The Bruins have named veteran Brad Marchand their 27th Captain in Bruins’ history as they enter the 2023-2024 season.
Brad Marchand has some big skates to fill.
The Boston Bruins forward was named the 27th captain in franchise history Wednesday, assuming the role held by Patrice Bergeron for three seasons before the veteran center retired following the 2022-23 campaign.
Marchand is a logical choice for captain -- the 35-year-old is the longest-tenured Bruin on the roster (14 seasons) and is the only member of the 2011 Stanley Cup champion team who's still in Boston.
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Being a Bruins captain isn't a responsibility to take lightly, however.
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Of the 26 Bruins players to wear the "C" before Marchand, 12 are members of the Hockey Hall of Fame, including 11 of the franchise's first 18 captains. That number likely will balloon to 15 when Joe Thornton, Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron get their expected calls to the Hall of Fame.
Whether Marchand will join that group of 15 in the Hall one day is up for debate, but there's no mistake that there's a rich tradition of leadership and success for the Black and Gold.
Check out the table below for a full list of every captain in Bruins franchise history, from Sprague Cleghorn and Lionel Hitchman to Bergeron and Marchand.
