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Brad Marchand Speaks Out on Role With Panthers After 3 Games

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sean Treppedi | Last updated Apr 2, 2025 9:18 PM ET

It's not often a captain is traded at the deadline in the NHL. It's not often that captain is a Hall of Fame talent that spent his whole career on one team.

Now three games into his Florida Panthers tenure, Brad Marchand, 36, hasn't had much of a learning curve as he adapts to a new system after having played 1,200 regular-season and playoff games for the Boston Bruins.

With a strong forecheck that forces a high turnover rate and dominates offensive zone time at 5-on-5 play, the Panthers are well equipped to seamlessly welcome Marchand's pesky style into their fold.

“We added a real good player, for sure,” head coach Paul Maurice said to Sportsnet about Marchand. “But the biggest benefit is you add an excited veteran guy (who) knows he’s not playing 10 more years. He’s on the back nine now, and those guys cherish every day at the rink.”

The Panthers are 1-1-1 with Marchand in the lineup and two points out of first place of the Atlantic Division. Boston has sunk to last place of the Atlantic while in the midst of a nine-game losing streak. It marks the first time they have held last place in a division since 1997.

“It’s not often that you get to be part of a group like this,” Marchand told reporters. “I’ve been on a lot of teams throughout the years, and you know when you have something special. You know when you walk into a special room. That’s what they have here, and it’s what you want to be part of.”

Marchand returned to the ice last Friday to make his Panthers debut. He was out to an upper-body injury that he sustained in early March on the Bruins.

He registered a point with an assist on Sam Bennett's score — a player who he once called a "scumbag."

The Panthers ended Marchand's season both the last two seasons. Now, Bennett and Marchand can do nothing but appreciate each other's competitive nature for the common goal.

“He’ll do anything to win,” Bennett told reporters. “(He’s) definitely a guy (who) we’re really excited to have on our team and not have to play against (anymore). … Adding a guy like that with that much experience and that much talent, it’s incredible. We were a pretty confident team before we made that acquisition. Having him on our team now, it just gives us (even more) confidence in this group.”

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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