Marchand Still Focused As He Hits 1000 Games

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand remains focused on bigger goals rather than individual accolades as he gets set to play in his 1,000th NHL game on Tuesday night when he and the Bruins host the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“I feel like personal achievements in the game are something you look back at the end of the day once you retire and you kind of see what you accomplish,” Marchand told the media after practice on Monday. “Kind of set goals throughout my career and playing 1,000 games is a goal at one point. When it became reachable, I had other goals and bigger aspirations. It is special to look back and see how far it’s come. Hopefully, it’s just a building block to many more.”

With 397 goals and 513 assists heading into his 1,000th game, Brad Marchand currently sits fifth on the Bruins’ all-time points list. He has five 30-goal seasons and has also been clutch in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 53 goals and 75 assists in 146 games. Could a plaque of Marchand hang in the hallowed halls of the Hockey Hall of Fame one day?

Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters that he started believing that would happen about five years ago.

“Maybe five years ago, just the way he started the offensive production and every year 95 points, every year dominant player,” the second-year Bruins bench boss and former Dallas Stars head coach said. “You had to be aware of him. Just a dominant player. Impacted every game.”

Obviously, that would be an amazing honor for a player that many had pegged as a bottom-six forward when he entered the NHL in the 2009-10 season. However, Marchand, 35, is focused on sticking around and hopefully winning another Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins

“I think that’s the ultimate recognition that a player can get is to be in the Hall of Fame,” Marchand told reporters, 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.”