Why does Brad Marchand lick opponents? Bruins agitator comes clean

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Sometimes Brad Marchand gets under his opponents' skin. Other times, he licks their skin.

The Boston Bruins winger began a bizarre habit last season when he was caught licking multiple players, including then-Toronto Maple Leafs forward Leo Komarov and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ryan Callahan.

So, what possibly leads one to lick another player in a professional hockey game?

Marchand recently explained his thought process behind the Callahan, err, incident to NHL on NBC's Kathryn Tappen during a trip to Mike's Pastry in Boston.

"His visor was in my face, and I was like, 'This will probably piss him off,' " Marchand told Tappen. "So, I tried to do it, tried to get him to hit me and draw a penalty and it kind of went the other way."

Not only did Marchand fail to draw a penalty on Callahan, but he also got a tongue-lashing from the league, which threatened further punishment if he kept up the antics.

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Marchand says he's remorseful, though.

"Yeah, that was definitely a decision that, you go back in time, you'd play out a little differently," he added.

Check out Marchand's full interview with Tappen to hear him discuss some classic Bruins pranks, as well as how he developed his trademark edge.

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