Brad Marchand may no longer play for the Boston Bruins, but Tuesday night proved his connection with the fans will last forever — even if he’s wearing the Florida Panthers uniform. In his first game at TD Garden since the trade that sent him to South Florida at the 2025 NHL trade deadline, an emotional Marchand burst into tears as the Bruins welcomed him with a touching tribute.
Speaking to the media after the game, in which he provided two assists to help the Panthers beat the Bruins 4-3, Marchand made a big admission about potentially returning to Boston in some capacity after retiring.
“If I’m being completely honest, absolutely,” Marchand said. “It’s an organization that I feel like I’ll always be a part of in some capacity. … Just what I’ve been through here… It’d be hard not to want to be involved.”
Marchand is firmly committed to the Panthers now, having agreed to a team-friendly deal in the offseason that keeps him tied to Florida long-term. He will be 43 when his current six-year, $31.5 million deal with the Cats expires in 2031.
Therefore, his playing days in Boston may be a thing of the past now. But since his bond with the Bruins transcends the ice, a return to the organization after retirement would make absolute sense.
Marchand’s legacy in Boston
Selected with the 71st pick in the third round of the 2006 NHL Draft, Marchand spent much of his career in Boston. In 16 seasons with the Bruins, he left an indelible mark with 422 goals in 1,090 appearances.
His contributions helped the Bruins lift the Stanley Cup in 2011, marking the last championship banner hanging in the rafters at TD Garden. Marchand also became the 27th captain in franchise history, leaving a huge hole after his departure.
The Bruins are still feeling Marchand’s absence, as they have yet to name a new team captain. But worse than not having him around is to face him, as his performance on Tuesday proved he still has enough left in the tank.
Marchand believes Bruins should be optimistic
Marchand set up Mackie Samoskevich for the opener before delivering a perfect pass to Eetu Luostarinen for the Panthers‘ third goal. The Bruins came back twice, first responding to a 2-0 deficit before tying the game 3-3 with less than two minutes left.
The Cats still managed to avoid overtime as Carter Verhaeghe made it 4-3 late in the third period, leaving Boston empty-handed. Even so, Marchand was impressed by the Bruins’ performance, claiming his former team has “a really good making.”
“They’re gonna be a really good team here. You can see they forecheck hard, they’re a hard team to play against in this structure, and their tenacity and intensity…,” Marchand said, via WEEI.
All emotions aside, Marchand and the Panthers needed this victory. Back to winning ways after four consecutive losses, Florida is now 4-4 in the 2025-26 NHL season. The Bruins, on the other hand, were handed their fifth straight loss, which sees them fifth in the Atlantic Division with a 3-5 record.