Brad Marchand Says the NHL Didn’t Tell Him to Stop Licking Players. The League Says it Did.

Brad Marchand says says he never heard from the NHL about this, but the league says otherwise.

Bruins pest Brad Marchand was at the top of his troll game in Boston’s opening-round series with the Maple Leafs, especially in Game 1 when he appeared to lick Leo Komarov’s face. (Marchand had given Komarov a peck on the cheek earlier in the season.)

It was funny to the fans at home, but apparently not to the NHL. 

“After Game 1 of the Toronto-Boston series, the Bruins got a, ‘We’d prefer if you could tell Brad Marchand to stop licking people’ phone call from the NHL,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Thursday. 

The report was covered widely by other outlets, which prompted Marchand to come out and deny it. 

But here’s the problem, the NHL is confirming that Friedman’s report is true. 

“A league spokesperson confirmed a report by Sportsnet that the NHL demanded Marchand not repeat that particular antic again,” ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski wrote Friday morning. “A message was communicated to Marchand through the series’ supervisor of officials Mick McGeough.”

Maybe Marchand just stuck his fingers in his ears and pretended not to hear. Either way, the message has been delivered now and Lightning players can rest easy in the second round.