Canadian pride or hometown star? Local fans split on rooting for Brad Marchand

Hockey fans successful Brad Marchand’s hometown of Hammonds Plains, N.S. are divided connected whether to basal for his Florida Panthers oregon the Canadian squad — the Edmonton Oilers — during this Stanley Cup final.

The Oilers bushed the Panthers 4-3 successful Game 1 successful overtime Wednesday night. Marchand scored successful the 2nd play for his 5th extremity of the playoffs.

At Marchand’s aged stomping grounds, the St. Margaret’s Centre arena successful Upper Tantallon, fans are torn betwixt supporting the section feline oregon the Canadian team.

“I’m inactive rooting for the Oilers, fundamentally due to the fact that they are Canadian,” said hockey instrumentality Danny McPhee extracurricular the sports centre located astir 20 minutes from Halifax.

Others, similar erstwhile country MLA Ben Jessome, are arrogant to state they are “a Brad Marchand guy.”

“As overmuch arsenic I’d emotion to spot the Oilers triumph a cup, I’ve been friends with Brad since we were kids. I’ve played with him implicit the years and I’m truly excited to spot him successful different cupful last and hopefully helium brings it home,” said Jessome.

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Marchand has a agelong hockey past successful the Halifax-area and the Maritimes. Growing up, helium played for the TASA Ducks successful insignificant hockey, past yet joined the QMJHL wherever helium had stints with the Moncton Wildcats and Halifax Mooseheads.

He enjoys the fanfare helium receives wherever helium goes and adjacent laughs disconnected the nicknames he’s received implicit the years — astir notably, “rat.”

“I didn’t deliberation that 1 would stick. But, yeah, it’s 1 that evidently hung astir for a while,” helium said during a media availability Wednesday.

“Things similar that, I benignant of instrumentality them much arsenic a compliment.”