The feisty left wing has carved a notable NHL career out of a confrontational game of cat and mouse. His "Little Ball of Hate" nickname (inherited from Pat Verbeek) is well earned.

Brad Marchand has been described as chirpy, antagonistic, indomitable, and irritating.

Brad Marchand has been described as chirpy, antagonistic, indomitable, and irritating.

The feisty left wing has carved a notable NHL career out of a confrontational game of cat and mouse. His "Little Ball of Hate" nickname (inherited from Pat Verbeek) is well earned.

When the Boston Bruins visited the White House on Jan. 23, 2012, to commemorate their 2011 Stanley Cup championship, even U.S. President Barack Obama was curious.

"What's up with that nickname, man?" Obama, a Chicago Blackhawks fan, asked Marchand.

Any number of Boston's rivals could have outlined the reasons to the 44th president. Marchand's game is a combination of competitiveness, energy and ability. Some may complain about his methods, but no one doubts his effectiveness.

A native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Marchand was selected by Boston in the third round (No. 71) of the 2006 NHL Draft after he had 66 points (29 goals, 37 assists) in 68 games for Moncton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The following season, Marchand helped Val-d'Or advance to the QMJHL final by scoring 40 points (16 goals, 24 assists) in 20 postseason games.

Marchand split the 2007-08 season between Val-d'Or and Halifax of the QMJHL before turning professional to play for Providence of the American Hockey League.

Early in the 2009-10 season, Marchand was called up by the Bruins and had an assist in his NHL debut, a 3-2 victory against the Nashville Predators on Oct. 21, 2009. It was his only point in 20 games with Boston.

Marchand's first full season came in 2010-11, when he helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1972. He had 41 points (21 goals, 20 assists) in 77 regular-season games, then turned into a major factor in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In 25 games, he scored 11 goals -- a rookie playoff record for the Bruins -- and finished with 19 points. In Game 7 of the Cup Final against the Vancouver Canucks, Marchand had two goals and an assist in a 4-0 victory.

Though the Bruins failed to make the playoffs in 2015-16, Marchand had a breakout season, scoring 37 goals, which ranked sixth in the NHL, and led the Bruins with a plus-21 rating.

Marchand would lead Boston in scoring with 85 points in each of the following two seasons before getting an NHL career-high 100 points (36 goals, 64 assists) in 79 games in 2018-19.

In the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Marchand led the Bruins with 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) in 24 games, helping them advance to the Cup Final, where they lost in seven games to the St. Louis Blues.

Internationally, Marchand scored the goal that gave Canada the championship over Team Europe at the World Cup of Hockey 2016. He has also won a gold medal with Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship (2007, 2008) and the 2016 IIHF World Championship.

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