Marchand does some self-reflection; Vows to change

[transplant99]

Good for him. Still one of my favorite players in the game when he isnt being dumb.

"The biggest thing for me is taking a pretty hard look in the mirror and realize that some of the things I'm doing have much bigger consequences," he said on Wednesday. "The last thing I ever want to do is bring embarrassment to my teammates and the organization like I did."

"There's a difference between having an edge and being stupid," he said. "That's where I get into trouble. That split-second reaction. I'm at that point now where, if you look at the last few years, if I have to cut off that edge and maybe drop 15 or 20 points, maybe that's worth it. I don't have the answers right now.

"It may not happen in six months. It may happen in a year or year and a half. But I if I can turn it around for the second half of my contract, maybe it's worth it."

"When you play a certain way with no consequences for 25 years, it's hard to flip a switch and have it all be gone. Maybe I haven't paid enough attention to it, because I thought I could get away with it because I was being a good player," he said. "If I wasn't having the years that I was having, would I be in the league? I don't know. Would the Bruins put up with it? Probably not."

"I've gotten my game to a pretty decent point," Marchand said, "but I have some character things, and things that I've done, that need some fixing."

http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/2...aracter-issues

[Flashpoint]

It's a "split second decision" to lick someone? Multiple times?

Appreciate the public mea culpa I guess. But this seemed massively outside the norms of sportsmanship in hockey.

[CSharp]

Did he lick himself in the mirror and realized it was a d#####y thing to be doing to his own face?

[JerryUnderscore]

If he's sincere then this is a great turn around for him. It's one thing to play with edge. It's another to play a weird, dirty game.

[EVERLAST]

So what he switches from licking to what??? Can he change? We saw Matt Cooke try.......or did we?
I hope he can change that part of his game because he is a helluva player.

[FanIn80]

Marchand has been one of my favourite players since he came into the league. Period.

[Roof-Daddy]

If the Bruins are embarrassed by him I'll gladly have him on the Flames.

[Johnny Makarov]

[Machiavelli]

He's been similarly apologetic in the past.

Great hockey player, hope he actually means it this time.

[calumniate]

His elbowing penalty was pretty lame this year as well imo

[chemgear]

Bull####.

[Inglewood Jack]

why would his point totals go down by 20 if he tones down his pest side? is he licking defenders as he dangles the puck past them, then freezes the goalie with a sick burn about his wife/mother?

[jlh2640]

I like him. Hope Tkachuk can learn from his own mistakes and brads.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

That’s a pathetic “promise” or apology or whatever you want to call it. Zero accountability. First paragraph was ok, from there he blamed others saying they let him do it, tried to warn that if he changes it’ll cost him and the team production and said that maybe if he ever gets around to changing it could be another year or so.

[Mike F]

Aw come on baby, you got to believe I changed! I would never do anything like that again! Just give me one more chance baby.

[Dion]

I'm on the skeptic side when it comes to Marchand and his apologies. He needs to show real change on the ice before I accept anything he has to say.

[activeStick]

Tough crowd. Could've responded with a typical, canned, hockey player response like, "the game gets emotional and in the moment I let emotions get to me" but instead, owned up to it being a mistake and expressed an intent to improve.

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[Remember1989]

Once you go full Avery it’s hard to come back.

We’ll see I suppose.

[Weitz]

I am disappointed in his apology. I love when people do things that get people all riled up over nothing. It’s hilarious. Take a look at the thread here. No one has a rooting interest and the anger is palpable. Hilarious.

[Northendzone]

Personally I like to seem him lick someone else again, as I would love to see him get tuned on by whomever he licked, and then suspended.

I doubt that the nhl would have the guts to suspend him more than 10 games, but who knows.