'As wired at breakfast as he is at game time': What Brad Marchand has brought to the Panthers

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Brad Marchand has regrets.

He didn't privation to permission the Boston Bruins, the squad that drafted him successful 2006, won a Stanley Cup with him successful 2011 and that helium captained for the past 2 seasons aft Patrice Bergeron retired. The squad with whom helium gained fame with 976 points successful 1,090 games, arsenic good arsenic infamy arsenic 1 of the NHL's astir accomplished agitators. He dreamed astir being a one-team guy, 1 of the rarest accomplishments for seasoned stars successful a transient sport.

Marchand regrets not being capable to accidental goodbye to Boston fans connected his ain presumption earlier the NHL commercialized deadline.

"I got wounded earlier I got traded. The past crippled I'll ever play successful a Bruins jersey was not the past crippled I thought I was ever going to play successful a Bruins jersey," helium said.

Marchand's last location crippled successful Boston was a nonaccomplishment to the New York Islanders connected Feb. 27. His last crippled with the Bruins was March 3 successful Pittsburgh. He was traded to the Florida Panthers connected March 7, the effect of a declaration impasse with Boston absorption and the team's pivot to a retool.

He fought backmost tears successful his archetypal nationalist quality arsenic a Panther. "At the extremity of the day, I cognize the concern is the concern and everybody has a support life," helium said. "I americium grateful, beyond words, for everything that enactment has done for me."

Marchand regrets not appreciating each the experiences helium had successful Boston.

"When you travel to the rink, it tin beryllium stressful. You commencement overthinking things. There's this unit you sometimes enactment connected yourself. You commencement stressing astir things that you don't request to accent about," helium said. "I cognize that determination are moments that I missed retired connected oregon didn't truly admit due to the fact that I was stressing astir different things."

For example, the Bruins had 135 points successful 2022-23, becoming the most palmy regular-season team successful NHL history. The Panthers shocked the league -- and began their nascent dynasty -- with a seven-game upset successful the archetypal circular of the playoffs that ended the bid astatine a funeral-pitched TD Garden.

"We thought we were going to spell to the finals that year. We thought we were going to triumph it all, and past we got pushed retired successful the archetypal round," Marchand said. "You commencement looking backmost astatine those moments and you recognize you took each we did that play for granted due to the fact that we were truthful disquieted astir going to the finals. We weren't surviving successful the moment."

Those are aged regrets for the caller Brad Marchand. The playoff disappointment, the breakup with the Bruins, the deadline commercialized ... they were each shocks to his strategy that reoriented his thinking.

"I'm conscionable not going to bash that to myself this clip around," helium said. "I'm coming to the rink each time conscionable having amusive and trying to unrecorded successful the moment, not taking thing excessively seriously."

play

0:44

Panthers determination it connected with 2 much speedy goals

The Panthers nett 2 much goals successful conscionable implicit a infinitesimal to pad their pb vs. the Hurricanes.

Marchand started to rethink his ain mindfulness erstwhile helium arrived successful Florida.

"My family's not present and I person a batch much clip to beryllium location and deliberation and spell implicit things successful my caput than I usually do," helium said. "Being here, they speech astir being successful the moment. Just going time by day. About taking clip to bespeak connected things and admit them."

And truthful Marchand decided helium was conscionable going to bask himself during this tally with the Panthers, which finds them backmost successful the Stanley Cup Final, seeking a 2nd consecutive title against the Edmonton Oilers, whom they defeated successful Game 7 for the Cup past season.

"I'm virtually conscionable trying to person amusive retired determination and person amusive successful here," helium said, motioning to the dressing room.

"The Dairy Queen happening is simply a large example."

THE "DAIRY QUEEN THING" sprang from an interrogation betwixt Marchand and Sportsnet rinkside newsman Kyle Bukauskas. He asked Marchand astir a tally to Dairy Queen that the Panthers made during the Eastern Conference finals games successful Raleigh, and past introduced a clip of Marchand eating thing with a spoon successful betwixt periods of Florida's Game 3 win. Bukauskas asked Marchand if helium was "refueling with a Blizzard" successful the locker room.

Marchand extolled the virtues of the cocoa spot cooky dough Blizzard arsenic "the champion dessert successful the world," and made a transportation to DQ PR for a beingness proviso of the frozen treats for that endorsement.

"We had a small amusive connected the disconnected day. There was a DQ by the hotel. We popped implicit and enjoyed our night," Marchand explained.

This interrogation went viral, with galore fans (and media) taking it arsenic gospel that Marchand had been eating crystal pick successful betwixt periods. His teammates were interviewed astir it. Florida Panthers manager Paul Maurice was asked astir it during his quality conferences.

Days later, Marchand was yet asked astir eating crystal pick successful the locker country during a game.

"It wasn't a Blizzard," Marchand said, with a code that rendered the accusation absurd. "I was not eating a Blizzard successful the mediate of a game."

Marchand explained that helium was referencing the Panthers' travel to Dairy Queen during the Sportsnet interview. "I was referencing that. I was making a gag astir our excursion a mates of nights before. Just benignant of making a gag disconnected of it and I deliberation radical took it seriously," helium said.

After the interrogation went viral, Marchand said his telephone blew up with messages from radical saying they were inspired by him to spell to Dairy Queen.

"I admit the support," helium said. "I emotion a bully Blizzard much than anybody, but it's not thing I've had successful the mediate of the game."

For many, this was ne'er truly astir whether Marchand was wolfing down crystal pick successful his dressing country stall. It was fundamentally a tribute to the mercurial quality of the prima winger that helium reasonably could person been the feline eating Dairy Queen betwixt periods. There's thing indelible astir the astir agitating subordinate connected the crystal celebrating his wickedness with spoonfuls of cooky dough crystal pick during intermission.

But it wasn't crystal pick oregon cooky dough oregon peanut butter. Marchand yet revealed helium was caught consuming "something healthy" connected camera.

"It was honey. I was having honey. It was a spoonful of honey."

Because he's sweet?

"Because I'm a bear," helium responded.

Marchand said helium has ever had an affinity for honey.

"Actually, erstwhile I was increasing up, I loved Winnie the Pooh. So I utilized to person a Winnie the Pooh [doll] and I utilized to provender the carnivore honey. So it was covered with chromatic and would get stone hard," helium said. "I don't deliberation [my parents] enjoyed cleaning up the mess. But I had fun."

Marchand paused for effect.

"It's what we bash successful Halifax. We provender teddy bears honey."

Everyone laughed.

IT'S STILL SURREAL to deliberation astir wherever Marchand started successful his NHL vocation to wherever helium has ended up.

When the Bruins won the Cup successful 2011, Marchand was a brash 23-year-old winger whose burgeoning violative crippled was secondary to his extracurricular activities connected the ice. Like erstwhile helium utilized Vancouver Canucks winger Daniel Sedin arsenic a punching container successful Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, delivering astir six shots to his look without the on-ice officials stepping in.

When asked wherefore helium kept punching Sedin, Marchand responded, "Because I felt similar it."

He was the feline who got a misspelled tattoo aft the Bruins won the Cup.

"Let maine wide thing up. After we won, a clump of america got tattoos present successful the dressing country of the Garden. Mine primitively was misspelled," helium said successful an ESPN subordinate diary. "Instead of saying Stanley Cup Champions it said 'Stanley Cup Champians.' I don't adjacent cognize however that happened."

(It was fixed earlier the adjacent season.)

He was the subordinate who was suspended six times by the NHL betwixt 2011 and 2018 for amerciable hits, and was given a six-game suspension arsenic precocious arsenic 2022. He was a subordinate known arsenic overmuch for his goading arsenic his extremity scoring.

But successful 2025? Marchand was "an elder statesman" for Team Canada successful the 4 Nations Face-Off, according to manager Jon Cooper.

"Love him. I can't accidental capable large things astir him, his vigor and passion. He seems to find the fountain of younker immoderate clip helium comes into 1 of these tournaments. He's 1 of the guys everybody turns to erstwhile everything's nether fire," Cooper said. "The loudest feline connected the bench, pumping everybody up, is Brad Marchand. For idiosyncratic that's been astir arsenic agelong arsenic helium has, helium doesn't person to bash that."

That vigor is 1 of the things Maurice likes champion astir Marchand.

"He is specified a unsocial guy. He's arsenic wired astatine meal arsenic helium is astatine crippled time," helium said.

play

0:37

Fortenbaugh's champion stake for Panthers-Oilers Stanley Cup rematch

Joe Fortenbaugh explains wherefore he's taking the Panthers to repetition arsenic champions against the Oilers.

Maurice remembered erstwhile GM Bill Zito told him that the Panthers would beryllium acquiring Matthew Tkachuk successful 2022 and not believing he'd beryllium capable to propulsion it off. He had a akin absorption erstwhile Zito told him past summertime that Chicago defenseman Seth Jones mightiness beryllium available. When Zito told him astir Marchand, helium knew it was real. "If helium says it, past it could happen," Maurice said.

Truth beryllium told, Maurice didn't judge the Panthers had "a immense hole" successful their lineup for Marchand to fill. He was besides acrophobic astir however the 37-year-old would acceptable connected a roster that was mostly the aforesaid arsenic the 1 that captured the Stanley Cup past season.

Two of Marchand's erstwhile Bruins teammates are Panthers executives: Shawn Thornton, main gross officer, and Gregory Campbell, adjunct wide manager. They assured Maurice that Marchand would beryllium an perfect Panther.

"There's conscionable galore stories astir bringing them high-end guys toward the extremity of their vocation and it doesn't enactment and it doesn't fit. But they were sure," the manager recalled.

When Marchand arrived with the Panthers, Maurice soon understood the acceptable -- connected the crystal and disconnected the ice.

"His property took immoderate unit disconnected the remainder of the guys. I really person much quiescent guys than we person large guys. You each cognize that [Aleksander] Barkov is not doing a podcast erstwhile he's done [playing]," Maurice said. "They're like, 'OK, Marchy's here, helium tin bash each the talking and we tin conscionable relax.'"

The Panthers had immoderate talkers past play successful guardant Ryan Lomberg and defenseman Brandon Montour, who some near via escaped agency.

"Some of these guys commencement talking successful their car and don't halt until they near the rink. They conscionable spell connected each the time," Maurice said. "It was bully to person that constituent again that we benignant of mislaid a small spot of it. He's brought it back."

Marchand has besides learned done years erstwhile to clasp his lingua with the media. Like erstwhile Carolina defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere intentionally shot the puck astatine Marchand successful Game 1 of the league finals, which led to Marchand getting a misconduct penalty. When Marchand was asked astir his thoughts, helium replied: "Yeah, I'm not overmuch of a thinker."

Maurice nodded to that infinitesimal successful his quality league aboriginal that day.

"He's a large interview. He's very, precise bright, adjacent though I perceive helium is simply a antheral of precise fewer thoughts," helium said, drafting laughs. "That's a bully line. I'm stealing it."

ON THE ICE, Marchand has been chiefly paired with halfway Anton Lundell, 23, and winger Eetu Luostarinen, 26, during the Panthers' tally to the Final, forming 1 of the astir effectual lines successful the postseason. In 17 games together, the enactment has had 55% of the changeable attempts erstwhile connected the ice, 56% of the expected goals, has 4.2 goals per 60 minutes astatine 5-on-5 and conscionable 0.82 goals against per 60 minutes.

Maurice raved astir what Marchand "has done with those 2 young players" connected Florida's 3rd line. "The mode they've expanded, the mode they play ... portion of it is playing disconnected him," helium said.

Marchand has 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) successful the playoffs. Luostarinen has 13 points (four goals, 9 assists) portion Lundell has 12 points (five goals, 7 assists).

Marchand had precocious praise for Luostarinen.

"He plays a man's game. He plays done bodies. He's hard connected pucks, wins a batch of battles," Marchand said. "He's very, precise skilled. He's large with the puck. He doesn't unit plays. He's precise astute successful the mode that helium plays."

Marchand past bestowed the top accolade helium could muster onto Luostarinen: He reminds Marchand of Bergeron, his six-time Selke Trophy-winning teammate with the Bruins.

"He's truthful defensively bully with the stick. It reminds maine a batch of Bergy, wherever helium leads with the instrumentality a lot, kills a batch of plays that mode and creates discourtesy from that," Marchand said.

Marchand said helium enjoys playing with his Panthers linemates due to the fact that they person akin "simple, direct" games.

"We conscionable complement each different each implicit the crystal due to the fact that we work the crippled beauteous good connected some sides of it. We enactment each different beauteous well, each the mode up and down the crystal and past successful the corner," helium said. "So I deliberation we conscionable due to the fact that of that, we're capable to make discourtesy out, small scrums, worldly similar that."

He said skating with Lundell and Luostarinen has been revitalizing.

"They play accelerated and they play hard and they're young, energetic guys. It keeps maine feeling young," Marchand said. "I'm lying to myself. I consciousness 25 again. I consciousness rejuvenated and portion of that comes to playing with immoderate younger guys and portion of a truly bully radical of guys successful here."

play

0:36

Panthers instrumentality attraction of Hurricanes successful 5 to beforehand to Stanley Cup Final

The Florida Panthers triumph 5-3 successful a back-and-forth Game 5 conflict vs. the Hurricanes to beforehand to their 3rd consecutive Stanley Cup Final.

Marchand didn't ever consciousness they were bully guys. Not erstwhile Matthew Tkachuk was terrorizing his Bruins successful the playoffs successful 2023 and 2024.

"He's a competitor. He's determination to win. His estimation proceeds him," Marchand said of Tkachuk. "One of the astir talented players successful the league astir the net. He brings an constituent to the radical that brings guys swagger."

Someone asked what opponents deliberation astir having Marchand and Tkachuk -- 2 legendary provocateurs -- connected the crystal for Florida.

"I mostly consciousness atrocious for the guys successful our room. Not excessively galore guys are going to get a interruption present now," Marchand said of him and Tkachuk. "It's bully to beryllium connected his squad alternatively than going against him, for sure."

Then there's Sam Bennett, who appeared to sucker punch Marchand during the Panthers' playoff bid triumph implicit the Bruins successful 2024. It knocked Marchand retired of the bid for 2 games and didn't effect successful further subject for Bennett. At the commercialized deadline successful 2025, they became teammates.

"I didn't clasp a grudge. Again, I cognize however this game's played. I played a akin way," Marchand said. "It's thing that we gag about. I tin laughter it off. I gag astir it each the time. I gag astir it much than helium does, but I decidedly gag astir it."

Maurice said there's a crushed that hockey players who were the fiercest rivals tin go teammates without overmuch acrimony.

"I deliberation you find retired erstwhile a subordinate walks successful the room, adjacent if he's had his large battles, they're truthful blessed that it's over. They don't person to combat you anymore. They don't person to hack and whack successful the country for 60 minutes," Maurice said. "Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett are champion friends now. A twelvemonth ago, you would've ne'er thought that could happen."

A twelvemonth ago, Brad Marchand becoming a Florida Panther wasn't thing galore believed could happen, though it makes cleanable consciousness now: The Rat King, joining the franchise that celebrates wins by throwing integrative rats connected the ice.

In fact, Marchand has go a caller portion of that tradition. After Florida wins, if determination are rats connected the ice, his teammates person taken to shooting the faux rodents astatine Marchand arsenic they're leaving for the dressing room.

"They spot my household connected the crystal and privation america to beryllium together," Marchand deadpanned.

As the playoffs person progressed, "they're shooting to wounded now," according to Marchand. "Matthew Tkachuk caught maine with 1 past crippled that I really truly felt there," helium said.

Marchand is feeling a batch these days. The sting of the commercialized dissipates a small much with each playoff win. He's having much amusive and stressing less, among teammates with whom helium has rapidly bonded. And he's a fewer wins from different Stanley Cup, successful the 3rd Final helium has reached since winning his archetypal ringing 14 years ago.

"It's exciting. You anticipation that you get to this point. Obviously, we person a large squad and we played good truthful far. We got to the constituent wherever we privation to be, but we haven't accomplished thing yet," Marchand said.

"I whitethorn ne'er get backmost this precocious successful the playoffs ever again successful my career. These are memories and moments that you privation to embrace."