For the first time in 16 years, Brad Marchand will be wearing a different NHL jersey when he makes his Florida Panthers debut.
Marchand was introduced to the media for the first time since he was acquired from the Boston Bruins at the trade deadline and it was certainly an adjustment for the eyes.
“Like the red? It brings out my eyes,” Marchand said Monday as he traded the black and gold Boston Bruins apparel for Panthers red and blue.
It has certainly been an emotional time for the 37-year-old who was looking to sign an extension with the Bruins. But as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported, after agreeing to a three-year term, the two sides were too far apart on the money.
Boston then pivoted towards a trade and sent Marchand to Florida for a conditional second-round pick.
It was a shocking move considering that it came down to the wire ahead of Friday’s trade deadline, Marchand said there were mixed emotions on his end.
“I’ve had an incredible run in that organization and I’m extremely proud of how things went there,” an emotional Marchand explained. “It was very disappointing that things didn’t get done just because, obviously, I love the organization, I wanted to stay there.
“At the end of the day, I also know that business is business, and every player has a shelf life regardless of whether that’s when we want it to be or not. Sometimes, things out of our control dictate situations. If we were in the playoffs at the point in time, we’d probably be having a much different conversation.”
Panthers general manager Bill Zito did mention on Friday that Marchand’s debut will have to wait around two weeks as he deals with an upper-body injury.
Now he will be shifting his focus to helping the Panthers go on another Stanley Cup run and try to repeat.
“When the trade happened, like I said, I was disappointed and I was sad,” Marchand explained. “But I’m still extremely grateful that I get to come to an incredible place, an incredible team, a very, very, very competitive team. … I feel rejuvenated coming here.”
Marchand also said a final farewell to Bruins fans as he prepared for the next stage of his career.
“To Boston,” Marchand wrote in a full-page ad published in Monday’s Boston Globe, “Thank you for welcoming me into this great city when I was just a young Canadian kid looking to break it into the best league in the world. You allowed me to achieve my dream of playing in the National Hockey League and winning the Stanley Cup. For this I am forever grateful. You also embraced me from day one and immediately brought me into your family. Since that time, I have become a husband and a father to a beautiful family. My family is your family: We are Bostonians now and forever.
“Representing this city as captain of the Boston Bruins was the greatest honour of my life, and it was a privilege to wear the spoked B over the past 16 years. Boston will always be a part of me, and it will always be a part of my family. There are far too many people I want to thank to be able to include in this short note, but just know how grateful I am for the time I spent in Boston playing for the Bruins.”
