BOSTON — As the Florida Panthers push toward a second consecutive Stanley Cup title, one of their most impactful playoff performers is a name that once stirred TD Garden crowds in black and gold.
Former Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand, now wearing Florida red, is just two wins away from lifting the Cup again — this time as a Panther — and his former teammate and longtime linemate Patrice Bergeron couldn’t be prouder.
In a heartfelt message that Bruins fans will find both nostalgic and bittersweet, Bergeron praised Marchand’s continued brilliance during the Panthers’ deep playoff run.
“It’s kind of weird seeing him in Florida red, not Bruins black-and-gold,” Bergeron told NHL.com.
“Otherwise, he’s the same competitive difference-maker I played with for so many years. It’s amazing, and I’m loving it.”
Bergeron, who retired in 2023 after passing the captain’s torch to Marchand, expressed zero surprise over the 36-year-old winger’s stellar postseason.
“Am I surprised at how productive he is, how influential he’s been in these playoffs? Not in the least. Not for a minute,” he said. “This guy is one of the hardest-working guys you’ll ever find… Tell him he can’t do something or that he’s slowing down, and it just motivates him.”
Since being traded to Florida at the March deadline — a move that shocked the Bruins fanbase — Marchand has thrived. In 20 playoff games, he’s racked up 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) and played a crucial role in helping Florida dominate opponents, including Monday’s 6–1 rout of the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Ironically, Marchand had seen the Panthers up close in the past two postseasons — and not fondly. In 2023, the Bruins’ record-setting 65-win campaign ended in heartbreak after Florida stunned them in the first round. In 2024, the Panthers again ousted Boston, this time in five games. Now, Marchand is helping power the very team that dashed his former club’s dreams.
Marchand and the Panthers take on the Oilers again in Game 4 on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET, with a potential Cup-clinching game looming.
As Florida inches closer to glory, Bergeron’s words serve as a powerful reminder of Marchand’s enduring legacy — one that, even in new colors, still resonates deeply with the Bruins faithful.
