Never in his wildest dreams did Brad Marchand expect to have the success he’s had with the Florida Panthers. They say the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, but the former Boston Bruins‘ captain would like a word. For him, change was just what the doctor ordered for his NHL career.
Now that Marchand’s gotten a taste of life in South Florida, he doesn’t want to be anywhere else. The Panthers don’t want him to go anywhere, either. It’s a match made in heaven, and all it took for both sides to see that was to put each other through hell time and again in the NHL. One way or the other, Marchand and Florida are now intertwined for the long-haul.
Marchand wouldn’t want it any other way. Thus, the veteran signed a six-year, $31.5 million deal. Needless to say, life’s been good lately for the former Bruins‘ captain. Although the 37-year-old winger will always be remembered fondly in Beantown, he dropped a bold comment hinting no regrets after moving on.
“I want to play as I long as I can. That’s the main reason it didn’t work in Boston,” Marchand admitted, via Five Reasons Sports. “I’m thrilled to be here for the next 6 years.”
Brad Marchand speaks with reporters during an NHL All Star
Wasn’t going to cut it
Not much had transpired about potential contract talks between Boston and Marchand. Still, the former captain’s statement might reveal those had taken place and the two sides didn’t see eye-to-eye. It’s reasonable to believe the Bruins never planned to offer Marchand such a long-term deal like the Panthers did.
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Prior to the trade to Florida, Marchand hadn’t performed at his best throughout the 2024-25 NHL season. Regardless, the Canadian unlocked a whole other version of himself down in Sunrise. After putting on a show for the ages in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Cats didn’t stutter to hand Marchand a contract that projects him to be one of the oldest players in the league. Of course, as it’s often the case with such lengthy deals, the jury is still out.
Don’t make plans for the summer, yet
The Panthers have proved two things to the NHL. On the one hand, they can be a wagon on the ice, with no real competition when firing on all cylinders. On the other, their partying skills might be just as elite as their on-ice production—and that says a lot.
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But as much as the Cats enjoy unwinding after the season under the Florida sun, Brad Marchand made sure to remind everyone they’d better be ready to do it all over again. “There’s no complacency here,” Marchand commented, per Five Reasons Sports. “When you get a taste of it, you really, really want to do it again.”
