Boston Bruins
Bruins Locker Room: Mom’s Trip Underway
One of the most popular events on the calendar each year for NHL players is the annual mom’s trip. It is a chance during the season for the players to give back to some very special people in their lives. The Bruins, and their mothers, began their special mom’s trip yesterday. The annual trip this year will take the group to Nashville, where the Bruins meet the Predators tonight.
Lynn Marchand, on this Bruins mom’s trip, is like any caring parent. She wants her son to be the best he can be and isn’t afraid to give her two cents on how he can do it. Just ask Brad Marchand.
“She still texts me before every game and tells me what to do out there,” Marchand told the club’s official website. “She’s a coach behind the scenes too and [she’s] watched a ton of hockey…my dad’s always been a coach and one of my coaches.”
Although Mrs. Marchand never coached Brad, she picked up quite a bit during the years where Brad’s father coached him.
“She hears a lot of what he tells me to do. She likes to reiterate that. She’s pretty bang on when she’s sending her message or giving her pointers, but sometimes I have to tell her to settle down and just enjoy it and have fun.”
Fun shouldn’t be a problem in Nashville. The city is known as one of the best destinations in the entire league.
“It’s fun. Definitely breaks up the season a little bit, a little more energy in the building,” Torey Krug said Monday. “It will be exciting to have them come on the flight and go through practice. It will be good to have them by our sides again. They have been there with us our whole lives.”
Krug is right. These wonderful women have been there from the start for these players. They were there when they began to skate, when they had the early morning games and practices, when they faced their toughest adversities. This is the Bruins chance to give back. That opportunity is not lost on these players.
“It means a lot,” Anders Bjork said. “Her and my dad are the most influential people in my life – been there through a lot. It’s special for me to have her out here and see my life, especially with how much she’s helped me since my pro career started.”
It was his mother who came to his side each of the last two seasons when things went south with his health.
“With the [shoulder] injuries that I had, she came out both years when I had surgery and stayed with me for two weeks or so and dropped everything with her life back home. She’s been a huge influence in my life. I’m glad she can hopefully have some fun and see how things are around here.”