Worrying development regarding Brad Marchand who will have to learn to skate again or almost

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Jeff Drouin
September 19, 2022 (0:08)

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For Boston Bruins fans, the 2022-2023 season could be a long one due to the absence of two of the team's mainstays in the early months of the season, namely defenseman Charlie McAvoy and unloved Habs fan Brad Marchand.

The latter underwent hip surgery during the offseason and as Patrick Beausejour of Fanadiens.com reports, the rehabilitation could be quite painful for the Bruins' No. 63.

During a media availability at the Bruins' annual golf tournament, Marchand said he'll have to relearn how to skate in the next few weeks because of his surgery. He also said it's been four months since he last put on skates, the longest period of time in his life.

It's going to be a little bit like learning to skate again. I'm going to take it slow to start and hopefully make progress each week."

The 34-year-old believes a return by the end of November, after a six-month recovery, is possible. However, his hip problems have not been the only health concerns Marchand has experienced lately, he also had surgery on his abs and groin last year.

"When I fixed that, I had other issues. The hip problem was bigger than I expected. Then it was figuring out what to do next. I wanted to finish as many years as possible before I had surgery.

This time it's definitely longer. I've never stopped skating for four months. It'll take a little while to get back."

While Marchand's rehab period will be arduous, the fact remains that his absence could hurt the Bruins, who play in a very competitive division. For Bruins fans, the hope remains that No. 63 returns as soon as possible to keep the playoffs a possibility for the spring of 2023.