Through Blizzards and words, boisterous Marchand proving easy fit with Panthers
Through both his unique ability to find the right words and his impact on the ice as one of the best players of his generation, Brad Marchand’s found a seamless fit with the Florida Panthers. Now, he has them on the precipice of their third straight Stanley Cup Final.
admin
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — It’s minutes after the Florida Panthers have taken a 3-0 series lead over the Carolina Hurricanes, and Brad Marchand finds himself at the centre of a scrum so deep you can’t even see him.
There are seven cameras zoomed into his face and two dozen reporters hanging on his every word — not just because of his status as one of the most impactful players of his generation, but also because he has a penchant for delivering can’t-miss material.
Marchand can fill columns with 426-word dissertations, or he can deadpan a one-liner with the best of them, like he did on Saturday morning when he was asked what he appreciates most about foe-turned-teammate Sam Bennett.
“He’s got a good right hook,” Marchand responded.
/* if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll:{1:{1:{siteID:191888},2:{siteID:191889}}}}; adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6352837718112&cmsid=384', so, permalink); } else { adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6352837718112&cmsid=384"; } */ adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6352837718112&cmsid=384"; var adServerUrl_result = adServerUrl.includes("cust_params"); var queryString=''; if(adServerUrl_result){ var gettheDUFI = false; if (localStorage.getItem("consent") !== null && localStorage.getItem("consent-targeting") !== null) gettheDUFI = localStorage.getItem("theRED_loc");
if(gettheDUFI){ queryString += "dufiid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; queryString += "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; var ppid = "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; }
var DUFI_IP = false; if (localStorage.getItem("consent") !== null && localStorage.getItem("consent-targeting") !== null) DUFI_IP = sessionStorage.getItem("DUFI_IP");
if(DUFI_IP){ queryString += "dufiip=" + DUFI_IP + '&'; }
adServerUrl = adServerUrl.replace(/cust_params=/, ppid + 'cust_params=' + encodeURIComponent(queryString) ); }
$el.after( unescape("%3Cscript src=\"" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\" %3E%3C/script%3E") );
$( document ).one( 'ready', function() { $( "#video_container-799782" ).SNPlayer( { bc_account_id: "1704050871", bc_player_id: "JCdte3tMv", //autoplay: true, //is_has_autoplay_switch: false, bc_videos: 6352837718112, is_has_continuous_play: "false", adserverurl: adServerUrl, section: "", thumbnail: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/6352837718112-1024x576.jpg", direct_url: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/video/newest-angle-of-sam-bennetts-hit-on-marchand-you-be-the-judge/" }); });
It’s one of the reasons the 37-year-old has fit in perfectly with the Panthers since landing in South Florida at the NHL’s trade deadline in March.
Allow Paul Maurice, another smooth talker, to explain.
“He’s unusual, this is a bit unique,” the Panthers head coach said. “So, Seth Jones comes into our room, and he comes into a place where the camera’s not going to be on him all the time, right? He’s not the big dog on the back end, he’s not the highest-paid guy in the room; he’s one of the guys. He can just kind of fold into the room and enjoy that. Marchy comes in, and while that’s all still true for him, his personality took some pressure off the rest of the guys because we’ve got actually more quiet guys than we have, kind of, loud guys.”
The Panthers are led by Aleksander Barkov, who’s as impactful on the ice as he is understated off it. As Maurice put it, “You all know he not doing a podcast when he’s done,” and with boisterous players like Brandon Montour, Ryan Lomberg and Nick Cousins departing following the team’s 2024 Stanley Cup parade, there was a void.
Marchand has filled it with both short and long sentences, and with his unique ability to cool the temperature when it’s gotten too hot.
At 1-1 going to second intermission of Game 3, cameras caught him noshing away at a Dairy Queen Blizzard. If anyone was feeling pressure in the moment, it had to melt right off just watching him.
/* if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll:{1:{1:{siteID:191888},2:{siteID:191889}}}}; adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6373455138112&cmsid=384', so, permalink); } else { adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6373455138112&cmsid=384"; } */ adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6373455138112&cmsid=384"; var adServerUrl_result = adServerUrl.includes("cust_params"); var queryString=''; if(adServerUrl_result){ var gettheDUFI = false; if (localStorage.getItem("consent") !== null && localStorage.getItem("consent-targeting") !== null) gettheDUFI = localStorage.getItem("theRED_loc");
if(gettheDUFI){ queryString += "dufiid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; queryString += "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; var ppid = "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; }
var DUFI_IP = false; if (localStorage.getItem("consent") !== null && localStorage.getItem("consent-targeting") !== null) DUFI_IP = sessionStorage.getItem("DUFI_IP");
if(DUFI_IP){ queryString += "dufiip=" + DUFI_IP + '&'; }
adServerUrl = adServerUrl.replace(/cust_params=/, ppid + 'cust_params=' + encodeURIComponent(queryString) ); }
$el.after( unescape("%3Cscript src=\"" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\" %3E%3C/script%3E") );
$( document ).one( 'ready', function() { $( "#video_container-245545" ).SNPlayer( { bc_account_id: "1704050871", bc_player_id: "JCdte3tMv", //autoplay: true, //is_has_autoplay_switch: false, bc_videos: 6373455138112, is_has_continuous_play: "false", adserverurl: adServerUrl, section: "", thumbnail: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/6373455138112-1024x576.jpg", direct_url: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/video/marchand-on-panthers-five-goal-third-period-got-back-to-our-game/" }); });
Marchand has also alleviated a lot of that pressure with the way he’s played since being traded from Boston for what a conditional pick that became a 2028 first after the Panthers moved past the Toronto Maple Leafs and into the Eastern Conference Final.
The Halifax native had three goals and eight points in that seven-game second-round series, and that was after putting up four points in the five-game first-round win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. His goal in Saturday’s Game 3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes may have been just his first point of the conference final, but his impact has gone well beyond the scoresheet.
Marchand has made the players around him better. Especially 23-year-old Anton Lundell and 26-year-old Eetu Luostarinen, who have benefitted most as his linemates.
“He’s incredibly gifted as a player,” Maurice said. “Just look what he’s done with those two young players that we have here — the way they’ve expanded the way they play. And part of it is playing off him, so they get a little different passes in a different place, but part of it’s an articulated idea on the bench. … He’s a major impact on that group.”
if (!res.ok) { throw new Error('Failed to fetch odds data'); }
const data = await res.json(); const oddsData = data?.data?.game?.details?.current_line; const visitingTeam = data?.data?.game?.visiting_team; const visitingTeamLogo = data?.data?.game?.visiting_team?.image_url_90; const homeTeam = data?.data?.game?.home_team; const homeTeamLogo = data?.data?.game?.home_team?.image_url_90; const gameTimestamp = data?.data?.game?.details?.timestamp;
return { oddsData, visitingTeam, visitingTeamLogo, homeTeam, homeTeamLogo, gameTimestamp }; }
async function renderBetMGM(componentId, league, gameId) { let oddsData, visitingTeam, visitingTeamLogo, homeTeam, homeTeamLogo, gameTimestamp, error;
const container = document.getElementById(componentId + '-odds'); if (!container) return;
try { ({ oddsData, visitingTeam, visitingTeamLogo, homeTeam, homeTeamLogo, gameTimestamp } = await fetchOddsData(league, gameId)); } catch (err) { error = err.message; }
if (error) { container.innerHTML = `
`; return; }
if (!oddsData) { container.innerHTML = `
`; return; }
let gameDate = new Date(gameTimestamp * 1000); const gameDateFormatted = gameDate.toLocaleDateString('en-US', { year: 'numeric', month: 'long', day: 'numeric' });
container.innerHTML = `
`; }
// Example usage renderBetMGM('block_f9cdf54e5c3da8ea3e801e6c2712b65b', 'NHL', 'b56e6ebd-2c8b-45a3-92f8-089a30d82280');
How could Marchand not be? It’s what he’s been since stepping into the NHL during the 2009-10 season.
He raised the Cup with the Bruins a year later and began building a legacy that will have him remembered as one of the greatest players in the franchise’s 100-year history.
Hurricanes forward Taylor Hall was there for some of it. From 2020-23, he watched Marchand rack up 216 of the 976 points he recorded as a Bruin.
Hall expected then that Marchand would continue being as impactful as he’s aged.
“I’m probably the least surprised guy in the world to see him playing the way he is,” Hall said before the series started. “He’s a natural competitor, he’s a really good leader, he’s someone that can come into a room and make anyone laugh but also at the same time that brings a level of intensity that is huge. Watching him play, he’s still got it. He’s still a force out there and can make plays and win battles, and he plays a style that lends itself to this time of year.”
It worked out well for Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, too, and it’s helped the Panthers get within one win of their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final berth.
/* if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll:{1:{1:{siteID:191888},2:{siteID:191889}}}}; adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6373466105112&cmsid=384', so, permalink); } else { adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6373466105112&cmsid=384"; } */ adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6373466105112&cmsid=384"; var adServerUrl_result = adServerUrl.includes("cust_params"); var queryString=''; if(adServerUrl_result){ var gettheDUFI = false; if (localStorage.getItem("consent") !== null && localStorage.getItem("consent-targeting") !== null) gettheDUFI = localStorage.getItem("theRED_loc");
if(gettheDUFI){ queryString += "dufiid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; queryString += "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; var ppid = "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; }
var DUFI_IP = false; if (localStorage.getItem("consent") !== null && localStorage.getItem("consent-targeting") !== null) DUFI_IP = sessionStorage.getItem("DUFI_IP");
if(DUFI_IP){ queryString += "dufiip=" + DUFI_IP + '&'; }
adServerUrl = adServerUrl.replace(/cust_params=/, ppid + 'cust_params=' + encodeURIComponent(queryString) ); }
$el.after( unescape("%3Cscript src=\"" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\" %3E%3C/script%3E") );
$( document ).one( 'ready', function() { $( "#video_container-358529" ).SNPlayer( { bc_account_id: "1704050871", bc_player_id: "JCdte3tMv", //autoplay: true, //is_has_autoplay_switch: false, bc_videos: 6373466105112, is_has_continuous_play: "false", adserverurl: adServerUrl, section: "", thumbnail: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/6373466105112-1024x576.jpg", direct_url: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/video/panthers-pelt-marchand-with-fake-rats-after-game-2-win-over-hurricanes/" }); });
And Marchand’s been lapping it up like he would a cup of ice cream.
“Having a lot of fun,” he said. “It’s such a great group to be a part of, and I’ve been part of really great teams before. There’s been moments that I haven’t really appreciated until I’ve gone through it, and I look back on it now. Just trying to enjoy every moment.
“These things go by fast. There’s only three, four weeks left in the season and you’re trying to enjoy every single second of it because you never know when it’s going to end and you never know when you’re going to get an opportunity like this again. So, definitely enjoying it.”
