect he had gained from Bruins fans, staff and players.
As he has gotten older, the forward has shown no signs of slowing down. Marchand has had 14 consistent seasons of putting up over 35 points, with his last nine seasons being over 60.
“I think that’s the ultimate recognition that a player can get is to be in the Hall of Fame,” Marchand told reporters in February, per team-provided video. “Is it achievable? I don’t know. I see the amount of time I feel like I can still play. I don’t know what it takes to get there. I’m going to play every single day and come to the rink every day and try to get better and try to play as long as I can. If it happens it happens. It’s not so much a goal, as it’d be a dream come true.”
The biggest thing for Marchand is keeping the consistency he has had, including 60-plus point seasons and staying healthy.
Another thing that would make him an easy candidate is if he could lead the Bruins to a Stanley Cup win. He does have a championship ring from 2011, a season where he put up 41 points as a 23-year-old, but he wasn’t necessarily regarded as a leader.
The captain has led the Bruins to many successful seasons, including in 2022-23 when the Bruins broke the record for most regular seasons with 65 wins. If he could add another Stanley Cup to his résumé, it would be hard to not regard him as a Hall of Famer.
Even if Marchand can’t add one more ring to his collection, he has put up a convincing Hall of Fame campaign. Even if he isn’t a first-ballot Hall of Famer, he should eventually have his name in Toronto once he retires.
