Brad Marchand clarified on Saturday that a rumored three-year contract extension with the Boston Bruins is not accurate. Marchand, who scored the overtime winner against the Toronto Maple Leafs that night, addressed reports from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggesting a deal was close. Friedman mentioned on *Hockey Night in Canada* that the Bruins and Marchand were nearing an agreement for a three-year extension.
Currently, Marchand, 36, is in the last season of an eight-year deal signed in 2017, after which he’ll become an unrestricted free agent. If extended as reported, Marchand would remain with Boston through the 2027-28 season. However, Marchand dismissed the report post-game, saying, “If I was going to sign a three-year extension, it would be signed. Clearly, Elliott is just wrong.”
While Marchand declined to discuss his contract publicly, it appears that contract negotiations have been ongoing. Bruins GM Don Sweeney confirmed on September 30 that discussions have been underway since July 1, when Marchand became eligible for a new contract. Other prominent NHL players who faced potential free agency, like Sidney Crosby and Leon Draisaitl, have since signed new contracts.
Marchand, who has spent his entire 16-year career with the Bruins, is one of four key Bruins players facing free agency next summer. With 933 points in 1,037 games and a Stanley Cup title in 2011, he’s now Boston’s captain, a role he assumed last season. Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery highlighted Marchand’s leadership, saying, “He’s our captain and embodies what it means to be a Bruin because he plays the game the right way.”
