Brad Marchand has been off the ice for the longest he’s ever been following surgery on both hips back in May. He’ll finally get back on it Friday in the latest, key step in his recovery.
Meeting with reporters at the annual Boston Bruins Foundation Golf Tournament at Pinehills in Plymouth, Marchand opened up about the injury and his rehab.
Marchand was given an approximate six-month recovery timeline when he had the dual labral repairs done, and he remains on that track. The veteran winger said he is aiming for a late-November return to the Bruins lineup.
“This was definitely the longest. I’ve never not skated for four months,” Marchand said. “It’s gonna take a little bit to get back. … It’s gonna be like learning how to skate again, so it’s gonna be really light for the first little bit. Hopefully progress each week, and hopefully get back feeling good.”
Marchand said he had been dealing with the hip issue for a couple years, and that he first realized there was something there when he was still experiencing some pain even after undergoing surgery on his abs and groin in 2020.
When the season ended, Marchand wasn’t sure if he would need surgery then or be able to push it off for another year. Doctors determined that the injury was more serious than initially thought, however. Combined with the Bruins’ season ending earlier than Marchand anticipated, that made it an easy decision to get the surgery now.
“It’s been a few years,” Marchand said. “It was more just figuring out when you were gonna do it. For me what it came down to was trying to get as many years from my body as I could, and to do that I had to do it sooner than later. So yeah, that’s why we did it this year.”
Marchand knows it’ll be tough to have to watch the first couple months of the season, but he said he’s confident that the team can overcome the early-season absences of himself, Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk.
“I think we’re in a good spot as a team,” Marchand said. “I think the toughest thing would be if the team wasn’t winning or doing well, then that would be really crappy. But I don’t think that’s gonna be the case. I think we’re gonna have a really good start. The guys look really good right now, so I’m hoping they’re gonna put a push on. … So it’s gonna be tough, but it’s about the long game. Hopefully I feel really good the rest of the year and can make a push at the end.”
With Marchand out, the newest Bruins forward, Pavel Zacha, is expected to get the first crack at playing on Patrice Bergeron’s left. Marchand offered some comical advice for Zacha before getting a little more serious.
“Just get open, and you don’t have to backcheck. He’ll do it for you,” Marchand said. “…I think the biggest thing is just know that if he’s close to you, he’s gonna get so many pucks back. He’s creating so many opportunities from just his positioning. Pucks always bounce off his stick or his skates, so just be ready because it comes all the time.
“When your team doesn’t have it, he creates so many turnovers. Zacha’s gonna be fine. He’s a great player, very smart. Even just from playing against him, positionally he’s similar to Bergy, and the way he reads the ice and defends. He’s gonna fit in great with that group.”