Brad Marchand just can’t help himself as he seems to be challenging Tom Wilson as public enemy number one with the New York Rangers.
Yesterday, as he was addressing his suspension of three games for slew footing Oliver Ekman-Larsson in Boston’s 3-2 win over the Canucks. He was bemoaning why the NHL still considered his prior history as he claimed, “I’ve worked to get away from that and be a good player.”
Oliver Ekman-Larsson likely disagrees, and Artemi Panarin went on record saying, “I don’t like that guy.”
Marchand says Panarin “crying”
“I said that no one in Russia likes him,” Marchand admitted. “So if that is now what is setting guys over the edge, then this is the softest league in the world.”
Last Friday, the Rangers beat the Bruins 5-2. In the waning seconds, Marchand and Panarin had a heated exchange that led to a glove being thrown.
“It’s important to to let people know I didn’t start it,” Panarin explained per USA Today’s Vince Mercogliano. “I didn’t say good things about him, too, but I think when you touch country, it’s different. Probably all Russians would want to defend their country.”
Both players were both tossed from the game, and Panarin received a $5000 fine for throwing his glove at Marchand.
“No one should be allowed to say anything,” Marchand responded. “Because there’s a lot worse things said out there than that. If that’s what he’s crying about, then it is what is is.”
Panarin dealt with a political hit job last season
What Marchand is leaving out is the serious situation involving Panarin last season involving unfounded allegations by his former KHL coach that caused him seek a leave of absence. A political hit job that had him concerned for his family living in Russia.
This summer, former Rangers GM Jeff Gorton provided some insight into the situation.
“We gave the Breadman his space and time he needed to figure things out,” Gorton said on the Cam and Strick Podcast. “The biggest thing when those things are happening back home – he has family there. We don’t know what’s going on in the world. I’ve been to Russia but you don’t know how mad people get or what they will do so we just gave him his space to work through it.”
The Rangers played a big role in helping Panarin and his family out during that time.
“We have security staff and people in place that had a lot of connections just making calls and making sure everyone is fine,” Gorton revealed about the effort to make sure he felt comfortable that his family was fine. “It was about letting him get through it mentally as far as feeling confident that his family was going to be ok.”
The Rangers and Bruins will not face each other again until the last weekend of the regular season. A home and home on March 23-24 that I’m sure Marchand’s quotes will be plastered on the walls of the Blueshirts locker-room.
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