Brad Marchand wanted to be the next captain of the Boston Bruins, but he didn't officially find out until he went to dinner with team president Cam Neely, general manager Don Sweeney and head coach Jim Montgomery.
Marchand had a feeling he might learn about the team's decision at this dinner, but he didn't know for sure, which made it a little nerve-wracking.
"Monty told me we were going to dinner. That was the conversation I was hoping to have with them, but you never know until -- maybe they were trying to let me down easy," Marchand said with a smile Wednesday, shortly after the Bruins announced he would be the 27th captain in franchise history.
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"So I was trying not to get my hopes up. We sat down at dinner and I was anxiously waiting for them to bring it up -- we're just doing small talk and stories from the past. I'm a little quiet because I wanted to know what's happening, what are we doing here? And then Cam spoke up, brought it up and let me know (that I would be the captain). Sweeney and Monty both spoke after that."
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Marchand knows he has a lot to live up to as Bruins captain, and he's embracing the challenge of meeting the standard set by previous team captains such as Zdeno Chara.
"I was extremely proud and honored," Marchand said. "A little relieved. At the end of the day, we have a lot of guys it could go to who are deserving. But I did want it and I was hoping to have the opportunity.
"When you look at the guys who have played in this organization and what they've done and the legacy they've built, I take pride in what I do and I wanted the opportunity to be part of that and build something special with this team."
Marchand won't be the only leader on the Bruins this season. The team also announced that defenseman Charlie McAvoy and right wing David Pastrnak will wear an "A" on their jerseys as alternate captains this season. Other veterans such as Charlie Coyle and Brandon Carlo are expected to be trusted leaders on and off the ice as well.
Even without recently retired veterans Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, the Bruins still have plenty of quality leaders in their locker room. Leadership and accountability shouldn't be an issue for this team. Replacing the offensive firepower lost in the offseason? Now that could be an issue.