Panthers’ Brad Marchand on return to Boston: ‘It will be weird to be there as an opposing team’
Not even a week after the NHL Trade Deadline, a former franchise favorite is set to return to his former home.
In his introductory press conference on Monday, Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand received a lot of questions about the team traveling to take on Marchand’s former team, the Boston Bruins.
Marchand will be traveling with Florida on their road trip, which begins tomorrow in Boston.
“It will be nice to go home…to see the guys and say goodbye. It will be weird to be there as an opposing team.”
“It will be nice to go home,” Marchand said. “To see the guys and say goodbye. It will be weird to be there as an opposing team.”
Marchand was dealt to the Panthers right before the deadline last Friday. In return, the Bruins received a conditional second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. The Halifax, Nova Scotia had been with the Bruins his entire NHL career, ever since the Original Six franchise took him in the third round of the 2006 draft.
Marchand admits that wearing a different team’s colors is something that he’s trying to get used to.
“It was a weird feeling…Reality is setting in here. I’m starting to feel like I’m part of the group.”
The trade was certainly a stunner, as not many expected general manager Don Sweeney would move the former B’s captain. Yet, he says he has no ill will toward the organization for moving him at the deadline.
“Every player has a shelf life…[I’m] grateful beyond words for everything that organization has done.”
When it became apparent that the 36-year-old’s future in Boston was not in the cards, joining the defending Stanley Cup champions was an appealing possibility.
“I looked at the group, and that’s a team that has what it takes to go all the way again.”
Granted, given the Atlantic Division rivals’ history, the Bruins sending Marchand to the Panthers was a surprise to both fanbases. Florida has knocked Boston out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the past two years, leading to the Cats moving on to the Final each postseason.
Marchand, whose antics have been at the center of the many battles between the two teams, is excited to put the past behind him and look to the future with his new team.
“The great thing about hockey culture is guys don’t take things personally.”
He was also asked about what it will be like playing alongside Sam Bennett on a day-to-day basis.
“Yeah, still a scumbag,” Marchand joked. “No, Benny’s great. I had a great time getting to know him at 4 Nations…I wasn’t surprised that we’d get along.”
Unfortunately for Bruins’ fans, they will not be able to get to see Marchand in action on Tuesday night. He has been out of game action since suffering an upper-body injury against the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 1. While he’s expected to miss the next three to four weeks, he could be on the ice as early as Tuesday, with Marchand saying that he’s “getting better every day.”
The Panthers (40-21-3) are first in the Atlantic, four points ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs.