2022 NHL Players Poll: Bruins' Brad Marchand Draws Split Opinions in NHLPA Survey

In news that's surely to shake the hockey world to its core, Boston Bruins star Brad Marchand is a divisive figure among his NHL peers.

The NHL Players Association released the results Wednesday of its player poll for the 2021-22 season. Marchand received the most votes (26.4 percent) for the player "you least enjoy playing against, but would like to have on your team."

Connor McDavid was next on the list, though his reasons for being there probably differed from why so many players voted for Marchand.

McDavid is a two-time winner of the Hart Trophy and a terror for opposing teams whenever he's handling the puck. Marchand is a terror all of the time.

The 33-year-old's success on the ice speaks for itself. He's a four-time All-Star who has 793 points (351 goals and 442 assists) inn 873 games. The veteran forward also lifted the Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2010-11 and nearly did it again in 2018-19—a run when he posted a team-high 23 points.

Marchand's reputation also precedes him. In January 2020, The Athletic canvassed 392 players around the NHL, and he garnered 29 percent of the vote for dirtiest player to put him at the top of the field.

One player said Marchand "can do some shady s--t", while another player was even more condemnatory.

"It’s disgusting what the league lets Marchand get away with," a member of a Central Division team told The Athletic. "He’s got no respect for anybody. Makes me sick."

If presented with two options, playing with Marchand would certainly be preferable to playing against him.