A ‘hated’ Pat Maroon knows there’s plenty of history with Bruins
When Minnesota general manager Billy Guerin approached Pat Maroon ahead of the 2024 NHL trade deadline and asked the 35-year-old if he wanted to be traded from the Wild to a Stanley Cup contender, Maroon replied with a simple, “Why not?”
But when that team turned out to be the Bruins, a team Maroon is more than familiar with from his battles with Boston during the 2019 Stanley Cup Final as a member of his hometown Blues and then a four-year run with Tampa Bay, Maroon couldn’t help but be honest (with a smile) about his new home.
“Yeah, I feel like I’m hated here,” Maroon said. “But, no, I’m super excited. Like I said, Original Six team, a great opportunity. I’ve heard nothing but good things about the locker room and it’s a great opportunity for us to go achieve our goals and accomplish itl right? So, another chance to play in the playoffs and have a great run here.
“I think once I see everyone, it’s going to be fun. Obviously there’s been a lot of chirps and a lot of fighting in the past with these guys. So it’s going to be good to be on the other side with these guys now. So I’m really looking forward to it.”
Just this year alone, Maroon dropped the gloves with (and really put a hurt on) Parker Wotherspoon after he didn’t like Wotherspoon’s hit on Marcus Johansson. Prior to that, Maroon had plenty of battles with Bruins captain Brad Marchand, and was a regular customer when it came to dropping the gloves with former B’s defenseman and captain Zdeno Chara.
But through the bad blood, Maroon comes to Boston with plenty of connections to the Bruins.
A St. Louis native, Maroon is friendly with both Trent Frederic and head coach Jim Montgomery (the B’s coach both coached in and lived in St. Louis prior to joining the Bruins, with his wife being from the area). Maroon also played with B’s defenseman Hampus Lindholm in Anaheim, and went through a training camp with current Bruins assistant coach Chris Kelly when Kelly accepted a pro tryout from the Oilers back in 2017. Maroon and Bruins defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk also won a Stanley Cup together during their time with the Lightning. Maroon even skated with Boston center Charlie Coyle last summer, with Maroon noting how cool it was that Coyle let Maroon’s son skate with them.
Currently on the shelf after undergoing back surgery last month, Maroon, who has started skating with the hopes of a return in about three weeks or so (though neither party will be a definite timeline on it), is already looking forward to that first shift in a Boston sweater.
“It gives me chills thinking about it,” Maroon said of putting a B’s jersey on and playing for Boston. “I’m really looking forward to it. This will be great just to put that jersey over and go out there. And I know these fans are very passionate about their their sports teams. So, just really looking forward to putting that jersey on and going out there and playing and working for the guys. My old high school, team is the Bruins’ colors. So, I feel like it was meant to be.”