SUNRISE, Fla. — Brad Marchand has regrets.
He did not wish to depart the Boston Bruins, the workforce that drafted him in 2006, received a Stanley Cup with him in 2011 and that he captained for the previous two seasons after Patrice Bergeron retired. The workforce with whom he gained fame with 976 factors in 1,090 video games, in addition to infamy as one of many NHL’s most achieved agitators. He dreamed about being a one-team man, one of many rarest accomplishments for veteran stars in a transient sport.
Marchand regrets not having the ability to say goodbye to Boston followers on his personal phrases earlier than the NHL commerce deadline.
“I received harm earlier than I received traded. The final sport I will ever play in a Bruins jersey was not the final sport I believed I used to be ever going to play in a Bruins jersey,” he stated.
Marchand’s closing residence sport in Boston was a loss to the New York Islanders on Feb. 27. His closing sport with the Bruins was March 3 in Pittsburgh. He was traded to the Florida Panthers on March 7, the results of a contract deadlock with Boston administration and the workforce’s pivot to a retool.
He fought again tears in his first public look as a Panther. “On the finish of the day, I do know the enterprise is the enterprise and everyone has a shelf life,” he stated. “I’m grateful, past phrases, for the whole lot that group has achieved for me.”
Marchand regrets not appreciating all of the experiences he had in Boston.
“While you come to the rink, it may be worrying. You begin overthinking issues. There’s this stress you generally placed on your self. You begin stressing about issues that you just need not stress about,” he stated. “I do know that there are moments that I missed out on or did not actually admire as a result of I used to be stressing about different issues.”
For instance, the Bruins had 135 factors in 2022-23, changing into probably the most profitable regular-season workforce in NHL historical past. The Panthers shocked the league — and started their nascent dynasty — with a seven-game upset within the first spherical of the playoffs that ended the collection at a funeral-pitched TD Backyard.
“We thought we have been going to go to the finals that 12 months. We thought we have been going to win all of it, after which we received pushed out within the first spherical,” Marchand stated. “You begin trying again at these moments and also you notice you took all we did that season without any consideration as a result of we have been so anxious about going to the finals. We weren’t dwelling within the second.”
These are outdated regrets for the brand new Brad Marchand. The playoff disappointment, the breakup with the Bruins, the deadline commerce … they have been all shocks to his system that reoriented his considering.
“I am simply not going to try this to myself this time round,” he stated. “I am coming to the rink day by day simply having enjoyable and making an attempt to stay within the second, not taking something too severely.”
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Marchand began to rethink his personal mindfulness when he arrived in Florida.
“My household’s not right here and I’ve much more time to sit down residence and suppose and go over issues in my head than I usually do,” he stated. “Being right here, they discuss being within the second. Simply going day-to-day. About taking time to replicate on issues and admire them.”
And so Marchand determined he was simply going to get pleasure from himself throughout this run with the Panthers, which finds them again within the Stanley Cup Ultimate, in search of a second straight championship towards the Edmonton Oilers, whom they defeated in Sport 7 for the Cup final season.
“I am actually simply making an attempt to have enjoyable on the market and have enjoyable in right here,” he stated, motioning to the dressing room.
“The Dairy Queen factor is a superb instance.”
THE “DAIRY QUEEN THING” sprang from an interview between Marchand and Sportsnet rinkside reporter Kyle Bukauskas. He requested Marchand a couple of run to Dairy Queen that the Panthers made in the course of the Jap Convention finals video games in Raleigh, after which launched a clip of Marchand consuming one thing with a spoon in between durations of Florida’s Sport 3 win. Bukauskas requested Marchand if he was “refueling with a Blizzard” within the locker room.
Marchand extolled the virtues of the chocolate chip cookie dough Blizzard as “the perfect dessert on this planet,” and made a pitch to DQ PR for a lifetime provide of the frozen treats for that endorsement.
“We had slightly enjoyable on the off day. There was a DQ by the resort. We popped over and loved our evening,” Marchand defined.
This interview went viral, with many followers (and media) taking it as gospel that Marchand had been consuming ice cream in between durations. His teammates have been interviewed about it. Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice was requested about it throughout his information conferences.
Days later, Marchand was lastly requested about consuming ice cream within the locker room throughout a sport.
“It wasn’t a Blizzard,” Marchand stated, with a tone that rendered the accusation absurd. “I used to be not consuming a Blizzard in the midst of a sport.”
Marchand defined that he was referencing the Panthers’ journey to Dairy Queen in the course of the Sportsnet interview. “I used to be referencing that. I used to be making a joke about our tour a few nights earlier than. Simply form of making a joke off of it and I feel folks took it severely,” he stated.
After the interview went viral, Marchand stated his cellphone blew up with messages from folks saying they have been impressed by him to go to Dairy Queen.
“I admire the help,” he stated. “I like an excellent Blizzard greater than anyone, but it surely’s not one thing I’ve had in the midst of the sport.”
For a lot of, this was by no means actually about whether or not Marchand was gorging down ice cream in his dressing room stall. It was basically a tribute to the mercurial nature of the star winger that he moderately might have been the man consuming Dairy Queen between durations. There’s one thing indelible about probably the most agitating participant on the ice celebrating his wickedness with spoonfuls of cookie dough ice cream throughout intermission.
Nevertheless it wasn’t ice cream or cookie dough or peanut butter. Marchand finally revealed he was caught consuming “one thing wholesome” on digital camera.
“It was honey. I used to be having honey. It was a spoonful of honey.”
As a result of he is candy?
“As a result of I am a bear,” he responded.
Marchand stated he has at all times had an affinity for honey.
“Really, after I was rising up, I beloved Winnie the Pooh. So I used to have a Winnie the Pooh [doll] and I used to feed the bear honey. So it was lined with honey and would get rock exhausting,” he stated. “I do not suppose [my parents] loved cleansing up the mess. However I had enjoyable.”
Marchand paused for impact.
“It is what we do in Halifax. We feed teddy bears honey.”
Everybody laughed.
IT’S STILL SURREAL to consider the place Marchand began in his NHL profession to the place he has ended up.
When the Bruins received the Cup in 2011, Marchand was a brash 23-year-old winger whose burgeoning offensive sport was secondary to his extracurricular actions on the ice. Like when he used Vancouver Canucks winger Daniel Sedin as a punching bag in Sport 6 of the Stanley Cup Ultimate, delivering round six photographs to his face with out the on-ice officers stepping in.
When requested why he saved punching Sedin, Marchand responded, “As a result of I felt prefer it.”
He was the man who received a misspelled tattoo after the Bruins received the Cup.
“Let me clear one thing up. After we received, a bunch of us received tattoos right here within the dressing room of the Backyard. Mine initially was misspelled,” he stated in an ESPN participant diary. “As a substitute of claiming Stanley Cup Champions it stated ‘Stanley Cup Champians.’ I do not even understand how that occurred.”
(It was mounted earlier than the subsequent season.)
He was the participant who was suspended six occasions by the NHL between 2011 and 2018 for unlawful hits, and was given a six-game suspension as lately as 2022. He was a participant generally known as a lot for his goading as his purpose scoring.
However in 2025? Marchand was “an elder statesman” for Group Canada within the 4 Nations Face-Off, in accordance with coach Jon Cooper.
“Love him. I am unable to say sufficient nice issues about him, his vitality and keenness. He appears to seek out the fountain of youth any time he comes into certainly one of these tournaments. He is one of many guys everyone turns to when the whole lot’s underneath fireplace,” Cooper stated. “The loudest man on the bench, pumping everyone up, is Brad Marchand. For anyone that is been round so long as he has, he does not have to try this.”
That vitality is among the issues Maurice likes greatest about Marchand.
“He’s such a novel man. He is as wired at breakfast as he’s at sport time,” he stated.
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Maurice remembered when GM Invoice Zito informed him that the Panthers can be buying Matthew Tkachuk in 2022 and never believing he’d be capable of pull it off. He had an identical response when Zito informed him final summer season that Chicago defenseman Seth Jones could be accessible. When Zito informed him about Marchand, he knew it was actual. “If he says it, then it might occur,” Maurice stated.
Fact be informed, Maurice did not imagine the Panthers had “an enormous gap” of their lineup for Marchand to fill. He was additionally involved about how the 37-year-old would match on a roster that was largely the identical because the one which captured the Stanley Cup final season.
Two of Marchand’s former Bruins teammates are Panthers executives: Shawn Thornton, chief income officer, and Gregory Campbell, assistant common supervisor. They assured Maurice that Marchand can be a really perfect Panther.
“There’s simply many tales about bringing them high-end guys towards the tip of their profession and it does not work and it does not match. However they have been certain,” the coach recalled.
When Marchand arrived with the Panthers, Maurice quickly understood the match — on the ice and off the ice.
“His character took some stress off the remainder of the blokes. I even have extra quiet guys than we now have loud guys. You all know that [Aleksander] Barkov is just not doing a podcast when he is achieved [playing],” Maurice stated. “They’re like, ‘OK, Marchy’s right here, he can do all of the speaking and we will simply calm down.'”
The Panthers had some talkers final season in ahead Ryan Lomberg and defenseman Brandon Montour, who each left by way of free company.
“A few of these guys begin speaking of their automobile and do not cease till they left the rink. They simply go on on a regular basis,” Maurice stated. “It was good to have that component once more that we form of misplaced slightly little bit of it. He is introduced it again.”
Marchand has additionally discovered by years when to carry his tongue with the media. Like when Carolina defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere deliberately shot the puck at Marchand in Sport 1 of the convention finals, which led to Marchand getting a misconduct penalty. When Marchand was requested about his ideas, he replied: “Yeah, I am not a lot of a thinker.”
Maurice nodded to that second in his information convention later that day.
“He is a terrific interview. He is very, very vivid, though I hear he’s a person of only a few ideas,” he stated, drawing laughs. “That is an excellent line. I am stealing it.”
ON THE ICE, Marchand has been primarily paired with heart Anton Lundell, 23, and winger Eetu Luostarinen, 26, in the course of the Panthers’ run to the Ultimate, forming some of the efficient strains within the postseason. In 17 video games collectively, the road has had 55% of the shot makes an attempt when on the ice, 56% of the anticipated objectives, has 4.2 objectives per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 and simply 0.82 objectives towards per 60 minutes.
Maurice raved about what Marchand “has achieved with these two younger gamers” on Florida’s third line. “The way in which they’ve expanded, the best way they play … a part of it’s enjoying off him,” he stated.
Marchand has 14 factors (4 objectives, 10 assists) within the playoffs. Luostarinen has 13 factors (4 objectives, 9 assists) whereas Lundell has 12 factors (5 objectives, seven assists).
Marchand had excessive reward for Luostarinen.
“He performs a person’s sport. He performs by our bodies. He is exhausting on pucks, wins quite a lot of battles,” Marchand stated. “He is very, very expert. He is nice with the puck. He does not drive performs. He is very sensible in the best way that he performs.”
Marchand then bestowed the best accolade he might muster onto Luostarinen: He reminds Marchand of Bergeron, his six-time Selke Trophy-winning teammate with the Bruins.
“He is so defensively good with the stick. It jogs my memory quite a lot of Bergy, the place he leads with the stick lots, kills quite a lot of performs that means and creates offense from that,” Marchand stated.
Marchand stated he enjoys enjoying together with his Panthers linemates as a result of they’ve comparable “easy, direct” video games.
“We simply complement one another all around the ice as a result of we learn the sport fairly nicely on each side of it. We help one another fairly nicely, all the best way up and down the ice after which within the nook,” he stated. “So I feel we simply due to that, we’re capable of create offense out, little scrums, stuff like that.”
He stated skating with Lundell and Luostarinen has been revitalizing.
“They play quick and so they play exhausting and so they’re younger, energetic guys. It retains me feeling younger,” Marchand stated. “I am mendacity to myself. I really feel 25 once more. I really feel rejuvenated and a part of that involves enjoying with some youthful guys and a part of a extremely good group of fellows in right here.”
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Marchand did not at all times really feel they have been good guys. Not when Matthew Tkachuk was terrorizing his Bruins within the playoffs in 2023 and 2024.
“He is a competitor. He is there to win. His status proceeds him,” Marchand stated of Tkachuk. “Probably the most gifted gamers within the league across the internet. He brings a component to the group that brings guys swagger.”
Somebody requested what opponents take into consideration having Marchand and Tkachuk — two legendary provocateurs — on the ice for Florida.
“I principally really feel sorry for the blokes in our room. Not too many guys are going to get a break right here now,” Marchand stated of him and Tkachuk. “It is good to be on his workforce quite than going towards him, for certain.”
Then there’s Sam Bennett, who appeared to sucker punch Marchand in the course of the Panthers’ playoff collection win over the Bruins in 2024. It knocked Marchand out of the collection for 2 video games and did not end in additional self-discipline for Bennett. On the commerce deadline in 2025, they grew to become teammates.
“I did not maintain a grudge. Once more, I understand how this sport’s performed. I performed an identical means,” Marchand stated. “It is one thing that we joke about. I can snicker it off. I joke about it on a regular basis. I joke about it greater than he does, however I undoubtedly joke about it.”
Maurice stated there is a purpose that hockey gamers who have been the fiercest rivals can turn out to be teammates with out a lot acrimony.
“I feel you discover out when a participant walks within the room, even when he is had his nice battles, they’re so comfortable that it is over. They do not need to combat you anymore. They do not need to hack and whack within the nook for 60 minutes,” Maurice stated. “Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett are greatest buddies now. A 12 months in the past, you’ll’ve by no means thought that would occur.”
A 12 months in the past, Brad Marchand changing into a Florida Panther wasn’t one thing many believed might occur, though it makes good sense now: The Rat King, becoming a member of the franchise that celebrates wins by throwing plastic rats on the ice.
In actual fact, Marchand has turn out to be a brand new a part of that custom. After Florida wins, if there are rats on the ice, his teammates have taken to capturing the fake rodents at Marchand as they’re leaving for the dressing room.
“They see my household on the ice and need us to be collectively,” Marchand deadpanned.
Because the playoffs have progressed, “they’re capturing to harm now,” in accordance with Marchand. “Matthew Tkachuk caught me with one final sport that I really actually felt there,” he stated.
Marchand is feeling lots nowadays. The sting of the commerce dissipates slightly extra with each playoff win. He is having extra enjoyable and stressing much less, amongst teammates with whom he has rapidly bonded. And he is a number of wins from one other Stanley Cup, within the third Ultimate he has reached since profitable his first ring 14 years in the past.
“It is thrilling. You hope that you just get thus far. Clearly, we now have a terrific workforce and we performed nicely up to now. We received to the purpose the place we wish to be, however we’ve not achieved something but,” Marchand stated.
“I’ll by no means get again this late within the playoffs ever once more in my profession. These are recollections and moments that you just wish to embrace.”
