Brad Marchand leaving the Boston Bruins for the Florida Panthers wasn’t something the NHL world was expecting before last season’s trade deadline. However, that’s exactly what happened on March 7, in a move that took the league by surprise.
It was hard to believe at first. Marchand not playing in Boston? And in a Panthers uniform? Bruins fans hoped it was just a bad dream. But it was real. And to make matters worse, Marchy never seemed to look back.
The veteran winger made an immediate impact in Florida, helping the Cats go back-to-back in the Stanley Cup playoffs, getting his hands on the trophy for the second time in his career. His previous title came as a Bruin during his rookie season in 2011.
Marchand and the Panthers proved to be such a great match that the 37-year-old accepted a team-friendly deal in the offseason to stay in Sunrise for six more seasons. Recently, he unintentionally rubbed salt into the Bruins fans’ wounds by revealing his admiration for the fanbase in Florida.
Brad Marchand lifting the Stanley Cup at the Panthers victory parade.
“I’ve been very impressed with this fanbase. I’ve been blown away with the support this team gets,” Marchand said in the opening day of training camp Wednesday, via Panthers’ reporter Jameson Olive on X. “It’ll be really nice to start from Day 1 here. Building the foundation of your team from training camp is a huge part of the season.”
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Marchand, Panthers make match made in heaven
Marchand’s comments about the Panthers’ fanbase reflect how well he has settled in Florida after spending more than a decade in Boston. That connection with the fans, which he only appeared destined to have with the Bruins, makes a perfect combo with the star-studded Cats roster that keeps Marchand in a position to succeed.
Fellow Canadians Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad were the other Panthers stars who signed contract extensions in Florida after the 2025 Stanley Cup triumph instead of pursuing bigger deals in free agency.
These moves have convinced Marchand of the Panthers’ intention to define an era in the NHL: “There’s a complete buy in from the whole organization to have success and to succeed.”
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Marchand warns about Panthers’ expectations
Still, Marchand doesn’t want fans to get ahead of themselves. “It’s not a guarantee we’ll win every year, but we’ll be in contending talks every season, which is pretty remarkable,” Marchand warned about the high expectations around the Panthers, who face the challenge of winning a third consecutive Stanley Cup in the 2025-26 NHL season.
