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Panthers' Brad Marchand Makes Serious Admission About Bruins Exit

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 7:32 AM ET

Brad Marchand is chasing a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers, but just a few months ago, he was the captain of the Boston Bruins, the only team he had ever played for before last March.

Marchand, 37, is playing out the final season of an eight-year, $49 million contract and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

That's a scenario that Marchand had hoped to avoid altogether, as he told Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com on Sunday.

Marchand spoke about how playing in a contract year shaped his mindset during this season. He revealed that the absence of a long-term deal changed the way he approached the game, shifting his focus from a team to a personal perspective.

If you read one thing before the Final begins, make it this story by @AmalieBenjamin. This story on Brad Marchand is proof for why developing relationships in this business matters. She covered Marchand’s entire career in Boston and now she can write this: https://t.co/2MHHkHpFcc
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) June 1, 2025

"I didn’t really want to play contract years out because I never really wanted to have that stress," Marchand said. "I always wanted the security of maybe take a little less and you get a deal done early, and you have the security of it being done and you can just worry about playing hockey."

Marchand said not having that security affected his priorities, making him approach the game in a more "selfish" way than if he had already secured his future.

"I find when you go into a season playing (without a future contract), things matter," Marchand said. "Your stats matter more. So, it doesn’t just become about the team. When you’re on term and you’re on a contract, it can be all about the team and you can sacrifice whatever you need to be part of the team.

"But in contract years, you can’t do that. You have to be a little bit selfish."

The Bruins failed to reach a new deal with Marchand before the season and ultimately traded him to the Panthers at the trade deadline in exchange for a conditional second-round pick.

Despite the uncertainty of his future, with no contract once his current deal ends later this month, Marchand is not treating this run as a farewell.

"I hope it’s not [my last]," Marchand said. "But realistically, I have a few years left. Hopefully I can have another run, but if not, hopefully I can take advantage of this one."

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

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