Brad Marchand admits to having regrets. He was reluctant to leave the Boston Bruins, the team that drafted him in 2006, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2011, and whom he captained for the last two seasons following Patrice Bergeron`s retirement. It was the club where he achieved fame with 976 points in 1,090 games, alongside notoriety as one of the NHL`s most effective agitators. He had envisioned being a career-long player for one team, a rare accomplishment for veteran stars in a sport known for player movement.
Marchand regrets not being able to properly say goodbye to Boston fans before the NHL trade deadline.
“I got injured before the trade,” he shared. “The final game I played in a Bruins jersey wasn`t the game I expected to be my last.”
Marchand`s last game at home in Boston was a loss to the New York Islanders on February 27, and his absolute final appearance for the Bruins was on March 3 in Pittsburgh. He was traded to the Florida Panthers on March 7, a result of a contract dispute with Boston management and the team`s strategic decision to retool. He visibly fought back tears during his initial public appearance as a Panther. “Ultimately, I understand that this is a business and everyone has a limited shelf life,” he commented. “I am incredibly grateful for everything that organization did for me.”
Marchand also regrets not fully appreciating all the experiences he had in Boston.
“When you come to the rink, it can be stressful. You start overthinking things. There`s this pressure you sometimes put on yourself,” he reflected. “I know there were moments I missed or didn`t truly appreciate because I was preoccupied with other concerns.”
For instance, the Bruins achieved a historic 135 points in the 2022-23 season, becoming the most successful regular-season team in NHL history. However, the Panthers unexpectedly shocked the league – and began their emerging dynasty – with a seven-game upset in the first round of the playoffs, a series that ended in a somber TD Garden.
“We thought we were going to reach the finals that year. We were convinced we`d win it all, and then we were eliminated in the first round,” Marchand recalled. “Looking back on those times, you realize you took everything we accomplished that season for granted because we were so focused on reaching the finals. We weren`t truly living in the moment.”
These are past regrets for the transformed Brad Marchand. The playoff disappointment, the breakup with the Bruins, the deadline trade… they all served as significant shocks that reshaped his perspective.
“I`m simply not going to put myself through that again this time,” he stated. “I`m arriving at the rink each day, simply enjoying myself and striving to live in the present, without taking anything too seriously.”
Marchand began reconsidering his approach to mindfulness upon his arrival in Florida.
“My family isn`t here, so I have much more time at home to sit, reflect, and process things than I usually do,” he commented. “Being here, they emphasize living in the moment. Just taking things day by day. Taking time to reflect on and appreciate things.”
Consequently, Marchand decided he was simply going to enjoy himself during this playoff run with the Panthers, which finds them back in the Stanley Cup Final, pursuing a second consecutive championship against the Edmonton Oilers, whom they defeated in seven games last season to claim the Cup.
“I`m honestly just trying to enjoy myself out on the ice and in here,” he said, gesturing towards the dressing room.
“The Dairy Queen story is a perfect illustration.”
The “Dairy Queen Thing”
The “Dairy Queen Thing” originated from an interview Marchand had with Sportsnet rinkside reporter Kyle Bukauskas. Bukauskas inquired about a trip the Panthers made to Dairy Queen during the Eastern Conference finals games in Raleigh, then showed a clip of Marchand eating something with a spoon between periods in Florida`s Game 3 victory. Bukauskas asked if he was “refueling with a Blizzard” in the locker room.
Marchand praised the chocolate chip cookie dough Blizzard as “the greatest dessert in the world,” and humorously suggested Dairy Queen send him a lifetime supply for the endorsement.
“We had a bit of fun on the off day. There was a DQ near the hotel. We popped over and enjoyed our evening,” Marchand elaborated.
This interview quickly went viral, with many fans and media members believing Marchand had actually consumed ice cream mid-game. His teammates were questioned about it, and coach Paul Maurice addressed it in press conferences.
Days later, Marchand was finally asked directly about eating ice cream during a game.
“It wasn`t a Blizzard,” Marchand stated with a tone that conveyed the absurdity of the idea. “I was absolutely not eating a Blizzard in the middle of a game.”
Marchand clarified that he was referring to the team`s off-day visit during the Sportsnet interview. “I was referencing that. I was joking about our outing a couple of nights prior. Just making a joke about it, and I think people interpreted it literally,” he said.
Following the interview`s virality, Marchand mentioned his phone was inundated with messages from people saying he had inspired them to visit Dairy Queen.
“I appreciate the support,” he said. “I love a good Blizzard as much as anyone, but it`s not something I`ve ever had during a game.”
For many, the focus wasn`t truly on whether Marchand was eating ice cream in his dressing room stall. It was more a nod to his unpredictable personality – the notion that he could plausibly be the player eating Dairy Queen during intermission resonated. There`s a certain charm in the idea of the NHL`s most notorious pest celebrating his antics with spoonfuls of cookie dough ice cream between periods.
But it turned out not to be ice cream, cookie dough, or peanut butter. Marchand eventually disclosed he was caught on camera consuming “something healthy.”
“It was honey. I was eating honey. It was a spoonful of honey,” he revealed.
When asked if it was because he`s “sweet,” he retorted, “Because I`m a bear.”
Marchand explained his long-standing affection for honey.
“Actually, when I was growing up, I adored Winnie the Pooh,” he shared. “So I used to have a Winnie the Pooh [doll], and I`d feed the bear honey. It would get covered in honey and become rock hard,” he said. “I don`t think [my parents] enjoyed cleaning up the mess. But I had fun.”
Marchand paused for comedic effect.
“It`s just what we do in Halifax. We feed teddy bears honey.”
The room erupted in laughter.
From Pest to Veteran Presence
It`s truly remarkable to consider Marchand`s transformation from the start of his NHL career to where he is now.
When the Bruins captured the Cup in 2011, Marchand was a bold, 23-year-old winger whose offensive capabilities were often overshadowed by his on-ice antics. Like in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, when he used Vancouver Canucks winger Daniel Sedin as a punching bag, landing about six punches to his face without intervention from the officials.
When questioned about why he kept punching Sedin, Marchand`s response was simply, “Because I felt like it.”
He was also the player who got a tattoo misspelled after the Bruins` Cup win.
“Let me clarify something. After we won, several of us got tattoos right here in the Garden dressing room,” he recounted in an ESPN player diary. “Mine was initially misspelled. Instead of `Stanley Cup Champions,` it said `Stanley Cup Champians.` I still don`t know how that happened.” (It was corrected before the subsequent season.)
He was a player suspended six times by the NHL between 2011 and 2018 for illegal hits, and received a six-game suspension as recently as 2022. He was as well-known for provoking opponents as he was for scoring goals.
But fast forward to 2025, and Marchand was described as an “elder statesman” for Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off by coach Jon Cooper.
“I love him. I can`t speak highly enough about his energy and passion,” Cooper commented. “He seems to discover the fountain of youth whenever he joins one of these tournaments. He`s one of the guys everyone looks to when things are intense.” Cooper added, “The loudest voice on the bench, hyping everyone up, is Brad Marchand. For someone who`s been around as long as he has, he doesn`t need to do that.”
Coach Paul Maurice particularly appreciates Marchand`s energy.
“He`s such a unique character,” Maurice said. “He`s just as fired up at breakfast as he is come game time.”
Maurice recalled his reaction when GM Bill Zito informed him the Panthers would be acquiring Marchand, noting he knew it was serious if Zito mentioned it. He initially had concerns about how the 37-year-old would integrate into a roster largely unchanged from the previous season`s Cup-winning squad. However, Marchand`s former Bruins teammates, Shawn Thornton (Chief Revenue Officer) and Gregory Campbell (Assistant General Manager) – now Panthers executives – assured Maurice that Marchand would be a perfect fit.
“There are numerous instances of bringing in high-profile veterans towards the end of their careers, and it just doesn`t work or mesh,” the coach recounted. “But they were confident.”
Upon Marchand`s arrival, Maurice quickly recognized the synergy, both on and off the ice.
“His personality alleviated some pressure from the other players,” Maurice observed. “Honestly, we have more quiet individuals than loud ones. As you all know, [Aleksander] Barkov won`t be starting a podcast when he retires,” he quipped. “They`re thinking, `Okay, Marchy`s here, he can handle all the talking, and we can just relax.`”
The Panthers had lost some vocal players like forward Ryan Lomberg and defenseman Brandon Montour, who departed in free agency.
“Some of these guys would start talking in their car and wouldn`t stop until they left the rink,” Maurice chuckled. “It`s been good to regain that element that we`d somewhat lost. He`s brought it back.”
Marchand has also learned over the years when to exercise restraint with the media. An example occurred when Carolina defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere intentionally shot the puck at Marchand in Game 1 of the conference finals, resulting in Marchand receiving a misconduct penalty. When asked for his reaction afterward, Marchand replied: “Yeah, I`m not much of a thinker.”
Maurice acknowledged this exchange during his subsequent news conference.
“He`s a fantastic interview. He`s very, very intelligent, even though I hear he is a man of very few thoughts,” he said, eliciting laughter. “That`s a great line. I`m definitely stealing it.”
On-Ice Impact
On the ice, Marchand has primarily skated alongside center Anton Lundell, 23, and winger Eetu Luostarinen, 26, forming one of the most impactful lines during the Panthers` playoff run. In their 17 games together, this line has accounted for 55% of shot attempts and 56% of expected goals when on the ice at 5-on-5, while generating 4.2 goals per 60 minutes and allowing only 0.82 goals against per 60 minutes.
Maurice spoke highly of Marchand`s influence on “those two young players” on Florida`s third line. “The way they`ve developed, the way they play… a significant part of that is playing off him,” he stated.
Marchand has accumulated 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in the playoffs, Luostarinen has 13 points (four goals, nine assists), and Lundell has 12 points (five goals, seven assists).
Marchand offered considerable praise for Luostarinen.
“He plays a man`s game. He plays through opponents. He`s tenacious on pucks, wins many battles,” Marchand commented. “He`s extremely skilled. He`s excellent with the puck. He doesn`t force plays. He`s very intelligent in how he plays.”
Marchand then gave Luostarinen perhaps the highest compliment he could: he reminds Marchand of Patrice Bergeron, his six-time Selke Trophy-winning teammate with the Bruins.
“He`s so sound defensively with his stick. It strongly reminds me of Bergy, how he often leads with his stick, breaks up many plays that way, and generates offense from it,” Marchand explained.
Marchand mentioned he enjoys playing with his Panthers linemates because they share similar “simple, direct” playing styles.
“We complement each other effectively across the ice because we read the game quite well on both ends. We support each other effectively, from end to end and in the corners,” he said. “So I believe because of that, we`re able to create offense from smaller plays and scrums.”
He added that skating with Lundell and Luostarinen has been invigorating.
“They play fast, they play hard, and they`re young, energetic guys. It helps me feel young,” Marchand remarked. “I`m kidding myself. I feel 25 again. I feel revitalized, and part of that comes from playing with younger players and being part of a truly excellent group of guys in here.”
Marchand didn`t always view his current teammates so favorably. Not when Matthew Tkachuk was tormenting his Bruins during the 2023 and 2024 playoffs.
“He`s a competitor. He`s here to win,” Marchand said of Tkachuk. “His reputation precedes him. One of the most skilled players in the league near the net. He brings an element to the team that gives guys swagger.”
Someone asked what opponents might think about having both Marchand and Tkachuk – two legendary provocateurs – on the ice for Florida.
“I mostly feel sorry for the guys in our room,” Marchand quipped about himself and Tkachuk. “Not many guys are going to get a break now.” He added, “It`s definitely better to be on his team than playing against him.”
Then there`s Sam Bennett, who appeared to sucker-punch Marchand during the Panthers` playoff series victory over the Bruins in 2024. The hit sidelined Marchand for two games, and Bennett received no further discipline. At the trade deadline in 2025, they became teammates.
“I didn`t hold a grudge,” Marchand stated. “Again, I understand how this game is played. I played a similar style.” He continued, “It`s something we joke about. I can laugh it off. I joke about it constantly. I joke about it more than he does, but I absolutely joke about it.”
Maurice explained why fierce hockey rivals can often become teammates with minimal lingering animosity.
“I think when a player enters the room, even if he`s had major battles with guys there, they`re simply happy it`s over,” Maurice said. “They don`t have to fight you anymore. They don`t have to hack and whack in the corner for sixty minutes.” He concluded, “Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett are best friends now. A year ago, you would never have believed that was possible.”
Embrace the Rats
A year ago, the idea of Brad Marchand becoming a Florida Panther seemed improbable to many, yet it now makes perfect sense: the “Rat King” joining the franchise that celebrates victories by throwing plastic rats onto the ice.
In fact, Marchand has become an active part of this tradition. After Panthers wins, if there are rats on the ice, his teammates have taken to shooting the faux rodents at Marchand as they exit towards the dressing room.
“They see my family out on the ice and want us to be together,” Marchand deadpanned.
As the playoffs have advanced, Marchand noted, “they`re shooting to hurt now.” “Matthew Tkachuk got me with one last game that I actually really felt,” he added.
Marchand is experiencing a range of emotions these days. The sting of the trade diminishes slightly with each playoff triumph. He`s finding more enjoyment and less stress, having quickly formed bonds with his teammates. And he`s just a few wins away from another Stanley Cup, reaching his third Final appearance since winning his first ring 14 years ago.
“It`s exciting. You hope to reach this stage,” Marchand said. “Obviously, we have a great team, and we`ve played well so far. We`ve gotten to where we aspired to be, but we haven`t achieved anything yet.”
He concluded, “I might never get back to this late stage in the playoffs ever again in my career. These are memories and moments you want to cherish.”
