Patrick Marleau soon will be headed into the NHL bubble, and he might not see his family for nearly two months.
So, as you can imagine, the goodbye was a bit emotional for Marleau, his wife Christina and their sons.
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The Penguins are expected to travel to Toronto next week to enter into the Eastern Conference's bubble site.
Marleau, who was traded by the Sharks to the Penguins on Feb. 24 for a 2021 third-round draft pick, is hoping to hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time in his remarkable career.
Beginning Aug. 1, the Penguins will play the Montreal Canadiens in a best-of-five qualifying round series. The winner will advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs where they will take on one of the top four teams in Eastern Conference.
Families will be allowed to join players once the conference finals begin in early September, so if the Penguins continue to advance, the Marleaus won't be reunited until then.
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[RELATED: Marleau open to Sharks reunion]
Marleau will go down as one of the greatest players to ever play for the Sharks, but with the team out of contention, general manager Doug Wilson gave his star player a chance to win the elusive Stanley Cup.
With the Sharks sitting at home while 24 teams battle for Lord Stanley's Cup, their fans most definitely will be rooting for Marleau over the next few months.