The 2025-26 NHL season is one full of question marks for the Boston Bruins. Brad Marchand is no longer in town, and most probably won’t be back in his career. The Spoked B must now figure out how to move forward, and based on Charlie McAvoy’s admission, they are taking an unconventional route.
Watching a captain move on is never a pleasant sight. It was extremely painful for the Bruins, who witnessed Marchand play some of his best hockey of his career after joining the Florida Panthers. To top it off, the Cats conquered their second Stanley Cup.
After 16 NHL seasons in Boston, Marchand equaled his Cup total in less than four months in Sunrise. That’s certainly a tough pill to swallow for fans in Beantown. Marchand will mostly be remembered for his time in Massachusetts, but if he continues his dominant production in Florida, that legacy might switch addresses.
Amid much uncertainty heading into the 2025–26 NHL season, the Bruins have made a firm decision about the vacant captaincy within the locker room. As hinted by alternate captain Charlie McAvoy, the Spoked B could be taking a somewhat controversial path.
Charlie McAvoy #73 of the Boston Bruins skates against the Florida Panthers during the second period in Game Four of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the TD Garden on May 12, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts.
“Going into this year, [me and David Pastrnak] are both going to have A’s. That’s what I know,” McAvoy admitted about the vacant captaincy, via Boston Herald. “I don’t think there’s any fire under them to do anything with that. And guess what? That’s totally fine. Regardless of letters, we know that this is our team, me and him.”
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Two-headed monster
The Bruins won’t be the first—nor the last—team to roll out a roster without a player wearing the ‘C’ in the NHL. Whether that’s ideal or has no correlation with the action on the ice is entirely subjective.
Regardless, under new head coach Marco Sturm, Boston might have figured out a loophole in the NHL. With the likes of Pastrnak and McAvoy leading the group, the Bruins could virtually sport a double-captaincy. The results of such experiment will be seen throughout the season.
Marchand celebrates with fans during the Florida Panthers’ Stanley Cup championship parade through Fort Lauderdale Beach.
“Me and Pasta are spending the time together, which I’ve found incredible,” McAvoy added. “I’m learning about him a little bit more, and about him as a leader. What I will say is that I love we are going to be able to take this on together. I know we are going to make each other better, on and off the ice.”
No bad blood
On October 21, Marchand will walk into TD Garden—but out of the away locker room—for the first time in his NHL career. It will mark the second time he faces a home crowd in Boston as an opponent, though. His first experience came during the 4 Nations Face-Off, when he took on Team USA with Team Canada in the championship game. However, the veteran forward should be in for a much more welcoming homecoming this upcoming season.
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“I told him when he came back I couldn’t be happier for him. If you know Marchy, you know that there are very few people that work as hard as him,” McAvoy said about Marchand’s Cup run with the Panthers. “He puts his heart out into everything he does, so can you not root for a guy like that? I was thrilled to watch him play as well as he did. He looked like old Marchy. Honestly, it was inspiring to watch. He makes me want it even more.”
