Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney is hoping Brad Marchand can follow through on his promise to stop his antics, namely licking his opponents.

“I think this one’s hit a lot harder than some of the other things that have come his way,” Sweeney said at his end-of-season availability, per the Boston Globe. “He spoke a little bit about his family and how it reflects on him as a person - more so than on him as a player.”

Marchand received a formal warning from the NHL in the Bruins' second-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning after he licked Ryan Callahan – the second such incident of the post-season. The 34-goal scorer said earlier this week that he's "got to cut that [expletive] out," even if it leads to a drop in his numbers.

Head coach Bruce Cassidy added Marchand will continue to play with an edge, but needs to avoid raising the league's ire.

“He’s at a stage in his life and a maturity level that I think he understands, he truly gets that he doesn’t need the other stuff to continue to be an elite player,” he said of Marchand, who turned 30 on Friday. “There’s a certain level of Brad that has to be out there for him to perform the way he does.

“He likes certain challenges, as do a lot of players in this league. Those are the ones we have to focus on without crossing the line. So the licking, is that crossing the line? Apparently it is.”