Brad Marchand opens up about regrets from Bruins tenure as Panthers chase another Stanley Cup

As he gears up for his fourth Stanley Cup Final, Brad Marchand reflects on his time in Boston and shares emotional regrets after being traded to the Florida Panthers.

Marchand’s late-season trade brings him full circle

For more than a decade, Brad Marchand bled black and gold. But now, deep into his 30s, the former Bruins captain is making another Stanley Cup run, only this time with the Florida Panthers.

Since being dealt at the trade deadline, Marchand has embraced his role on a team that knows how to win.

Through 17 playoff games, he’s tallied four goals and 10 assists, contributing both on the ice and behind the scenes.

In Florida’s tight-knit locker room, he’s already become a fixture.

After victories, when plastic rats rain down from the crowd, players gather and jokingly fire them at Marchand, a sign of camaraderie that’s grown fast.

The 37-year-old isn’t the centrepiece anymore, but he’s found a groove in Florida’s lineup as the Panthers prepare to face Edmonton in yet another Stanley Cup Final.

His exit from Boston left a mark

Marchand’s transition south wasn’t exactly clean.

Speaking with ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, the veteran winger admitted that his final days with the Bruins still sit heavy on his mind.

When you come to the rink, it can be stressful.

You start overthinking things. There’s this pressure you sometimes put on yourself.

You start stressing about things that you don’t need to stress about,

he said.

I know that there are moments that I missed out on or didn’t really appreciate because I was stressing about other things.

At the time of the trade, Marchand was injured — meaning he never got the farewell he imagined. There was no last skate at TD Garden. No stick salute. No real goodbye.

He also regrets how Boston’s dream season unraveled

The Bruins’ 2022-23 campaign rewrote the NHL record books.

Most wins.

Most points.

They were unbeatable, until they weren’t.

Florida eliminated them in the opening round, a stunning collapse that still lingers.

We thought we were going to go to the finals that year.

We thought we were going to win it all, and then we got pushed out in the first round,

Marchand recalled.

You start looking back at those moments and you realize you took all we did that season for granted because we were so worried about going to the finals. We weren’t living in the moment.

Those memories are sharp.

So is the irony, that the same Panthers who ended Boston’s run now have Marchand chasing a championship in their uniform.

Now he’s chasing one more ring, with different colors

Florida has become a postseason machine.

After losing to Vegas in 2023 and defeating the Oilers last season, the Panthers are back for their third consecutive Final.

Marchand wasn’t around for the first two runs, but he’s front and center now.

The role has changed. In Boston, he carried a franchise. In Florida, he complements one. But whether it’s a quiet assist or a crucial shift, he’s part of what makes this Panthers team tick.

He didn’t plan to leave Boston. That chapter closed faster than he expected. But this chance in Florida, this unexpected window, is one he’s not taking for granted.

Game 1 opens Wednesday in Edmonton. Marchand will be there, chasing another Cup, and perhaps a bit of peace.