About

Brad Marsh

Brad Marsh has a lot going on. The retired 15 year veteran of the NHL, current President of the Ottawa Senators Alumni Association and renewed businessman is back in playing shape as he prepares to take his bike out on the open road across Canada and he's inviting you along for the ride!

Brad is embarking on this ride in support of the Boys and Girls Club of Canada. The mission of the Boys and Girls Club is to provide a safe, supportive place where children and youth can experience new opportunities, overcome barriers, build positive relationships and develop confidence and skills for life.

Follow Brad and his team on Twitter @BradMarshNHL, become a fan here on Facebook and click on the 'Support the Ride' button to see how you can support this adventure. Following the philosophy he shares with others to "Work Hard-Do Your Best-Have Fun," Brad is riding across Canada to raise awareness and funds for this important youth charity and will be documenting his ride along the way.

Team Members

Patty Marsh (written by daughter Maddy)

Patty & Brad

One time I complained to my Mom about the difficulties of being the youngest of 4 children,  looking for sympathy. “Try being the 9th of 11 kids” was the response I got. That’s my mom – the voice of reason.

My parents met when my dad played for the Philadelphia Flyers, my mom having grown up just across the bridge in New Jersey, and were married in 1985. It was through the Flyers that my mom realized the importance of community service, and just as my dad stepped up into leadership roles on many of his teams, my mom stepped up as the chairperson of the Flyers Wives Fight For Lives charity, an organization that has raised millions of dollars for Philadelphia-area charities with the Flyers Wives Carnival. This continued with all of the teams Dad played for through to Dad's last team, the Ottawa Senators, where Mom was the chairperson of the Senators Wives Foundation.  What a surprise that service to the community continues to be such a big part of our family, eh?

Over the 27 years my parents have been married, my mom has filled countless roles. She has a background in education, worked in almost every position on short-staffed nights at the restaurants, and most importantly and impressively: Super Mom. I will bet you that my mom is cooler than your mom. She has driven the 4 of us back and forth to every hockey arena and speed skating oval in Ontario for practices, games and competitions. She has helped us struggle through countless homework assignments (and continues to proof-read all of our essays), she never complains when my sister and I steal clothes from her closet over school breaks or when Patrick calls asking for recipes (and grocery money) and she always knows what snacks to bring me when she visits me in Vermont (animal crackers). Whether it’s thoughtful advice or a kick in the butt to get our act together, Mom knows just what we need.

From what I gather, it can be difficult at times to be married to an NHL player – with the road trips, the moving around and the smell of hockey equipment that just never seems to go away. Add to that the challenge of organizing charities, the insanity of helping run a restaurant and the raising of four well-adjusted and successful (if I do say so myself) children and it is obvious why my mom has my eternal respect and admiration.

Erik Marsh (written by brother Patrick)

If any of the Marsh kids could be called a “jack of all trades” it would be my older brother Erik. He has seen it, done it, been there and bought the t-shirt. He is an athlete (golfer, hockey player, and cyclist), an author, a university graduate, a musician, and you will not find a more entertaining bartender anywhere. In fact, Erik can pretty much handle any job in the restaurant industry, being that he started at Marshy’s when he was 12 and worked his way up from the kitchen dish pit to Manager, all before he was 21.

Luckily for me and my other younger siblings, Erik was the one who was the “first” for everything in our family, and I would like to personally thank him for “taking one for the team” in that regard. Things were always a little easier for us growing up because Erik had already paved the way.

The most well-traveled of the Marsh kids, Erik started young, when Dad took his Bantam hockey team on a trip to Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic (we were all happy to tag along on that trip!) and then Erik followed that up by backpacking around Europe the year after he finished high school, and then traveling to Jamaica, Las Vegas, and plenty more “roadies.” I’m still a little mad that he’s beating me in our competition to get to all of the arenas in the NHL. Dad truly could not find a better traveling companion than Erik for this trip and I can’t wait to join them!

Patrick Marsh (written by brother Erik)

Patrick & fiance Annie

Patrick is the fastest of the Marsh Family. I’m not sure how it happened, but despite being from a bloodline of Clydesdales, Pat is elite level speed skater training in Calgary, AB with aspirations to go to the 2014 Olympics. Whenever I tell people about my brother there are two questions that everybody asks: “Does he have huge legs?” and “Does he wear that spandex suit?” The answer to both questions is yes; after all if you had the body of a Greek God from the waist down wouldn’t you show that off too? All teasing aside, even at 24, Pat serves as a positive role model to everyone in the family with his dedication and his excitement for life. It takes a lot of guts to dedicate all those hours of preparation to shave a tenth of a second off a personal best time in a sport where you only have one shot to have the race of your life.

When Pat isn’t skating in circles or squatting every weight in the gym, he is on his bike logging thousands of kilometers each summer or spending time with his fiancé Annie and his gigantic dog Georgia. Whether it’s his studies at the University of Calgary, his heavy training regiment or simply whipping up dinner for everyone when we come visit (or for any the “orphan” speed skaters that end up at his house on holidays), Pat is passionate and determined to strive for the best. Pat truly lives Dad’s motto of “work hard, do your best, have fun.” Can’t wait to see him, Annie and Georgia when we roll into Calgary.

Tory Marsh (written by sister Maddy)

When people ask me if my sister Tory and I are alike, I can't help but laugh. Yes, we are alike in a lot of ways - we both love "The Big Bang Theory", Philly cheesesteaks, and bad puns, and we can both throw a mean impromptu dance party in our dorm rooms, but in other ways we are night and day. Tory received all of the creative genes, whether it is crafts, baking, or hairstyling and makeup. Me on the other hand, well I am happy if my clothes match and I remember to put deodorant on in the morning. And while I have always been heavily involved in sports, Tory's life has taken her in a few different directions. After dabbling in hockey for a few years, she switched to speed skating and was an Ottawa Pacer for six years. She then switched gears and put her outgoing nature to good use, becoming involved in the theatre department at All Saints Catholic High School. Tory acted in a number of school productions before extending the authority that she has always exercised over me to her peers when she became involved in backstage management.

Despite the incessant tormenting I have received from my older sister, Tory is a real "people" person, and is using those skills in her career plans, finishing up her final year at King’s University College at the University of Western Ontario in our dad’s hometown of London, Ontario. Her undergraduate degree is in Childhood and Social Institutions with a minor in Psychology. She will continue her graduate studies in Autistic Behavioural Science and looks forward to working with autistic children either in schools or in a private practice to aid them with their development. I have seen her in action with kids, and I am always amazed at how well she connects with them and puts them at ease - especially compared to me, who is at a loss if they don't want to play knee-hockey. And if I am ever having "that kind of a day" at school, I can always count on my big sister to send a funny email, text, or video to cheer me up. Now if I can just get her to send some of those chocolate chip cookies...

Maddy Marsh (written by sister Tory)

Madeline is the youngest member of the Marsh clan and the one I love to refer to as the ‘golden child.’ Madeline has always been the child everyone brags about. Not only is she a super genius, she is also hysterically funny. Oh yeah, and did I mention she is also amazing at sports (I would be lying if I said I haven’t always been a little jealous).

In the fall of 2007, my prayers were answered and I finally got rid of my little sister when she started attending boarding school at St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire. While there, Maddy continued playing ice hockey and picked up field hockey and rowing. In her final year of school, Maddy was the co-captain of both her field hockey and ice hockey team as well as a member of her school's crew that qualified to row in the Henley Regatta in London, England.

Madeline not only shone in athletics while attending St. Paul’s, she also kept her smarty pants label, graduating Summa Cum Laude with distinctions in humanities, languages and science. Maddy was also the recipient of the Clifford J. Gillespie award for honesty, integrity and service to her school. But perhaps Maddy’s most coveted achievement while at St Paul's was receiving the perfect career attendance award. Really Maddy? Really? You couldn't oversleep one day?? But seriously, to anyone who knows Madeline, the fact that she won these awards comes as no surprise, as she is always willing to work hard, give a helping hand, sit and listen to your problems and give advice (regularly telling all of us to ‘make good choices’).

Maddy is currently finishing her freshman year at Middlebury College in Vermont, where she continues to play ice hockey and is studying history, French and psychology. While Maddy and I grew up like normal sisters (secretly hating each other), thanks to my father who made us work together every day one summer at Marshy’s, we are now “thick as thieves,” and even though she is two years my junior, I will always look up to my baby sister.



Noah aka Marsh's Best Friend (written by Maddy)

Marsh Best Friend Noah

Anyone who says that dogs look like their owners has obviously not met our dog. It seems that our dog Noah has found all the hair that my dad has lost since he retired. In 2003, I got to skip school for a day to drive to Quebec City with my dad and my sister where we picked up the ball of fur that quickly turned into one of the most lovable members of the Marsh household. We named him Noah because it means "comfort" and that is what he has always been for all of us.  Anytime you are sick or sad, you can be sure Noah will be by your side,  putting his head in your lap to let you know that he is there for you.  Whether he is bringing you his toy lamb to play, falling asleep with his head in a shoe or giving you the proverbial puppy dog eyes (we’re not quite sure if he is or not – you can’t really see them) he never fails to put a smile on our faces. And while he is not coming on the trip, he will be at home waiting for us all to get back – probably sleeping on dad’s side of the bed.