Brad Marchand hip checks the stick-to-sports crowd

Marchand makes it clear that current social issues “are bigger than hockey.”

In the midst of the two-day, player-led, NHL shutdown, players have used their media availabilities to share their thoughts on the current situation in the sporting world and how it is a reflection of the state of society.

Boston Bruins star center Brad Marchand took the media podium on Friday afternoon with his team and linemate Patrice Bergeron. Marchand has been a vocal supporter of initiatives like “Hockey is for Everyone” and “You Can Play” for as long as he has been in the NHL. Marchand has made headlines on numerous occasions for his strong stance against bullying on social media, as well as speaking out against racism and homophobia.

On Friday, Marchand was asked several questions, and his answers gave a deeper view into the type of person, ambassador and influential figure he can be for the NHL, as well as the game of hockey as a whole.

Brad Marchand did not mince words for the “stick to sports” crowd

Marchand was asked about some fans perceiving this to be a stance on political issues, which he responded by making it clear that this was in fact a social issue. Marchand said: “

"“I think that’s one thing that people continually mix up, they bring politics into these situations. That’s not what this is about, we’re not being political, that’s not the goal and that’s not what we’re here for. There needs to changes made throughout society, it’s bigger than hockey right now and it’s bigger than sports. It’s about people being equal and being the same and being treated the same, it’s just about making changes. People want to point in different directions and make it about something that it’s not, and that’s what we want to avoid, we don’t want to make it a political statement, we want it about people being better and making changes and getting to the point where we all see each other as equals, and that’s what it’s about.”"

Another question was asked to Patrice Bergeron about the process that led to them meeting and calling off games on Thursday and Friday. Patrice made it clear that the initiative was started by the players. The Hockey Diversity Alliance made a formal request to the NHL to postpone games on Thursday and Friday, and by the end of the day, Ryan Reeves was leading talks in the Western bubble, while guys like Kevin Shattenkirk and Brad Marchand were leading talks in the East bubble.

Marchand was asked to describe what it meant to have players from all eight teams remaining in the playoffs to be having a dialogue about the ongoing social issues at hand, and how to react to it as a league and as players. Marchand described the feeling as “power,” adding, “That’s what is needed, especially in a predominately white sport. To have everyone come together and want to be a part of the solution, to continue to have those conversations. It has to start, it has to continue and we set that precedent early on here.”

The Bruins centerman also gave insight on his understanding of the social issues at hand being hard to register for a predominately white fanbase, stating, “We all need to learn a lot about what’s happening outside of our own lives. A lot of us don’t truly understand what being in other people’s shoes is like, and we need to. It’s the only way that things are going to change.”

The 32-year-old, Halifax, Nova Scotia native made it clear in his comments that the prevailing issues at hand were bigger than hockey, and that “sticking to sports” was not an option at this point. Marchand went onto state:

"“It’s very evident and clear that this is bigger than sports. People need to put that aside. Sports is a luxury, it’s a luxury to watch this game and play this game, but when it comes about people’s safety and people’s lives, people feeling comfortable to be in their own skin, it’s much more important than that. I understand that people want to watch the games, and I understand that people want to see this, but it’s too bad. We have bigger things that we care about that we want to do and improve upon, and people we want to support, and that’s what matters.”"

The Bruins and Lightning will resume their playoff series on Saturday at noon. However, there will be a long lingering trail of reaction that will follow Marchand and other players who have made statements similar to his over the course of these two days. Hopefully, in the best interest of the hockey community, these players will continue to not “stick to sports.”