Sam Bennett's Two-Word Reaction to Viral Photo with Brad Marchand at Panthers Practice

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Spencer Garrett Ostrow | Last updated Mar 11, 2025 12:46 PM ET

Brad Marchand took the ice for the first time as a Florida Panther on Tuesday, joining the team for their morning skate in Boston.

Coincidentally, his first road game since last Friday’s trade is against the Bruins, the team he spent all 16 of his NHL seasons with. However, he won’t be in the lineup as he remains sidelined with an upper-body injury.

Marchand still got some work in with his new squad, and while standing next to Panthers center Sam Bennett on the ice, the team snapped a photo of the two smiling together.

The photo has since made its rounds on social media, and Bennett even shared it on his Instagram story with a two-word message after practice.

"Couple scumbags ," Bennett wrote.

Bennett’s use of the word "scumbag" stems from their history as rivals and a moment during Marchand’s introductory press conference on Monday. While speaking to the media, the former Bruin jokingly gave Bennett the label himself.

"Yeah, he's still a scumbag," Marchand said when asked about Bennett. "I’m really looking forward to — well, I’m sure my jaw is really looking forward to playing with him."

For context, the Panthers and Bruins have had some intense playoff and regular season battles. During last season's Stanley Cup Playoffs, Bennett caught Marchand in the jaw on a hit that forced him to miss two games of their second-round series.

Now, the two seem to be buddies after playing together for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February and now moving forward as NHL teammates.

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

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