Marchand credits his interactions with fans to Ray Bourque

Though he is a very polarizing player on the ice, few players in the league show as much personality off it as Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand.

Just in the past week, Marchand has had plenty of fun, ranging from making fun of the Carolina Hurricanes on Twitter, to playfully stealing a young fan's phone prior to a game to record a message. When it comes to that fun, easy going attitude, Marchand credits former Bruin great Ray Bourque.

«I'll never forget what he said to me – I've come back to it a lot,» Marchand said. «It's very easy. to forget where you're at, forget how fortunate we are, how lucky we are to be in the position we're in to be living our dreams and living other people's dreams. You kind of take it for granted at times."

«He said every kid that wants an autograph, every kid that approaches you or wants to talk to you, just remember to enjoy it, don't take it for granted. Enjoy those moments because when you retire, nobody cares anymore. Nobody cares about what you've done or who you are. You're not relevant, essentially, it's always the new players that are in the League, the superstars that are in the League at that point they care about. People forget pretty quick.»

As Marchand said, Bourque's comment has stuck with him, and plays a big role in why he tends to be so outgoing in a league that is often criticized for lacking personality. The good news is that despite being 33 years old, it doesn't appear Marchand is going anywhere anytime soon, as he is still one of the best players in the entire world with 45 points in 34 games this season.

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