Marchand’s Emotional Return To Boston

There wasn’t a dry eye in sight at TD Garden on Tuesday night as Brad Marchand made his first return to Boston with the Florida Panthers to face off against the Bruins. Barring playoffs, this was the only game that the Cats are playing in Boston this season, since the other two Bruins games are in Florida. Marchand jerseys were everywhere in the Garden as fans wore both Boston and Florida jerseys to celebrate his return. This was probably the most emotionally charged regular-season game on Florida’s schedule, as the franchise understands what the Boston Bruins mean to Marchand, even though he’s going to be a tenured Panther now and not just a rental. 

Welcome Back:

Roughly halfway through the first period, the Bruins played Brad’s welcome-back tribute video. It was filled with everything that makes Marchand special: great goals, slick passes, fighting, his community engagement, his family, and a Stanley Cup Champion. It’s not often that we see Brad get so emotional, but it was clear as day on his face what Boston has meant to him. He was greeted with a loud and long ovation from fans in the building, stick taps by his former teammates and his current ones, and there was an outpouring of love for Marchand online from not just Florida and Boston fans, but hockey fans from across the league. It was one of those moments that everyone understood the significance of and felt emotional about. While I still think he’s a perfect Florida Panther, he’ll always be a Boston Bruin at his core. He’s a heart and soul player who’s beloved by two franchises now, even if the teams hate each other; he’s the bridge that can get the fans to get along at least temporarily. He spoke to the media after the game and thanked the Bruins for putting the video together, how special the fans are, how much he loved playing in Boston, and all the great memories he had.

The Game:

I don’t think fans could’ve asked for a more perfect return game, which was a typical Florida/Boston match. The game was a low-event affair before complete chaos took over in the third period. Marchand got a shot off early in the first period before Mackie Samoskevich scored on the power play just over a minute into the game for the 1-0 lead. Things were largely back and forth for the rest of the opening 20 minutes. Greer doubled the lead early in the second period when he scored right off a faceoff with a shot he put in top shelf. Pushback from the Bruins came in the third when they tied the game 2-2 in the first five minutes of the period. Luostarinen, doing his best playoff Marchand breakaway impression, gave the lead back to Florida with half of the period left to play. Boston tied it again late on a Geekie with the extra attacker. Things looked destined for OT until a ridiculous series of bounces that started with a Verhaeghe shot that hit the post resulted in the 4-3 game-winner. Add in a splash of typical nastiness and fighting between the teams, and they hit every checkmark for a normal Panthers/Bruins game.

Marchand’s Lasting Impact:

When Brad talked with the media postgame, he said that he could see himself working in the Bruins organization following retirement. He also said that the hard part about coming back to Boston was not wanting to disrespect his current team, and that when he came to the Panthers, he turned the page. When AJ Greer talked to the media, he said that it was emotional to see the reception that Marchand got and that Brad was a player he looked up to when he was younger. Verhaeghe talked about being supportive of Marchand and to sit back and be part of history. Carter also spoke about how lucky the Panthers are to have him and how great of a person Marchand is. Zacha said, “He’s a legend here. It was nice that he got such a standing ovation for so long. That is something he deserves here.” Geekie said, “It’s awesome, you see how much of the city and the fans love Marchy. He’s an ultimate leader, and obviously, we’re sad to see him go. He’s one of the best guys I’ve ever played with and ever met. I’m a pretty emotional guy, and I was not here with Marchy for long, but he had a profound impact on how I handled myself last year, the start of the year, and where I am as a player now. So his confidence in me will stick with me for the rest of my career.” Brad’s made a huge impact on players who have been his teammates. While he may not be in a Bruins jersey anymore, he’ll always have a lasting legacy in the city of Boston. And for right now, he’s building a new legacy down in Sunrise, where he’s been embraced with open arms by the Florida Panthers fans.