Brad Marchand drops bold take after reaching first Stanley Cup Final with Matthew Tkachuk’s Panthers in win vs Hurricanes

Brad Marchand will play in his fourth Stanley Cup Final and his first NHL championship series with the Florida Panthers, who secured their spot by defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final. Despite starting with a 2-0 deficit in the first period, the Panthers came back with goals from Matthew Tkachuk, Evan Rodrigues, and Anton Lundell in the second period.

When the game was getting tough, Carter Verhaeghe scored the decisive goal in the third period, and Sam Bennett sealed the victory with an empty-net goal. This will be the Panthers‘ third consecutive final, as they stand on the brink of a league repeat championship.

For Marchand, this marks a return to the spotlight after six years without reaching a final. The 37-year-old star was acquired by the Panthers from the Boston Bruins in March, and although he didn’t register any points in this game, his experience and leadership have been valuable throughout the playoffs.

Marchand’s reaction after Panthers’ win

“We haven’t accomplished anything yet. We carried on that moment, and we got to our game. We knew they were going to come out the way they did, and we knew all it took was one shot to get us back in it. We just had that belief. It was great we were able to pull it out,” Marchand said in press conference after win against the Canes.

Brad Marchand #63 of the Florida Panthers looks to pass against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first period of Game One of the First Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Amalie Arena on April 22, 2025 in Tampa, Florida.

When will the Stanley Cup Final be played?

Marchand and Tkachuk’s Panthers have already secured their spot in the Final after defeating the Hurricanes 4-1 in the Eastern Conference Final. Florida will face either the Edmonton Oilers or the Dallas Stars in a best-of-seven series that does not yet have a confirmed start date.

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The start date for the 2025 Stanley Cup Final will depend on how the series between the Oilers and the Stars concludes. If Edmonton wins Game 5 of the Western Conference Final, the series will begin on Wednesday, June 4. If the Stars manage to even the series and force a Game 6, the Final would start on Saturday, June 7. The exact date will depend on the outcome of that decisive game.