Recovering Bruin Captain Marchand Targets Camp Return After Offseason Surgeries

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand is on the road to recovery after undergoing three surgeries this offseason. He revealed this information on Tuesday following a team captains practice.

“I didn’t really jump back into training until about two weeks ago,” Marchand said. “So I’m just starting to get back into the swing of things again. The goal is definitely to be ready for training camp, or shortly after. I’m hitting it all head-on.”

The 36-year-old forward underwent surgeries on his elbow (torn tendon), groin (sports hernia), and abdomen (sports hernia). He explained that the elbow injury had been bothering him throughout the previous season, while the other two hernias surfaced near the season’s end.

Despite the surgeries, Marchand managed to put up a strong 67 points (29 goals, 38 assists) in 82 regular-season games after assuming captaincy from the retired Patrice Bergeron. He also contributed 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) in the playoffs before the Bruins bowed out to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in the second round.

With Bruins training camp opening on September 18th, Marchand acknowledges the work ahead: “There’s a lot of catching up to do. This summer wasn’t typical for me, and it might affect my start to the season. But I’m treating the next two months like a compressed summer training camp, focusing on getting my conditioning back up to speed. Strength-wise I feel okay, but power and conditioning are where I need the most improvement.”

Entering the final year of his contract, Marchand remained tight-lipped on any potential contract negotiations with the team. “I won’t discuss contracts in the media,” he said. “There was a recent report, I don’t know the source, but it definitely wasn’t from our side. We’re not going to discuss this publicly. These are internal matters between myself, Don Sweeney [GM], and our group. There’s mutual respect, and we’ll handle it privately.”

Marchand has previously expressed his desire to play until at least 40 years old. With his recovery in progress and his eyes set on training camp, the Bruins captain is determined to return to peak form and lead his team to success.