Brad Marchand Takes A Shot At Mark Stone
Brad Marchand understands why Mark Stone reacted strongly to a hard hit during a preseason game against the LA Kings. But when talking about the incident that's been a hot topic in the NHL, Marchand showed empathy for Hayden Hodgson.
"I wouldn't be happy because you never want to get hit like that, whether you're in the NHL or not," Marchand said. "But that's how every guy had to play to get into the NHL. You're out there to do a job, trying to make an impression and take someone's career. So, if you think you're not going to get hit, it doesn't matter who you are; you have to be ready to play every night."
He added,
"I get it, guys don't like getting hit in preseason, especially someone like him making a lot of money on a long-term deal; he wants to focus on the season."
Marchand's own journey to the NHL wasn't all smooth. Standing at 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, he joined the Bruins' training camp in 2007. It took two more camps and 113 AHL games before he made the NHL roster in 2009-10, known more for his gritty play.
Looking back, Marchand said,
"It's easy to get comfortable in this league when you've been around for a while. I understand both sides, but there are kids trying to make it, and if I got hit like that, I'd react the same way."
When asked about publicly criticizing a player's career status like Mark Stone did, Marchand noted,
"It depends on the situation. I thought it was a clean hit. But I was that kid once, doing the same stuff in intra-squad games. So, it's part of the game. If you get comfortable not getting hit, it'll happen at some point. To make a team out of camp, you need to earn it, and you're not going to let that happen easily. If you're not competing at your best, you don't belong here."
As seen on bruinsinsider
| POLL | ||
29 SEPTEMBRE | 72 ANSWERS Brad Marchand Takes A Shot At Mark Stone Was the hit from the other night on Stone dirty? | ||
| Yes | 14 | 19.4 % |
| No | 58 | 80.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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