Panthers' Marchand trolls teams for giving away championship players

Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) celebrates after winning Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena. Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Panthers' Brad Marchand trolls opposing teams for giving away championship players

By Adam Gretz | Last updated Jun 20, 2025 8:11 AM ET

On the ice, Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand is one of the biggest pests and agitators in the NHL. He is always looking to cause problems and get under the skin of opponents anyway he can.

He is taking that persona off the ice as well following the team's Stanley Cup win.

Marchand spent Thursday night on his Instagram posting pictures of his teammates that were traded away or given away, and then thanking the teams that let them go.

Among the players included are Matthew Tkachuk (traded by Calgary), Carter Verhaeghe (left Tampa Bay as a free agent), Gustav Forsling (claimed off waivers from Carolina), Evan Rodrigues (signed as a free agnet from Pittsburgh), Sam Reinhart (traded from Buffalo), general manager Bill Zito (from Columbus) and head coach Paul Maurice (fired by Winnipeg).

Brad Marchand is currently using his IG to thank rival NHL teams for the players they allowed to join the Florida Panthers. The championship celebrations roll on. pic.twitter.com/miyX0H45ln
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 20, 2025

pic.twitter.com/u1EM6TX4em
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 20, 2025

pic.twitter.com/1x8Ael4xVW
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 20, 2025

The Panthers only had a handful of players on the roster that were drafted and developed by the team, and were instead primarily built through trades, free agency and waivers. That includes this year's trade deadline acquisitions of defenseman Seth Jones and Marchand.

Marchand was acquired in a trade with the Boston Bruins and went on to score 10 goals this postseason, including six in the Stanley Cup Final. He is one of the most impactful trade deadline rentals in recent NHL memory.

He is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, along with Conn Smythe winning forward Sam Bennett and No. 1 defenseman Aaron Ekblad.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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