Even in the dog days of summer, the hate between the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens runs deep.

During the 2014 Phoenix House Champs for Change dinner in Halifax on Tuesday night, Bruins forward and Nova Scotia native Brad Marchand was asked by AHL president Dave Andrews which NHL players irritate him the most.

Perhaps not shockingly, a Montreal player came to mind pretty quickly:

There are a few guys who really irritate me ... Tomas Plekanec from Montreal, I hate him. Oh, I can’t stand him. No, I probably shouldn’t say that. I dislike him very much. Someone's going to call and get mad at me for saying that tomorrow.

The moment can be seen below, as Marchand provides quite the example for the seemingly unamused youngster sitting next to him.

They say there's a bit of truth in every joke. In this case, there appeared to be more than a touch of jest in a moment of honesty. But if actions speak louder than words, we just have to look back to the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, where Marchand's disdain for Plekanec was on full display (as evidenced here).

Mark Oct. 16 on your calendars, as Marchand and the Bruins are sure to get a nice, warm welcome at the Bell Centre for the first meeting of the year between the bitter rivals.

[H/T CSNNE]