Marchand expected to make Panthers debut vs. Utah
Published
Veteran forward Brad Marchand is expected to make his Florida Panthers debut on Friday when his new team takes on the Utah Hockey Club, head coach Paul Maurice confirmed.
Marchand, 36, was acquired from the Boston Bruins prior to the trade deadline on March 7 in exchange for a conditional second-round draft pick.
The 5-foot-9 winger recorded 21 goals and 47 points in 61 games for the Bruins this season before going down with an upper-body injury that cost him to miss 11 games.
He participated in the Panthers' practice on Thursday and skated on a line with forwards Sam Bennett and Mackie Samoskevich.
Marchand joins a Panthers team that sits tied for second in the Atlantic Division with the Tampa Bay Lighting with a 43-25-3 record and are one point back of the Toronto Maple Leafs for top spot.
He was a staple in Boston for 16 seasons, leading the team to their first Stanley Cup Championship in 39 years in 2011. He was a core piece of a team that won three Presidents' Trophies (2024, 2020, 2023), five division titles (2011, 2012, 2014, 2020, and 2023), and made three Stanley Cup Final appearances (2011, 2013, 2019).
Marchand is on the final season of an eight-year, $49 million contract and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
The Halifax native represented Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February in a first-place finish. He also represented his country at the 2016 World Championship and World Cup of Hockey, taking home gold in both events.