BOSTON (AP) — Bruins winger Brad Marchand will make his season debut when Boston hosts the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.
Coach Jim Montgomery confirmed Marchand’s return following the morning skate Thursday.
Marchand. the team’s top scorer last season, had arthroscopic surgery in May to repair the cartilage in his hips and was expected to be off the ice for six months.
But Marchand said the goal was always to return faster.
“As soon as it came up that I was going to have the surgery, they told me it was going to kind of be end of November (before he returned). I said, ’It’s not going to be the end of November,’” Marchand told reporters. “We’re going to see what we can do.”
Montgomery said for now the plan is to be conservative with Marchand’s minutes and he won’t play in back-to-back games. That includes Friday night’s matchup in Columbus.
Marchand had 32 goals and 48 assists last season. He added four goals and seven assists in the playoffs, when the Bruins lost in the first round to the Carolina Hurricanes.
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