When Brad Marchand admitted need for change after face licking incident with Ryan Callahan

Former Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand found himself in hot water during the 2018 NHL playoffs when he was caught on camera licking the face of former Tampa Bay Lightning player Ryan Callahan during a scrum.

This wasn't the first time Marchand had acted in such a manner, having also licked Leo Komarov in an earlier playoff series that year against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The face-licking incidents sparked heavy backlash from fans, media, and the league. While he wasn’t penalized during the games, the NHL stepped in afterward with a warning and formal reprimand.

At first, Marchand dismissed the criticism, saying he didn’t see it as a big deal. But after the Bruins were eliminated from the playoffs, he admitted regret for what he did.

“I think the biggest thing for me now is to really take a pretty hard look in the mirror and realize that some of the things I’m doing have much bigger consequences than I may ever think or really believe will come out of it,” Marchand said (per Sportsnet).

Marchand admitted poor judgment on his part and acknowledged that his actions could have consequences beyond what he intended.

“The last thing I ever want to do is bring the embarrassment on my teammates and the organization that it did. I have to be a lot better. I know I’ve said that in the past, but I think that’s going to be the thing that I really work on the most,” Brad Marchand said.

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Ryan Callahan's response to the licking incident with Brad Marchand

Ryan Callahan pulled no punches when reacting to Brad Marchand's actions. He equated Marchand's lick to the act of spitting in someone's face.

"I don't know if there is discipline for spitting in someone's face. But for me, it's worse, if not the same," Callahan said (per ESPN).

The NHL's "gross misconduct" penalty, once used for incidents like this, was removed in 2006 as it overlapped with existing unsportsmanlike conduct rules. Now, Rule 75 covers misconduct, including minor penalties for obscene gestures and game misconducts for actions meant to provoke opponents.