Report: The NHL Called The Bruins To Ask Brad Marchand To Stop Licking Other Players

The NHL called up the Bruins to let them know that Brad Marchand should not be licking or nuzzling his opponents, as first reported by SportsNet and later confirmed by ESPN. 

The licking in question occurred in Game 1 of Boston’s series against Toronto, when Marchand got, uh, very close to Maple Leafs forward Leo Komarov:

If that looks familiar, it’s because Marchand kissed Komarov on the cheek earlier in the season.

“I thought he wanted to cuddle. I just wanted to get close to him,” Marchand told reporters after the game. “He keeps trying to get close to me. I don’t know if he’s got a thing for me or what. He’s cute.”

But the NHL didn’t really care how consensual the licking or how cute either party was. Any future public displays of affection (or harassment?) apparently must wait until players are off the ice.

[ SportsNet]