Brad Marchand says he didn't deserve 6-game suspension for Tristan Jarry incident

Brad Marchand wants you to know he made a stupid mistake, but that he shouldn’t be punished for it.

The entertaining Boston Bruins winger was handed a six-game suspension earlier this week after he punched Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Tristan Jarry in his mask on Tuesday, and then proceeded to give him a whack with his stick as he was being escorted off the ice by officials.

Marchand acknowledged his lack of composure when reflecting on the incident Friday, but also believes he shouldn’t have been suspended.

"Was it stupid? Of course, it was stupid. I'm not denying that," Marchand told The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa. "I absolutely should not have done it. But [was it] suspension-worthy? I don't think so."

This is Marchand’s eighth (and longest) suspension of his career, earning him the distinguished honor of being the most suspended player in NHL history.

The 33-year-old, who will be forfeiting $448,170.72 in salary, acknowledges that his history was the primary factor in the decision.

"[Those] plays were not going to injure Jarry," Marchand said of his actions. "No potential injury on that play. He was very well-protected. The fact that it's six games is based on history, not on the play. We believe the last suspension was very hefty when I got three games. It should have been one, based on the fact that I've turned my game around and become a pretty good player in this league. But you're not going to escape the history part of it, which ultimately set me up for this [suspension]."

Marchand was already suspended three games earlier this season for slew-footing Vancouver Canucks blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

The NHLPA filed an appeal Friday on Marchand's behalf.

If you’re concerned – for some reason – that an eighth suspension will finally lead to Marchand changing his envelope-pushing game, you can sleep well tonight.

"I'm not going to justify that what I did was right," he said. "But this was a very, very deep suspension for these actions. I'm an emotional guy, I always have been. That part of me will never change. I'll never want it to change because that's what makes me the player I am. It's just making sure it's reined in."

Marchand is having yet another very good season on the Bruins’ top line, scoring 21 goals and 49 points in just 39 games.

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