Brad Marchand voices sincere admission to Panthers after win in first game missing Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov

Despite missing Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov, Brad Marchand and the Florida Panthers prevailed. Opening the 2025-26 NHL season was just what the doctor ordered for the Cats. As they eye a three-peat, Marchand made something clear to the locker room.

It wasn’t always pretty, but Marchand and the Panthers found a way to walk out with the victory in the NHL season opener. Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks put up a great fight, but it wasn’t enough to spoil the celebratory night in Sunrise.

As Florida passed its first test without captain Barkov and key leader Tkachuk, Marchand knows the journey has only just begun for the Cats. The Panthers know that, too. The chase for the franchise’s third Stanley Cup will be exhausting and demanding, but one game into the ride, there are already positive signs.

“It’s great to see that we continue to rely on our depth throughout the entire game. That’s how every good team has success,” Brad Marchand admitted to reporters after the game. “You can rely on a couple of guys for a little bit, but to have success all the way through the year and playoffs, you need everyone. It’s great that we still have that.”

Matthew Tkachuk at Rogers Place on June 14, 2025 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Embrace adversity

Though far from ideal, such a challenge out of the gate could help forge the Panthers. After all, it isn’t the first time this team has been under duress, and so far, Florida has passed each test.

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“We’ve already had to face some adversity this year and it’s a great opportunity to come together. Even with Tkachuk and Barkov in the lineup, [grinding it out] is kind of our motto. You look at the way we played to finish the season and in the playoffs, that was our game. It’s a recipe for success,” Marchand added.

Next man up

“Obviously, those are some big holes to fill. [Tomas Nosek] being out hurts as well. But it’s just another opportunity for guys and that next man up mindset. We’re going to get everybody’s best every night. We know that,” Marchand concluded. “We just have to prepare for that.”

Up next, Marchand and the Panthers will host the visiting Philadelphia Flyers on October 9 at 7:00p.m. ET. It will be yet another test against a young team looking to land a blow on the reigning Stanley Cup champions.