On Saturday night, the Boston Bruins played what felt like a critical early-season game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. While calling it a “must-win” might seem like an overstatement, it wasn’t far off given their first seven games of the 2024-25 season.
Captain Brad Marchand, who hadn’t scored yet this season, broke that drought in overtime. After Auston Matthews tied the game with just 1:17 left in regulation, the Bruins finally responded well to adversity, battling through 2:26 of overtime before Marchand scored the game-winner, leading Boston to a 4-3 victory.
To add to the drama, Marchand made more headlines post-game. During the broadcast, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that Marchand and the Bruins were close to finalizing a three-year contract extension. However, after the game, Marchand addressed the report, refuting it.
When asked about the rumor, Marchand, who underwent two off-season surgeries, denied the report, stating, “Elliotte likes talking about me this week. I’ve said it before: I don’t discuss contract stuff with the media. That report is false. If I were signing a three-year extension, it would be signed. Elliott is just wrong on that.”
Marchand’s stance is consistent—he’s never publicly discussed his contract negotiations, and likely never will. He emphasized that, much like how things unfolded with Jeremy Swayman this past summer, he prefers to keep those matters private.
While some may debate if Marchand is still at his peak, there’s no question that he remains the emotional core of the Bruins. It’s clear he wants to extend his career beyond this season, and it feels like only a matter of time before an official deal is announced.
