A generation of Boston Bruins fans that has always seen Brad Marchand wearing its team’s sweater now must become accustomed to seeing the veteran left wing wearing a Florida Panthers jersey.
Marchand, 36, was dealt to Florida before the NHL trade deadline on Friday at 3 p.m. ET. The deal caps weeks of speculation that the Bruins would part with their longtime star and team captain in the final year of his contract as the team fell out of the playoff race.
What the Bruins will receive in return hasn’t yet been announced, as the trade is still pending with the league. Marchand is currently out with an upper-body injury that has sidelined him since March 1.
Bruins fans might wince even further at Marchand being traded to the Panthers, who have eliminated Boston from the past two Stanley Cup playoffs, last year in the second round.
Marchand played 16 seasons with the Bruins, winning a Stanley Cup in his second season with the franchise in 2011-12. He’s been the team captain for the past three seasons, taking over the mantle in 2023 following Patrice Bergeron’s retirement.
During his career, Marchand scored 422 goals with 554 assists in 1,090 games. He has scored 20 or more goals for 12 consecutive seasons.
Among his career honors are two NHL All-Star Games and twice being named to both the first-team and second-team All-NHL teams.
In international play, Marchand most recently played for Team Canada’s championship team in the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament. He was on Canada’s gold medal-winning clubs in the 2016 World Cup and IIHF World Championship.
The Bruins finished second in the Atlantic Division last year, just one point behind the Panthers with 109. However, Boston has slid significantly this season, holding seventh place in the division with just 64 points thus far. The team is still in contention for one of the Eastern Conference’s two wild-card berths, trailing the Ottawa Senators by three points.
Dealing Marchand was one of several trades the Bruins made before the NHL trade deadline. The team also traded defenseman Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs and center Charlie Coyle to the Colorado Avalanche on Friday.