Brad Marchand Tells Canadian Hockey Fans To Look In The Mirror: 'They Definitely Push Guys Away'
BOSTON (CBS) -- Bruins winger Brad Marchand was dominant on Sunday night against the Canucks, scoring a game-tying goal and registering a primary assist on the go-ahead goal, both of which came in the third period of Boston's 3-2 win.
This development no doubt irked many Canucks viewers back in Vancouver, as Marchand has never been the most celebrated player in British Columbia, dating back to his and the Bruins' Stanley Cup win over the Canucks in 2011.
That long list of Vancouverites who detest Marchand apparently includes the TV commentator, as former Bruin and current national analyst Anson Carter pointed out on Twitter during the game:
(The commentator in question rejected Carter's assessment, for what that's worth.)
After the game, Marchand -- a native of Nova Scotia -- was asked about the commentator's thoughts as well as Carter's assertion about Canadian players not wanting to play in Canada.
"I think the big thing in Canada is that they're very, very passionate about the game. That is definitely -- and not just the fans. Hockey is a way of life in Canada," Marchand said. "That's just, it's the way it is. As soon as you can walk, you're putting skates on. The lakes are always frozen in Canada, so there's always ice available and ponds and stuff like that. So it's a way of life. There's a lot of passionate fans for their teams."
Marchand went on to explain how that passion can manifest itself in different ways.
"I think that it just kind of bleeds over into it. I mean, there's a lot of cases where teams don't do well in Canada, that it's hard on players," Marchand said. "Their families get picked on, their kids get picked on at school. So, you know, the fans can be a big part of why teams don't have success. Because they make it miserable on the players at times. They definitely push guys away to go to teams that don't have that kind of fan base. So sometimes the fans out there need to look themselves in the mirror as well."
Outside of the brief tournaments where they're forced to root for him, Canadian hockey fans are generally not eager to listen to Marchand at all. So some self-reflection up north is unlikely to follow the 33-year-old's suggestion.
Nevertheless, for a Canadian-born player who's found success and longevity in an Original Six market in the U.S., Marchand's perspective is interesting, to say the least.
