It hasn’t been a particularly easy NHL season for Brad Marchand. The league is challenging and presents unforeseen obstacles for every player — even for a 16-year veteran like Marchand. While the Florida Panthers gear up for their Stanley Cup championship defense, the former Boston Bruins‘ captain opened up on his first experiences with the franchise in South Florida.
While players must adapt to the constant changes in the NHL landscape—with teammates switching addresses in the blink of an eye and waving goodbye to cities where they once envisioned their lives—the luggage may be under a new roof within hours, but the memories and emotions take much longer to adjust to their new surroundings.
Marchand never pictured himself wearing any NHL logo other than the Spoked B—or at least he didn’t, until extension talks stalled with the Bruins. That’s when he began to make peace with the idea of playing for a different crest, in front of thousands of new faces in the stands, alongside dozens of teammates and staff members he once battled against.
That’s how fast life changes in the NHL. It’s been over a month since Marchand was traded from Boston to Sunrise, yet he still can’t fluently talk about the Cats without occasionally mixing up the terms—as if he were still with the Bruins, despising the Panthers‘ guts for defeating them in the playoffs in consecutive seasons.
Brad Marchand #63 of the Florida Panthers warms up prior to a game against the Montreal Canadiens at Amerant Bank Arena on March 30, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida.
As Marchand gears up for another playoff battle—this time with the Panthers and against the Tampa Bay Lightning—he voiced a sincere statement about his first experiences with the Cats.
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“It’s getting less and less of a surprise,” Brad Marchand admitted, via NHL.com. “I think for me, biggest thing is just not trying to be anyone different from who I’ve been. Which is hard for me to do anyway. I get into the games and I’m just me. I can’t turn it off. The mistake I do not want to make is trying to change to be any different than who I’ve been.”
Good to have him on board
The Panthers and their fanbase had to flip a switch after trading for Marchand. The Bruins’ captain was arguably one of the most disliked players in the NHL, and the fans in Sunrise didn’t give him any different reception whenever Boston was in town.
However, that disdain was far from synonymous with disrespect, as the 36-year-old forward is a prime example of the kind of player everyone hates to face but would gladly add to their lineup in a heartbeat.
Brad Marchand #63 of the Boston Bruins disputes a call during the first period of the game against the Buffalo Sabres at TD Garden on December 21, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts.
“He has been there every year in his career and is someone you talk about being built for this time of year,” Panthers leading goalscorer Sam Reinhartcommented. “Everyone hates to play against him, but he is someone everyone would want to have.”
Fully loaded
With Matthew Tkachuk expected to be back in the lineup for Game 1, along with Dmitry Kulikov, the Panthers are looking as strong as they’ve ever been in the 2024-25 season, looking to repeat their Stanley Cup success from last season.
