Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand won't be joining his teammates at Gillette Stadium on New Year's Day as they set to square off against the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL's annual Winter Classic presented by Bridgestone.
Marchand, a notorious agitator whose game often blurs the line between competitive and reckless, has been suspended three games by the NHL Department of Player Safety following a game against the Ottawa Senators in which Marchand clipped Sens defenseman Matt Borowiecki.
Per the DPS, Marchand, who has been suspended in the past, is considered a "repeat offender." As you can see in the video, the hit was egregious and unnecessary, though Marchand was not penalized in-game.
Immediately after the game, Marchand did his best to downplay the severity of the hit.
"It was a simple play," he said, per The Boston Globe. "I was trying to get to the puck carrier and I turned up ice and he was kind of standing there. I just turned up and tried to go after the puck carrier."
Marchand has been suspended three times previously in his NHL career and fined once.
With Bruins forward David Krejci also out for the Winter Classic, Boston will be at a serious disadvantage as they faceoff against the Canadiens, who are dealing with significant injuries of their own to All-World netminder Carey Price and forward Brendan Gallagher.
